Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Feature: Disease research funding misses the big killers
The first survey on research funding for neglected diseases has finished. Australia is hitting above its weight, the same amount of funding could be saving a lot more lives.
Love Comes From Head, Not Heart
A relatively new field scientific field is focused on explaining the biology of romantic love. And the unpoetic explanation is that love mostly can be understood through brain images, hormones...
Scientists explore new window on the origins of life
(PhysOrg.com) -- The remarkable behaviour of bacteria that have been forced to live without their protective wall has allowed Newcastle University scientists to open a new window on the origins...
Biodiversity itself begets a species cascade, researchers say
Biodiversity feeds on itself, researchers found, as evolving animals open niches for other new species. Such is the case, says a Michigan State University researcher, with a parasite found to...
New test for mysterious metabolic diseases developed
Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a much-needed way to monitor and find treatments for a mysterious and devastating group of metabolic diseases that arise from mutations...
Pubic hair provides evolutionary home for gorilla lice
There are two species of lice that infest humans: pubic lice, Pthirus pubis, and human head and body lice, Pediculus humanus. A new article in BioMed Central's open access Journal...
Y chromosome and surname study challenges infidelity 'myth'
Our surnames and genetic information are often strongly connected, according to a study funded by the Wellcome Trust. The research, published this week in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution,...
Did Burst Of Gene Duplication Set Stage For Human Evolution?
Roughly 10 million years ago, a major genetic change occurred in a common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. Segments of DNA in its genome began to form duplicate copies...
Animal-Human Embryos Questioned
It may be futile to try producing stem cells by putting human DNA into cow or rabbit eggs and making hybrid cloned embryos, a strategy that triggered controversy recently in...
On the origin of subspecies
Scientists have sequenced over seventy strains of yeast, the greatest number of genomes for any species.
Nunavut wildlife board to decide whether to raise bowhead hunt quota
The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board is deciding whether to increase the number of bowhead whales that Inuit can hunt in Nunavut waters, after hearing from fisheries and Inuit officials on...
Discovery Fleshes Out Metabolism Of Key Environmental And Energy Bacteria
Researchers have discovered a new enzyme in a species of bacteria with potential environmental cleanup and energy roles. This is the first multi-protein enzyme of its kind, a lactate dehydrogenase....
Darwin 200: The other strand
Geneticists looked to the human genome to understand human evolution. But it's hard to interpret without considering the inheritance of culture, finds Erika Check Hayden.
(No) twist in the tale for icefish protein
A cyclic peptide has shattered an established theory about fish antifreeze
Scientists to sequence DNA of British wheat varieties
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have been awarded £1.7 million to decode the genome of wheat, in order to help farmers increase the yield of British wheat varieties.
Hot dog! Tiny breeds have warmer bodies
The larger a dog is, the colder its body will probably be, according to a new study that found a strong inverse correlation between canine body size and temperature.
FOR KIDS: Hitting the redo button on evolution
Scientists are experimenting with bacteria to see if evolution plays out the same way every time
FOR KIDS: When Darwin got sick of feathers
The man who started evolutionary biology had some bad moments over a bird
After Tests, Peanut Plant in Texas Is Closed
The Peanut Corporation of America closed its processing plant in Plainview, Tex., after a laboratory test indicated possible salmonella contamination.
Mouse study reveals genetic component of empathy
The ability to empathize with others is partially determined by genes, according to new research on mice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).
Comparative Genomics Reveals Molecular Evolution Of Q Fever Pathogen
Scientists have uncovered genetic clues about why some strains of the pathogen Coxiella burnetii are more virulent than others.
New Insights Into Growth Factor's Role In Brain Development; Could Lead To Better Understanding Of Memory Formation
New research sheds light on a neural growth factor called proBDNF, finding that it is present and potentially active during the perinatal period when the brain's circuitry and memory-encoding regions...
Technology identified could reduce the spread of rice virus
Building on plant virus research started more than 20 years ago, a biologist at Washington University in St. Louis and his a colleague at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre...
U.S. troops gaining weight
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A Defense Department report suggests U.S. troops are gaining weight under the stress of combat deployments.
Fun for birders and book lovers
My book reviewing work sometimes brings me interesting e-mails. For instance, today I got one from a book publicist with the question “Which bird is named after soiled underwear?” read...
In New Procedure, Artificial Arm Listens to Brain
An advancement in the field of prosthetics allows for people with artificial arms to move them more automatically than ever.
Role of protein in tumor growth is highlighted by researcher using 3-D model
(PhysOrg.com) -- By observing the behavior of cancer cells grown in both two and three dimensions, Cornell assistant professor of biomedical engineering Claudia Fischbach-Teschl has demonstrated that a previously underestimated...
Molecular machine turns packaged messenger RNA into a linear transcript
The nuclear pore complex is the only way in or out of the cell nucleus. This assembly also plays a key role in assuring the quality of the genetic information...