Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Coral bleaching can increase coral disease
MIAMI, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has found coral bleaching increases the chances of coral disease, which in turn, can exacerbate coral bleaching.
Step Toward Better Brain Implants Using Conducting Polymer Nanotubes
Brain implants that can more clearly record signals from surrounding neurons in rats have been created. The findings could eventually lead to more effective treatment of neurological disorders such as...
Mechanism in nerve cell development found
HELSINKI, Finland, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Finnish scientists say they have identified a key mechanism in the development of nerve cells, shedding light on how early synapses become stronger.
X-rays reveal the mechanism of insects' sense of smell
X-rays reveal the structure of a protein that shows the mechanism of insects' sense of smell, say scientists.
Mystery Solved: Marine Microbe Is Source Of Rare Nutrient
A new study of microscopic marine microbes, called phytoplankton, has solved a 10-year-old mystery about the source of an essential nutrient in the ocean.
Protein inhibitor helps rid brain of toxic tau protein
Inhibiting the protein Hsp70 rapidly reduces brain levels of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease when it builds up abnormally inside nerve cells affecting memory, neuroscientists at the University...
Small mammals have Celtic Fringe
Small mammals have a genetically distinct "Celtic fringe" say scientists from University of York
Fruit fly sperm makes females do housework after sex
The sperm of male fruit flies are coated with a chemical 'sex peptide' which inhibits the female's usual afternoon siesta and compels her into an intense period of foraging activity...
Social isolation 'worsens cancer'
Social isolation may trigger biological changes that make cancer more deadly, US research on mice suggests.
Transgenic Songbirds Provide New Tool To Understand The Brain
A new genetic tool will enable scientists to study vocal learning and neurogenesis at the molecular level in songbirds.
Improving Stem Cell Techniques Using Protein Found In Moss
Scientists have discovered a new use for the Polycomb group protein found in moss that have an important role in telling stem cells how to develop.
Using Lasers to Map Bird Habitat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Lasers are providing scientists with new tools for mapping, protecting, and restoring bird habitat along rivers. In a paper published in the October issue of Ecological Applications, scientists...
Fungus hitting frogs hard
Like neighborhood coffee shops and independent movie theaters around the United States, unusual varieties of frogs are rapidly disappearing from rainforests in Central America.
Stress disease kills Australia's koalas
Pressured by encroaching humanity, Australia's star symbol is dying from chlamydiosis, a virus sparked by stress.
Responding To Faux Dopamine
Neurochemistry: Mutating one amino acid makes a new tool for dissecting brain signals.
Dragonflies go thirsty in the Mediterranean
One fifth of Mediterranean dragonflies and damselflies are threatened with extinction at the regional level as a result of increasing freshwater scarcity, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened...
Home Computers to Hunt for Artificial Life
EvoGrid would model the pre-biotic chemical environment which was the precursor stage to evolution and life arising on Earth.
Agricultural research 'should be open access'
Enabling free access to agricultural research — a critical component of India's science sector — could reap big rewards, says journal chief.
Number of Earth's species known to scientists rises to 1.9 million
The world's most comprehensive catalogue of plants and animals has been boosted by 114,000 new species in the
Venomous spider spreads in California
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A South African spider more poisonous than its cousin the black widow is spreading throughout the most southern part of California, authorities said.
Arsenic toxic at low levels, ferrate oxidation is innovative approach to mediate
Although arsenic (As) occurs ubiquitously in the environment and has been used since its isolation in 1250 A.D in various fields such as medicine, metallurgy, agriculture and electronics, it is...
Nanotechnology and synthetic biology: What does the American public think?
Washington -- Nanotechnology and synthetic biology continue to develop as two of the most exciting areas of scientific discovery, but research has shown that the public is almost completely unaware...
Secret labs dump toxic load
A researcher has found that illicit drug labs produce a lot of pervasive toxic waste, which can harm local residents.
Census reveals extinction threat
Almost 10% of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are at risk of extinction, says an Australian report.
Obituary: Peter Dunnill
Pioneer of biochemical engineering with a gift for communication
BBC opens world's biggest online zoo
Wildlife online with footage of 370 exhibits
Giant fish 'verges on extinction'
A three-year survey fails to find a single Chinese paddlefish, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
New Sequencing Technique Could Boost Pine Beetle Fight, Improve Cancer Research
Researchers have helped developed a cheaper, faster way to compile draft genome sequences that could advance the fight against mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation and improve cancer research.