Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New drug target found for Alzheimers
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., April 20 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've identified a potential drug target for Alzheimer's disease -- a receptor embedded in the membrane of neurons and other...
Ocean salinities show an intensified water cycle
Evidence that the world's water cycle has already intensified is contained in new research to be published in the American Journal of Climate...
Controversial DNA swap could prevent inherited disease
British scientists, using a a variation of the technique used to clone Dolly the sheep, have mastered exchanging DNA between two fertilized human eggs as a way to prevent mitochondrial...
New gene for hair loss identified
Researchers have discovered a gene involved in hair loss that may lead to new, non-hormonal therapies for baldness. The work, by researchers at Rockefeller, Columbia and Stanford universities, reveals that...
Sequence is scaffold to study sleeping sickness
Researchers have published the genome sequence for T. b. gambiense -- the strain of Trypanosoma brucei responsible for almost all cases of sleeping sickness in humans. A remarkable level of...
Plant pathogen genetically tailors attacks to each part of host
Corn smut, a fungus that infects maize, can target its attack by choosing which of its genes to activate in order to maximize the effectiveness of its onslaught. This is...
Variant boosts cancer survival
Researchers have found that a rare variation in a specific gene can have a big impact on breast cancer survival.
Primary cilia formation provides insight into genetic diseases
Scientists have identified a network of genes that initiate and manage cilia formation. Although scientists have known about cilia for decades, only recently have they discovered their role in disease.
Protect us, not polar bears: Inuit officials
Nunavut Inuit who do not want polar bears listed under Canada's Species at Risk Act say they should be the ones being protected from the Arctic bears.
Cancer genome project expands
An international partnership including Canadians who plan to decode the genomes of 25,000 cancer samples announced their research plans on Tuesday.
Rat whiskers feel like fingers
A study has found that rat whiskers are run by the same part of the brain as human fingertips are – and sense touch with the same quirks.
Little melamine appears in eggs from chickens on highly contaminated feed
Eggs from chickens that consumed extremely high levels of melamine in their feed still did not contain levels of the potentially toxic contaminant that exceeded U. S. Food and Drug...
Genetic patterns rise from huge yeast samples
Princeton University scientists have developed a new way to identify the hidden genetic material responsible for complex traits, a breakthrough they believe ultimately could lead to a deeper understanding of...
Birds of a feather don't always respond together to infection
A Princeton University-led research team is the first to have documented that different populations of the same animal species respond differently with fever when fighting infection in the wild...
Newly discovered RNA steers brain development
BOSTON, Mass. (April 14, 2010) — How does the brain work? This question is one of the greatest scientific mysteries, and neurobiologists have only recently begun to piece together the...
Randomness is no lottery thanks to entangled ions
Number sequences guaranteed random by quantum mechanics
Species distribution models can exaggerate differences in environmental requirements
Separate species that live in radically different environments don't necessarily also have different ecological niches. This is the finding of a study investigating the accuracy of current statistical tests that...
Study: Tests show illegal whale meat trade in Asia
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- Scientists say DNA testing of whale meat from a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea, indicates that some of it came from...
Big science: The cancer genome challenge
Databases could soon be flooded with genome sequences from 25,000 tumours. Heidi Ledford looks at the obstacles researchers face as they search for meaning in the data.
The onion, a natural alternative to artificial preservatives
Some components of the onion have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making it possible to use this bulb for food preservation. This is demonstrated by researchers from the Polytechnic...
Lab that probes genetic clues to disease is poised for major expansion
Despite the continuing, crippling effects of a nationwide recession, a genetics research laboratory on Rutgers' Busch Campus is experiencing an economic boom.
Northern squid habitat identified
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 14 (UPI) -- A Canadian scientist says she has documented the habitat of the elusive northern squid -- a key species in the arctic marine food...
In pictures: Deserts of the World
Captivating pictures released by UK-based scientists reveal the varied and fragile nature of the world's deserts.
Fungus strikes bat species in five states
ASHEVILLE, N.C., April 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've identified a deadly fungus that's threatening nine bat species in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
What causes seizure in focal epilepsy?
In focal epilepsy, seizures are generated by a localised, synchronous neuronal electrical discharge that may spread to large portions of the brain. In spite of intense research in the field...
Exotic flowers help bees stay busy in winter
Recent years have seen an unusual rise in the number of bees about in the cold winter months. Scientists have found that while most bees are hibernating, the buff-tailed bumblebee,...
What should goldenrod do to avoid an insect attack? Duck!
Plants and herbivores have always been involved in a sort of arms race, and plants' defensive strategies commonly involve thorns, spines, and chemical toxins. But when certain flies are out...
Notes and queries | How to spot a more advanced species; What makes a song like Ghost Town so special?
How to spot a more advanced species; What makes a song like Ghost Town so special?; Confusion in the cutlery drawerIf there were a cleverer, more advanced species than us on this...