Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists call for biodiversity barometer
GLAND, Switzerland, April 12 (UPI) -- A group of Swiss-led scientists says it has estimated how much it would cost to seek the status of millions of species, some...
Gene that changes the brain’s response to stress identified
Stress can literally warp your brain, reshaping some brain structures that help cope with life's pressures. In the short term, the stress response can be helpful -- i.e., fight or...
Rewiring of gene regulation across 300 million years of evolution
As published today in Science, researchers from Cambridge, Glasgow and Greece have discovered a remarkable amount of plasticity in how transcription factors, the proteins that bind to DNA to control...
Honest deer every year
The vocalisations or 'groans' of male fallow deer provide rivals and potential mates with an honest account of the emitting animal's competitive abilities. A study, published in the open access...
Empathy and violence have similar circuits in the brain
'Just as our species could be considered the most violent, since we are capable of serial killings, genocide and other atrocities, we are also the most empathetic species, which would...
Significant findings about protein architecture may aid in drug design, generation of nanomaterials
Researchers in Singapore are reporting this week that they have gleaned key insights into the architecture of a protein that controls iron levels in almost all organisms. Their study culminated...
New model tracks the immune response to a T
Researchers have created novel mouse models of the immune system starting with T cells primed for the infectious disease toxoplasmosis by generating cloned mice from these T cells. This type...
Something's wrong with right whales
A few years ago, right whales began washing up on the shores of Argentina's Patagonian coast. So far, researchers have counted a total of 308 dead whales since 2005.
Invasive fish and mussels team up to transfer toxic substances into Great Lakes walleyes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two notorious Great Lakes invaders -- the zebra mussel and the round goby -- now play a central role in transferring toxic chemicals called PCBs up the food...
Lightning Makes Mushrooms Multiply
Lightning strikes can more than double some mushroom crops, according to ongoing experiments that are jolting fungi with electricity.
Nitroxyl Lights Up Copper Complex
Copper-based fluorescent probe is a selective indicator for HNO in biological systems.
Study a Bat, Build a Better Aircraft
Studying a bat's evolution, its structure and biomechanics in flight will help us better understand our own evolution and could lead to the development of aerodynamic materials for more lightweight,...
Cellulosic Ethanol: Expanding Options, Identifying Obstacles
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are figuring out how to turn wheat straw into ethanol "gold," and learning more about the bacteria that can "infect" ethanol plants and interfere with...
Beached whale in N.Y. euthanized
Marine scientists euthanized a young humpback whale stranded for three days at a New York beach.
Farmers prefer to use GM seeds for cash crops, survey finds
A survey of views on genetically modified (GM) crops shows that 80 per cent of farmers are unwilling to use GM seeds to grow food.
WAR POISONS
The Military laboratories are constantly seeking new poisons with special attention to the world's animal and plant, biological toxins.Examples: Snakes as the cobra, which the fish Arothron hispidus Arothron meleagris...
Fragile X protein loss alters brain pathways responsible for learning and memory
Geneticists have known for two decades that fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, is due to the functional loss of fragile X mental retardation protein...
St. John's wort collection mined for its medicinal value
A unique collection of St. John's wort (Hypericum) is providing researchers with genetically diverse, well-documented sources of this herb to use in studies examining its medicinal potential.
Understanding night blindness and calcium
Congenital stationary night blindness, an inherited condition that affects one's ability to see in the dark, is caused by a mutation in a calcium channel protein that shuttles calcium into...
DNA nanotechnology: 'Magic Bullets' breakthrough offers promising applications in medicine
Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in the development of nanotubes. They have developed tiny "magic bullets" that could one day deliver drugs to specific diseased cells. The research involves...
Only known living population of rare dwarf lemur found
(PhysOrg.com) -- Elusive species "rediscovered" a century after first sighting.
Report reveals rabbit and dormouse threatening Britain's wildlife
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Easter Bunny may have been a welcome visitor to many gardens at the weekend, but his fellow rabbits are among 14 invasive species threatening Britain?s wildlife, a...
Roundup 4/8: Weeding Stuff Out Edition
Have genetically engineered crops increased the personal well-being of farmers? Find out on Tuesday...
Are some rainforests too rainy?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tropical birds migrate to escape the weather While some bird species migrate thousands of miles annually, others follow a much shorter migratory route - specifically, up and...
Discovery, Spielberg to debut `Future Earth'
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Discovery Channel says it is working with Steven Spielberg on an animated series imagining life in the future....
Arsenic anticancer target revealed
Researchers have identified the protein target of arsenic trioxide used in leukaemia treatment
FSU Marine Ecologist Wins Grant to Study Endangered Sawfish
A scientist at The Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory has won a three-year, $674,989 grant to study the endangered but little-known sawfish, whose numbers are believed to have...
Humboldt Squid Seem to Be Thriving--Thanks to Ocean Dead Zones
Although many of the Pacific Ocean's big species are floundering, one large creature of the deep seems to be flourishing. The Humboldt squid ( Dosidicus gigas , also known as...