Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists Await Action On Stem Cells
Scientists are wondering when and if President Obama will lift the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, reports the Washington Post.
New genomic markers associated with risk of heart disease and early heart attack
Five short reports published simultaneously by the journal Nature Genetics have for the first time identified clusters of genetic markers associated with heart attack and coronary heart disease. In one...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Trust to save food crops from extinction … Drug may cut radiation brain function loss … Satellite traffic control system urged … Beaufort Sea coastal erosion increases ... Health/Science news...
Biologist Gets The Straight Poop On Baboons: Execretion Analysis Aids Primate Social Studies
The arrival of molecular genetic analysis of both genes and hormones is providing scientists unexpected and unprecedented information about animals -- provided the researchers can find ways to get acceptable...
Jumping genes provide unexpected diversity
Mobile DNA elements help shape human genomes
New Artificial DNA Points to Alien Life
A new artificial form of almost-life is sitting in a beaker full of oily water in a laboratory in Florida.
White-nose Kills Hundreds Of Bats Near Abandoned Mines In Pennsylvania
Several hundred little brown bats are dead from White-Nose Syndrome in Lackawanna County, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission is looking to residents for help uncovering other sites where this deadly...
Micro RNA Plays A Key Role In Melanoma Metastasis
Scientists have long wondered how melanoma cells travel from primary tumors on the surface of the skin to the brain, liver and lungs, where they become more aggressive, resistant to...
Tailor-made Recombinant Proteins In Mammals
"Aldehyde tags" are used to label proteins in bacterial recombinant-DNA systems -- and now in proteins that can only be expressed by mammalian systems. While some recombinant drugs like insulin...
Better Artificial Nose Inspired By Sniffer-dogs
For the sensitive work of detecting explosives and drugs in airports and other high-risk areas, humans have long relied on a marvel of evolutionary biology: the sniffer dog. The canine...
Special light may detect Parkinson's
LONDON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A light as bright as a million-watt bulb may be able to help identify early signs of Parkinson's disease, British researchers say.
The Genome's Traveling Salesmen: Tips on Newsmakers at AAAS
Transposons -- the traveling salesmen of the genome composed of DNA sequences with no fixed address -- are the focus of a symposium at the annual meeting of the AAAS...
Cupid's Arrow May Cause More Than Just Sparks To Fly This Valentine's Day
Getting struck by Cupid's arrow may very well take your breath away and make your heart go pitter patter this Valentine's Day, reports an expert. Dopamine creates feelings of euphoria...
Artificial cells, simple model for complex structure
A simple, chemical materials model may lead to a better understanding of the structure and organization of the cell according to a Penn State researcher.
Team makes first Aussie iPs cells
A team of researchers have created the first induced pluripotent stem cells to be made in Australia – a great help to local researchers who need specific cell lines.
Acidic sea will spoil fish navigation
Research on clownfish has found that increasing ocean acidity will damage their sense of smell, making young fish less likely to find the right habitat.
City gardens can save wasps
Reserves and parks in close proximity to cities are essential to the conservation of New Zealand's wasp species, new research has revealed.
Feature: Deep-sea discovery mission uncovers new species
An international team set out on a month-long deep-sea voyage to gain insight into climate change's impact on the world's oceans, and ended up discovering at least three never-before-seen species.
'Sister' genes maintain stem cells
An international team of researchers have discovered two 'sister' genes that maintain the pool of adult stem cells destined to become blood.
Mini camera views watery underworld
Using a newly designed camera, a researcher has been able to observe creatures living in groundwater for the first time – by putting the camera in a borehole.
Camouflaging Of Viral DNA Could Be Crucial Step In Progression Of Cancers
Fifteen percent of cancers can be linked to a viral infection. However, the biological changes that cause some asymptomatic carriers of a virus to develop malignancies are not well understood....
New Cancer Research Tool: Tool Analyzes Function Of Crucial Set Of Proteins In Animals
Scientists have developed a new tool that enables them to analyze the function of a crucial set of proteins in animals --- a finding that could lead to a host...
Sponge’s secret weapon restores antibiotics’ power
Bacteria treated with compound lose their resistance
Male whales prefer enormous females
While svelte, petite women may attract multiple suitors, bigger is definitely better in the whale world, according to a new study that found male humpback whales favor the largest females.
Cooking Gave Humans Edge Over Apes?
Cooking made early humans' food easier to digest, making them more energy-efficient and spurring evolutionary changes we're still grappling with, researchers suggest.
Neural Mapping Paints Haphazard Picture Of Odor Receptors
Despite the striking aromatic differences between coffee, peppermint, and pine, a new mapping of the nose's neural circuitry suggests a haphazard patchwork where the receptors for such disparate scents are...
MONSTER FISH PHOTOS: "Evolution on Steroids" in Congo
On an unprecedented Congo River run, scientists and kayakers have found potential new species, spike-toothed "monster fish," and evidence that the African river may be the world's deepest.
Successful bird Valentinos strut with sensitivity
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Need some Valentine's Day advice? Take it from the birds -- luck with the ladies requires more than just a big tail, biologists advised on Friday.