Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought
UCSF scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia...
UAB researchers discover antibody receptor identity, propose renaming immune-system gene
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light...
Researchers begin to decipher metabolism of sexual assault drug
It's a naturally occurring brain chemical with an unwieldy name: 4-hydroxybutyrate (4-HB). Taken by mouth, it can be abused or used as a date-rape drug...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
New guidelines issued for Pap smears ... Frog legs spreading pathogen ... DNA barcodes used to identify species ... Catalina bison on birth control ... Health/Science news from UPI.
Gene silencing predicted to improve drug manufacturing
Biotech firm hopes to use RNA interference to boost drug yields.
Biologists discover bacterial defense mechanism against aggressive oxygen
Bacteria possess an ingenious mechanism for preventing oxygen from harming the building blocks of the cell. This is the new finding of a team of biologists that includes Joris Messens...
Adding one single gene to yeast dramatically improves bioethanol production from agricultural waste
With the introduction of a single bacterial gene into yeast, researchers have achieved three improvements in bioethanol production from agricultural waste material: 'More ethanol, less acetate and elimination of the...
The Worm That Turned Evolutionary Key
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Keelworm, widespread in the seas and tide-pools around Scotland and the rest of the UK, is unwittingly helping scientists at the University of St Andrews to understand...
When It Comes to Drug Delivery, Size Matters
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the great promises of nanotechnologies lies in its ability to create drug-containing nanoparticles decorated with targeting molecules that recognize and bind to cancer cells, providing drug...
Mexican labs target adulterers with DNA testing
Suspect your significant other might be cheating on you? In Mexico, numerous laboratories are now offering a way to find out for sure -- DNA tests.
Biologists save fish after landslide
(AP) -- A gigantic landslide that buried a highway, uprooted homes and rerouted a river in Washington state's Cascade Range left hundreds of smaller victims: fish.
El Nino intensifies Latin America drought
From a devastating food crisis in Guatemala to water cuts in Venezuela, El Nino has compounded drought damage across Latin America this year.
Researchers find new piece of BSE puzzle
A new treatment route for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human form Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) could be a step closer based on new results from scientists at the...
Active hearing process in mosquitoes
A mathematical model has explained some of the remarkable features of mosquito hearing. In particular, the male can hear the faintest beats of the female's wings and yet is...
University Weighs Tighter Limits on Stem Cell Research
The University of Nebraska would be the first such institution to set stricter limits than what national or state law allows.
Maize cell wall genes identified, giving boost to biofuel research
Purdue University scientists have helped identify and group the genes thought to be responsible for cell wall development in maize, an effort that expands their ability to discover ways to...
New maize map to aid plant breeding efforts
A massive survey of genetic diversity in maize has produced a gene map that should pave the way to significant improvements in a plant that is a major source of...
On The Origin Of Nematodes: Phylogenetic Tree Of World's Most Numerous Group Of Animals
Scientists have published the largest nematode phylogenetic tree up until now. It contains over 1,200 species and is entirely based on the analysis of DNA sequence data.
Bacterially produced antifungal on skin of amphibians may protect against lethal fungus
A new study suggests that naturally occurring bacteria on the skin of salamanders could help protect other amphibians, including some species of endangered frogs, from a lethal skin disease.
Ants Eat Well, Thanks to Bacteria
Researchers uncover nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the ants' gardens [Read more]
New map of variation in maize genetics holds promise for developing new varieties
A new study of maize has identified thousands of diverse genes in genetically inaccessible portions of the genome. New techniques may allow breeders and researchers to use this genetic variation...
New research into the mechanisms of gene regulation
A team led by Penn State's Ross Hardison, T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has taken a large step toward unraveling how regulatory proteins control the production...
Sweet corn story begins in UW-Madison lab
This week, scientists are revealing the genetic instructions inside corn, one of the big three cereal crops. Corn, or maize, has one of the most complex sequences of DNA ever...
Like humans, ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow
Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities.
U of M plant scientist uncovers clues to yield-boosting quirks of corn genome
When it comes to corn, 1 + 1 = more than 2: The offspring of two inbred strains tend to be superior to both of their parents. Characterizing the gene-level...
Mammoth dung unravels extinction
A study of mammoth dung has helped unravel the mystery of what caused the great mammals to die out.
Thousands of Worms Headed to International Space Station For Muscle Tests
The perils of space flight number in the hundreds, from radiation exposure to the impact of micro-asteroids. But for astronauts who spend an extended amount of time floating weightlessly in the near-endless void...
First map of chromosome terminals of higher fungi
Scientists have described for the first time how the telomeres and adjacent sequences of the oyster fungus are organized.