Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Video: A Yeti Crab That Grows Its Bacterial Meals on Its Own Body
Kiwa puravida Shane Ahyong on Wikimedia Commons A species of deep sea crab, named as more things should be after the Himalayan snow monster, grows its own food...on its body. The crab,...
New stem cells found in heart
New adult stem cells found in the heart have immense potential to regenerate and repair the damaged organ, researchers say.
Cell surface mutation protects against common type of malaria
A mutation on the surface of human red blood cells provides protection against malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium vivax, new research shows. The investigators found the change makes it...
Like humans, the paper wasp has a special talent for learning faces
Though paper wasps have brains less than a millionth the size of humans', they have evolved specialized face-learning abilities analogous to the system used by humans, according to researchers.
A natural dye obtained from lichens may combat Alzheimer's disease
A red dye from lichens that has been used for centuries to color fabrics and food and a related substance appear to reduce the abundance of small toxic protein aggregates...
Eating fruits, veggies may lower stroke risk
Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are rich in antioxidants may help reduce a woman's risk of stroke, even if she has a history of heart disease,...
Video shows diabetes cell processes
LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've created a video of the cell destruction occurring in type 1 diabetes, an advance that could lead to...
Newest chemical elements get proposed names
Names have been proposed for the two newest and heaviest known chemical elements, which were officially recognized earlier this year.
Parasites Hiding In Plain Sight
Social insect colonies are often invaded by parasites, ranging from snails to spiders. Of course these parasites must ensure that they’re not recognized as such. They have to convince the...
Fish cage culture catches on in Nepal
Researchers supported by IDRC guided the first families into this new venture when the construction of a hydro dam flooded the area in 1982.
Protein sheds insight into vCJD
A protein linked to the immune system could play a key role in helping scientists understand how vCJD spreads throughout the body.
Green Blog: Hope for the Giant Manta Ray
A "vulnerable" designation by the United Nations Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals reflects a critical level of overfishing of the manta.
Scientists merge spider silk, human muscle to design a novel, self-assembling peptide
(Medical Xpress) -- Because of its high water content and polymer network, peptide hydrogel is a promising material for protein storage and transfer without significant loss of their biological activity....
Parental controls on embryonic development?
When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes...
Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars
The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have up sticks and colonise space. But is the human body up to the challenge?...
Study of wolves will help scientists predict climate effects on endangered animals
Scientists studying populations of grey wolves in the USA's Yellowstone National Park have developed a way to predict how changes in the environment will impact on the animals' number, body...
Geoengineering could save Earth -- or destroy it
(AP) -- Brighten clouds with sea water? Spray aerosols high in the stratosphere? Paint roofs white and plant light-colored crops? How about positioning "sun shades" over the Earth?
Amplification of multiple cell-growth genes found in some brain tumors
A small percentage of the deadly brain tumors called glioblastomas, which usually resist treatment with drugs targeting mutations in cell-growth genes, appears to contain extra copies of two or three...
Adult stem cells use special pathways to repair damaged muscle, researchers find
Researchers recently found how even distant satellite cells could help with the repair, and are now learning how the stem cells travel within the tissue. This knowledge could ultimately help...
How phantom limbs form
How a phantom limb forms depends on how the nerves are stimulated during amputation or injury, a new study shows.
Scientist at Work Blog: Hoping for Mammals, but Getting Mostly Ants
Scientists investigating mammal diversity on Costa Rican coffee farms add to their workload when their traps turn up fewer animals than expected.
Age-old remedies using white tea, witch hazel and rose may be beneficial, study suggests
Age-old remedies could hold the key to treating a wide range of serious medical problems, as well as keeping skin firmer and less wrinkled, according to scientists. Experts have discovered...
South Africa unveils plan to halve HIV infections
President Jacob Zuma on Thursday unveiled a plan to halve the number of HIV infections over the next five years, cementing South Africa's turnaround from years of deadly denialism.
Green tea flavonoid may prevent reinfection with hepatitis C virus following liver transplantation
German researchers have determined that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)—a flavonoid found in green tea—inhibits the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from entering liver cells. Study findings available in...
How the Bioweapon Ricin Kills
A key protein that controls how the deadly plant poison and bioweapon ricin kills, has finally been identified by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Vienna, Austria. The...
NOAA Grants Will Help VIMS Study Key Chesapeake Bay Species
Eleven research teams from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) have received funding from NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Office to study species that play an important role in the Bay's...
U Arizona Wild Cat Research Center to study jaguar presence in the Southwest
The recent sighting of an adult male jaguar in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona came as a reminder that even though the big spotted cat usually is associated with dense...
Fungi join the DNA barcode club as the technique booms
Scientists at the International Barcode of Life conference have added fungi to a rapidly growing list of applications for DNA barcoding.