Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Vacation photos help scientists track whale sharks
Study finds as many as 85 percent of amateur photos of whale sharks can be used to identify individual sharks
Bone-repairing nanoparticles laced with DNA
Bone growth and repair can be accelerated using an injectable nanoparticle paste functionalised with DNA
Canine Skull Shape Variation May Help Humans With Craniofacial Deformities Too
Maybe it is not just sentimental. Perhaps the connection to "man's best friends" is literally in our heads. Skull shape is a complex trait, involving multiple genes and their interactions. Thanks...
Combining plasma screening with genetic screening better identifies diagnostic and therapeutic targets
New research shows that marrying genome-wide and proteome-wide screening helps determine susceptibility in a wide variety of diseases.
Nucleus structure crucial to understanding diseases discovered
Scientists from Singapore and Germany have identified that the proteins lamin A and lamin B receptor are essential for holding silent genes in their correct position at the edge of...
Earliest mammal ancestor described
NEW YORK, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- A small, half-pound animal with a long furry tail, living on insects, was the common ancestor of almost all mammals, including humans, U.S....
FOR KIDS: Secret signals
Animals respond to chemical messages they may not even realize they’re swapping
Genetics Society of America's GENETICS Journal Highlights for February 2013
These are the selected highlights for the February 2013 issue of the Genetics Society of America's journal, GENETICS, online at www.genetics.org/content/current. Topics include: population and evolutionary genetics; gene expression; genome...
Experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Jacob Rutt is a bright 11-year-old who likes to draw detailed maps in his spare time. But the budding geographer [...]
Vets 'raised concerns' over bute
A UK veterinary committee had raised concerns repeatedly about the presence of the drug phenylbutazone or "bute" in horsemeat destined for human consumption.
Professor uses evolution, informatics to uncover secrets of the genome
What patterns exist in the evolutionary design of living things? What particular processes produced these patterns? And how might this information be used to untangle the complexities of health and...
Social media abuzz about how to breed super queen bees
(Phys.org)—While honey bee populations dwindle across the globe, Penn State researchers aim to use communication technologies to spread revolutionary beekeeping techniques that will help offset the effects of Colony Collapse...
Cellular alchemy caught in action
One of the most critical biological advances in the past decade was the discovery that the introduction of four simple genetic factors can turn a fully mature adult cell back...
Peru: At least 50 sea lions intentionally poisoned
Peruvian authorities say at least 50 sea lions have been intentionally poisoned with fish laced with insecticides since mid-January off a single beach.
Ancient insects shed light on biodiversity
(Phys.org)—Simon Fraser University evolutionary biologists Bruce Archibald and Rolf Mathewes, and Brandon University biologist David Greenwood, have discovered that modern tropical mountains' diversity patterns extended up into Canada about 50...
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a squid
A species of oceanic squid can fly more than 30 metres (100 feet) through the air at speeds faster than Usain Bolt if it wants to escape predators, Japanese researchers...
Colon cancer exhibits a corresponding epigenetic pattern in mice and humans
The epigenetic investigation of mice can as a result contribute to early diagnosis of cancer in humans.
Protein paves the way for correct stem cell differentiation
A single embryonic stem cell can develop into more than 200 specialized cell types that make up our body. This maturation process is called differentiation and is tightly regulated. New...
Hantaviruses jump hosts
Four new forms of hantaviruses, a virus transmitted from animals to humans, suggest the pathogen may have originated in bats.
Living With Cancer: Waking in the Dark
Before cancer, I slept through the night. Now, I wake in the dark because of the pull of stitches, the pain of drains or the need to empty some bulb...
Sugar influences the onset of flowering, study finds
(Phys.org)—A plant can reproduce successfully only if it flowers at the appropriate time. Therefore, a complex network of photoreceptors and other proteins has evolved to monitor environmental conditions such as...
Earliest Date For Placental Mammals Discovered
Want to feel small? Humans have been included in the most comprehensive tree of life to-date on placental mammals. And placental mammals are the largest branch of the mammalian family...
Scientists Solve Mercury Mystery
By identifying two genes required for transforming inorganic into organic mercury, which is far more toxic, scientists today have taken a significant step toward protecting human health.
Gene silencing spurs fountain of youth in mouse brain
Cognitive decline in old age is linked to decreasing production of new neurons. Scientists have discovered in mice that significantly more neurons are generated in the brains of older animals...
Mysterious Brain Clumps Behind Dementia Identified
A genetic mutation creates the piles of proteins found in the most common forms of the disorder
Mystery Animal Contest: Who Is This Feathered Oddball?
Mystery Animal: Feb. 7, 2013 TBA (It's a Mystery!)Guess the species (either common or Linnaean) by tweeting at us--we're @PopSci--and get your name listed right here! Plus eternal glory,...
Translation error tracked in the brain of dementia patients: Scientists identify enigmatic aggregates linked to neurodegenerative diseases
In certain dementias silent areas of the genetic code are translated into highly unusual proteins by mistake. The proteins that have now been identified shouldn't actually exist.
Deadly Striga weed spreading across Eastern Africa
African researchers are testing a range of solutions to contain the spread of a crop-destroying weed Striga, which appears fuelled by climate change.