Latest science news in Biology & Nature
'Personalized' Genome Sequencing Reveals Coding Error In Gene For Inherited Pancreatic Cancer
Scientists have used "personalized genome" sequencing on an individual with a hereditary form of pancreatic cancer to locate a mutation in a gene called PALB2 that is responsible for initiating...
'Ethical' stem cell creation hope
The ability to create stem cell treatments without using embryos is a step closer, say researchers.
Frog's immune system is key in fight against killer virus
Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered how changes to a frog's immune system may be the key to beating a viral infection which is devastating frog populations...
Cell microenvironments hold key to future stem cell therapies
Adult stem cells and their more committed kin, progenitor cells, are prized by medical researchers for their ability to produce different types of specialised cells. The potential of using these...
Scientists to trace golden eagle migration
WABASHA, Minn., Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Biologists in Wisconsin and Minnesota say they will fit several golden eagles with global positioning devices to trace their migration.
Gene Identified That Helps Plant Cells Keep Communication Channels Open
Stem cells in plants' growing tips, called "meristems," communicate via microscopic channels called plasmodesmata. These channels, which transport nutrients and growth instructions, respond to cues such as growth signals or...
Using Software To Measure Variances In 'Honeycrisp' Apple Peels
Apples, long been associated with good health, contain anthocyanins, important antioxidants that give the peels their red coloring. One variety of apple called "honeycrisp" has peel pigment that takes on...
How One And The Same Nerve Cell Reacts To Two Visual Areas In Flies
In comparison to many other living creatures, flies tend to be small and their brains, despite their complexity, are quite manageable. Scientists have now ascertained that these insects can make...
Slowing Aging: Anti-aging Pathway Enhances Cell Stress Response
Scientists have discovered a new molecular relationship critical to keeping cells healthy across a long span of time: a protein called SIRT1, important for caloric restriction and lifespan and activated...
'Wireless' Activation Of Brain Circuits
Traditionally, stimulating nerves or brain tissue involves cumbersome wiring and a sharp metal electrode. But a team of researchers is going "wireless." And it's a unique collaboration between chemists and...
Genetic clues to predicting life span
Inside chromosomes are telomeres that age as we age, and may serve as indicators of how long we'll live. ...
Light Or Fight? How Plants Make Tough Survival Choices
Ever since insects developed a taste for vegetation, plants have faced the same dilemma: use limited resources to out-compete their neighbors for light to grow, or, invest directly in defense...
Extremely Rare Bongo Group Found in Kenya Forest
The shy bongo, once thought to be extinct, has been spotted in the forest of Eburu. But woodcutting could destroy the animal's habitat for good.
You can childproof your computer
Every few months, I receive a question from a reader whose computer was never the same after a grandchild came to visit.
U.S. Zookeepers Wary of Herpes Virus Attacking Asian Elephants
Researchers know little about the disease, which they say has killed one of five Asian elephant calves born in North American zoos since 2000.
Ionic liquids put zebra mussels off their food
Aquatic organisms' feeding behaviour can be affected by ionic liquids
Growin' in the 'Gene-House' - Cultivating New Plants
Researchers build the world's largest library of food plant genes by finding mutant genes, then grow the plant to see what happens. They call this process 'tilling.'.
Self-digestion as a means of survival
In times of starvation, cells tighten their belts: they start to digest their own proteins and cellular organs. The process - known as autophagy - takes place in special organelles...
Japan reports bird flu outbreak on quail farm
An outbreak of bird flu has been reported on a quail farm in central Japan but no animals have died and no humans have been infected, the agriculture ministry said...
UCLA class project: Find Bin Laden
Geographers think the terrorist could be hiding in one of three buildings in Pakistan. Using tools for finding endangered species and fugitives, they formed their hypothesis, which they have offered...
Simple elixir called a 'miracle liquid'
Electrolyzed water cleans, degreases -- and treats athlete's foot. The solution is replacing toxic chemicals. ...
Ouch!
Researchers have found that, for male seed beetles with "torture phalluses", the longer and spinier the better. The "pretty mean" genital is covered in spines along its entire length and...
Technology promises speedier San Diego crossing
(AP) -- New technology at the nation's busiest border crossing can read chip-enabled travel documents up to 30 feet from an inspection booth, promising shorter waits but raising concerns...
Poison-Arrow Killings Surge in Africa Elephant Poaching
Kenya's nationwide rise in elephant attacks is marked by increased use of a slow-acting poison that is "frighteningly effective" and harder to trace, conservationists say.
JAGUAR PICTURE: First Caught in U.S.
The big cat, found in Arizona, was released with a satellite-tracking collar that may provide more insight into the little-studied population of northern jaguars.
Scent Secrets Unlocked, Artificial Noses Ahead?
Decoding which of the nose's hundreds of receptors respond to different odors could produce a host of scent-related advances, from artificial noses to personalized perfume.
GIANT STINGRAY PICTURE: Largest Freshwater Fish?
A giant stingray—weighing more than 550 pounds—gives scientists hope that this once endangered megafish is more abundant than previously thought.
WEEK IN PHOTOS: Tiger Cub, Pancake Race, More
Pancake flippers, tornado survivors, a rare tiger cub, and St. Patrick's Day pre-partiers make the scene in this week's best news pictures.