Many more lizards to discover

A study on geckos has revealed that there could be more than twice as many Australian lizard species than previously thought.

Second Motor Neuron Disease Gene Mutation In One Year Signifies Rapid Research Progress

Scientists have revealed that mutations in a gene called fused in sarcoma cause familial motor neuron disease. This is the second gene to be discovered from MND in the Shaw...

Ladyboy lizards use transvestite trickery: researchers

Young male lizards in South Africa imitate females to fool aggressive older males into leaving them alone, in an example of transvestism in the natural world, researchers have found.

Unfolding 'nature's origami'

Sometimes known as "nature's origami", the way that proteins fold is vital to ensuring they function correctly. But researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered this is a 'hit...

New method found to create stem cells

TORONTO, March 2 (UPI) -- Canadian scientists say they've created a new method of making stem cells that might lead to cures for such diseases as diabetes and...

Rescuers battle to save 200 whales and dolphins off Tasmania

Invasive Species Threaten Salmon In Pacific Northwest

Researchers assembled a database of invasive animals and plants in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The large numbers present included many nonindigenous fishes. The effect of the invasive species on salmonids...

USC researchers identify gene variant associated with both autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction

A study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) and Vanderbilt University have identified a specific gene variant that links increased genetic risk for autism with gastrointestinal...

Vitamin A signals offer clues to treating autoimmunity

Distributed around the body, dendritic cells act as the security alarms of the immune system. After sensing the presence of intruders, dendritic cells can transmit the alarm to white blood...

Scientists find gastro-bug's cause

Australian researchers have discovered the cause of a deadly gastro-bug, and are a step closer to fighting it.

Fertility clinics said to lack regulation

OAKLAND, Calif., March 2 (UPI) -- The birth of octuplets in California calls attention to a lack of regulation in the field of assisted reproduction, some experts said.

Coffee Cultivation Good For Diversity In Agrarian Settlements But Not In Forests

Coffee shrubs, both in themselves and because they are most often cultivated in the shade of large trees, can have a positive impact on plant and animal diversity in those...

Gene To Reduce Wheat Yield Losses

A new gene that provides resistance to a fungal disease responsible for millions of hectares of lost wheat yield has been discovered. The scientists report finding a novel type of...

Historical Photographs Expose Decline In Florida's Reef Fish, Study Finds

A unique study has provided fresh evidence of fishing's impact on marine ecosystems. Researchers accessed archival photographs spanning more than five decades to analyze and calculate a drastic decline of...

Butterfly Found To Be New Species, Because Of Its Mustache

After nearly a century in the Natural History Museum collections, a new butterfly species has been discovered because of its mustache. It lay undiscovered in the collection for 90 years.

Probing And Controlling 'Molecular Rattling' May Mean Better Preservatives

Researchers have discovered a fundamental property of mixture behavior that might help extend the life of many things including vaccines, food and library books.

Malaria Parasite Zeroes In On Molecule To Enhance Its Survival

Scientists have found that the parasite that causes malaria breaks down an important amino acid in its quest to adapt and thrive within the human body. By depleting this substance...

Scientists at CSHL discover mobile small RNAs that set up leaf patterning in plants

Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. -- A key item in the developmental agenda of a plant leaf is the establishment of an axis that makes a leaf's top half distinct from...

Ex vivo neural stem cell expansion

In the March 1 issue of G&D, Dr. Christopher Fasano (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center) and colleagues lend new mechanistic insight into the effective generation of neural stem cells outside of...

Scots bird team on Syrian mission

Four Scottish conservationists are heading to Syria to search for critically endangered birds.

Protected dingoes stay put

A study of dingoes in a conservation area found that they stayed within their habitat, except when finding a mate, and did not threaten livestock.

Coral disease works like cholera

A study has found how White Syndrome kills coral – the bacteria disrupts basic cell processes, in a similar way to cholera in humans.

Unlocking wood's energy

Deftly using a pair of tweezers, Scott Geib pulls apart the insides of a yellowish, wormlike critter - the larva of a tree-devouring pest called the Asian long-horned beetle. Something...

Tuning In On Cellular Communication In The Fruit Fly

In their ongoing study of the processes involved in embryonic development in fruit flies, researchers have identified the function of a protein that sticks out of the embryonic cell membrane...

Scientists Shed Light On How Proteins Find Their Shapes

Researchers have brought together theoretical modeling and experimental data to show just how amino-acid chains might fold up into unique, 3-D functional proteins.

Study: Sharks divide by sex

SYDNEY, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- European scientists say the decline in shark populations might be the result of gender segregation among the predatory fish.

Scientist publishes paper on navel lint

VIENNA, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- An Austrian scientist says he has discovered a type of body hair that traps stray pieces of lint and draws them into the...

Lefties Survive (Barely) Due to Element of Surprise?

A deadly element of surprise and other benefits may explain why left-handedness hangs on, despite evolutionary odds against it, researchers say.