Latest science news in Biology & Nature
EU urges DNA tests of processed beef
The EU urges members to conduct random DNA tests on processed beef for three months, to tackle a widening scandal over mislabelled horsemeat.
Biological circuits with memory created
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they've created synthetic biological circuits from bacterial cells that not only perform logic functions but also remember the results.
Florida python hunt yielding relatively few snakes
Fewer than 48 hours remain in Florida's Python Challenge, and the snake kill count is - wait for it - 50. Same as it was Tuesday.
Molecular ‘calcium sponge’ to tackle heart failure
Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology and the Lillehei Heart Institute have utilized molecular [...]
New genes for short-sightedness identified
An international team of scientists led by King’s College London has discovered 24 new genes that cause refractive errors and [...]
To quiver or to shiver: Explaining warning signal diversity in wood tiger moths
A central question in evolutionary biology is what causes the diversity of appearance seen in animals of the same species? Diversity is the raw material evolution has to act on,...
Histone modification controls development: Researchers demonstrate that chemical tags on histones regulate gene activity
Every gene in the nucleus of an animal or plant cell is packaged into a beads-on-a-string like structure called nucleosomes: the DNA of the gene forms the string and a...
Simple computer models unravel genetic stress reactions in cells
(Phys.org)—Many questions arise when two identical twins raised in the same home—fed the same, nurtured the same way—follow disparate paths. How can the identical offspring of a single egg turn...
Virus helps scientists identify 'who's who' among two veggie enemies
Natural warfare between a virus and a Pseudomonas bacterium is helping U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists continue to learn about the bacterium's ability to kill arugula, broccoli, and several...
Researchers discover molecule that allows for controlling animal movements using light
(Phys.org)— A diverse group of researchers from the U.S. and China has discovered a molecule that allows for controlling the movements of animals using only light. In their paper published...
Two new salamander species discovered by Colombian researchers
(Phys.org)—A team of young researchers from Colombia have recently published an article in the journal Zootaxa describing two new species of salamander discovered during a project supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme...
Prized Piperidines, Pronto
Organic Synthesis: Proton-guided route generates densely substituted heterocycles
Birds evolved ultraviolet vision several times, research finds
Ultraviolet vision evolved at least eight times in birds from a common violet sensitive ancestor finds a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. All of...
Goo lets turtle moms pause eggs' growth
Pregnant turtles hit the pause button on their eggs' development until the time is just right to lay them in a nest, researchers say.
Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope
Ring in the Lunar New Year with horoscope predictions that accurately describe the actual animals.
Birdbooker Report 258 | @GrrlScientist
Compiled by an ardent bibliophile, this weekly report includes the Amphibians & Reptiles of Texas, which has been newly published in North America and the UKBooks to the ceiling, Books to the sky,My...
John Karlin, keypad designer, dies at 94
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Bell Labs industrial psychologist John E. Karlin, who designed the touch-tone telephone keypad, has died at age 94.
Pygmy sperm whale washes ashore Cayman Islands
A rare pygmy sperm whale has washed ashore the Cayman Islands and died.
1st potential case of deadly bat fungus found on P.E.I.
A pathologist with the Atlantic Veterinary College says a bat recently found dead in Bonshaw, P.E.I. shows signs of a deadly fungus that has wiped out entire colonies of bats...
Uncharacterized Genes: Evolutionary Rates And A Clue
Humans have an unclear number of genes - ab initio gene finding and comparative gene finding yield different totals (see the Human Genome Project for details) - but it is...
Reader health tip: No cocktail before 10,000 steps
JoAnn 'Jo' Stougaard of 'My Last Bite' offers a suggestion for maintaining fitness goals in 2013.How's this for motivation? No workout, no cocktail.
That's the spot! Massage neurons found
Scientists have discovered neurons in mice that fire in response to gentle, stroking touch. The neurons may explain why animals, from rats to cats to humans, enjoy grooming each other...
Giant Pandas May Be Threatened by Forest Reform
China's plans to free up forests for commercial use could be a blow to the endangered species.
Born To Be Wild: Releasing Captive-Bred Pandas
Experts in China are working with Michigan State University to grow the population size of wild, protected pandas.
A Famous Pianist Serenades Endangered Tortoises, To Get Them In The Mood
Let's Get It On Wikimedia Commons The world's most successful pianist visited the London Zoo to provide a sexy soundtrack, but the tortoises were not impressed. When you're an endangered species, people will...
Bird species at risk in Russia
MOSCOW, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Three bird species in Russia are in a disastrous decline and on the verge of extinction, the president of the country's Bird Protection Union...
Scientists prevent development of deafness in animals engineered to have Usher syndrome
Most cases of congenital deafness are due to a mutation in a gene that is required for normal development of the sensory hair cells in the inner ear that are...
Do plants 'veto' bad genes?
Latest evidence fails to quell doubt about whether plants can access 'ancestral' genes outside their parents' DNA.Nature News doi: 10.1038/nature.2013.12401