Latest science news in Biology & Nature
What's Feeding Cancer Cells?
Cancer cells need a lot of nutrients to multiply and survive. While much is understood about how cancer cells use blood sugar to make energy, not much is known about...
Calculating gene and protein connections in a Parkinson's disease model
Researchers have created an algorithm that meshes existing data to produce a clearer step-by-step flow chart of how cells respond to stimuli. Using this new method, Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts...
'Neurological work-arounds' offer hope to people with monoamine-related disorders
Researchers have known for decades that the brain has a remarkable ability to "reprogram" itself to compensate for problems such as traumatic injury. Now, a research article published in the...
Poachers put Balkan lynx on brink of extinction
The camera sits hidden in a field ready to track every move of the Balkan lynx, a wild cat both revered as an icon and reviled as a pest that...
Simply Hoping That Humanity Will Save The Environment May Do More Harm Than Good, Experts Argue
Do you "hope" that everyone will see the light and start living more sustainably to save the environment? If so, you may be doing more harm than good.
Stem Cell Research Uncovers Mechanism For Type 2 Diabetes
Taking clues from their stem cell research, investigators have discovered that a signaling pathway involved in normal pancreatic development is also associated with type 2 diabetes.
Cannibalism Among Rattlesnakes Helps Females To Recover After Birth
Researchers have produced the first quantitative description of cannibalism among female rattlesnakes (Crotalus polystictus) after monitoring 190 reptiles. The study has shown that these animals ingest on average 11% of...
Seamounts May Serve As Refuges For Deep-sea Animals That Struggle To Survive Elsewhere
Over the last two decades, marine biologists have discovered lush forests of deep-sea corals and sponges growing on seamounts (underwater mountains) offshore of the California coast. It has generally been...
Study finds life-saving trend among seagulls
Following trends is a lifesaving instinct, at least for birds, and provides clues that can be applied across the animal kingdom. New research from Universite de Montreal published in Biology...
'Cyber footballers' cloned
A team of IT scientists from the Carlos III University in Madrid (UC3M) has managed to programme clones that imitate the actions of humans playing football on a computer, according...
View Into The Human Body: The Formation Of Cell Organelles
Peroxisomes, multifaceted functional units within cells, fulfil the most diverse of tasks. In human beings, failure of these organelles is fatal. Their biogenesis does not adhere to the standard rules...
Animals Successfully Relearn Smell Of Kin After Hibernation
Animals can re-establish their use of smell to detect siblings, even following an interruption such as prolonged hibernation. Smell is an important animal survival tool. Female ground squirrel sisters bond...
On The Origin Of Subspecies
Scientists have sequenced over seventy strains of yeast, the greatest number of genomes for any species, bringing into focus the small branches of Darwin's Tree of Life.
Mating that causes injuries
Researchers at Uppsala University can now show that what is good for one sex is not always good for the other sex. In fact, evolutionary conflicts between the two...
New butterfly found with mustache disguise
A mustache on a butterfly has tipped off curators at the Natural History Museum in London that a specimen in their collection for 90 years actually belongs to a new...
Most Wars Occur in Biodiversity Hotspots
More than 80 percent of major armed conflicts occurred in regions identified as the most biologically diverse.
Rescue Flight
In a bid to save the endangered whooping crane, biologists and self-taught conservationists are donning hooded costumes and taking to the skies to lead the birds on their annual migration.
Chromium in Drinking Water Causes Cancer
A controversial water contaminant made famous by Erin Brockovich and a small California desert town is carcinogenic. [More]
Algal Toxin From Mussels Synthesized
Chemists have synthesized an algal toxin that accumulates in mussels. This may help develop a method to detect the toxin in these molluscs before they are served up for human...
Coyote on the Move Makes Tracks -- in Great Detail
A GPS collar gives researchers an unusually specific record of the coyote's interstate wandering.
VIDEO: Former Pet Primates Find Haven
After the recent chimp attack in Connecticut, a Florida sanctuary's work is more pertinent than ever. The facility treats pet primates that have been abused or abandoned.
Hong Kong bird tests positive for H5N1
Hong Kong authorities said Friday that a dead bird found in the southern Chinese territory had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus.
The Mystery Behind Real Flying Saucers
Authors of the new book “The Saucer Fleet” take a look at America’s obsession with flying saucers.
Light tnstead of current: Activation of neurons with light by means of semiconductor photoelectrodes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Understanding the mechanisms by which the brain functions is one of the most complex challenges in science. One important aspect is the electrical conduction of stimuli in nerve...
How Complex Movements Of Enzymes Make Fat
A groundbreaking study has revealed in great detail how enzymes in the cell cooperate to make fat.
Black vultures reproducing in Greece
The black vulture, one of the largest birds of prey in the world and nature's very own cleansing and recycling machine, has started laying eggs in Dadia, northern Greece, where...
Cleveland Clinic Gets Victim of Chimp Attack
The transfer of the woman, who was mauled by a chimpanzee, means a face transplant is being considered.
Tiny eye motions help us find where Waldo is
(PhysOrg.com) -- To recognize faces in a crowd, the brain employs tiny eye movements called saccades and microsaccades to help us search for objects of interest. While researchers know that...