Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Plants Choose Ammunition Carefully
Plants are not as defenseless as they may seem. Various plant hormones work together to specifically fend off attacks. Botanists have now shown how these hormones cooperate. By 'consulting' with...
Genetically Encoded Mouse Cells Controlled By Light
Researchers have genetically encoded mouse cells to respond to light, creating cells that can be trained to follow a light beam or stop on command like microscopic robots.
AP2gamma - New Key Gene In Nerve Regeneration
A new gene called AP2gamma has been discovered that researchers say is crucial for the neural development of the visual cortex. The cerebral cortex is the folded, outside layer of...
DNA barcodes track endangered sea turtles
NEW YORK, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. and Australian conservation geneticists say they have discovered a new tool to aid in the tracking of migratory and endangered sea turtles...
Hemp And Marijuana: Genes Producing THC, Active Ingredient In Cannabis Plant, Identified
In a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil, researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in marijuana. Studying the genes could...
Master disease gene is identified
LONDON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've identified the master gene that causes blood stem cells to turn into disease-fighting immune cells.
Solving the Mystery of IgE
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the main actor in the drama of allergy. The biological role of IgE in the immune response of an organism and the lack of control leading...
National Briefing | Science: Lasker Award Recipients Named
Five scientists have won research awards for developing a lifesaving leukemia treatment and for advances in “reprogramming” DNA, which led to a new kind of stem cell.
How stem cells make skin
Stem cells have a unique ability: when they divide, they can either give rise to more stem cells, or to a variety of specialised cell types. In both mice and...
Study: Male bass in many U.S. rivers feminized
Government scientists figure that one out of five male black bass in American river basins have egg cells growing inside their sexual organs, a sign of how widespread fish feminizing...
Observatory: For a Type of Songbird, Bats Are on the Menu
In a cave in Hungary, researchers found great tits hunting, pecking and eating small pipistrelle bats.
Researcher looks for answers about unique disease-resistant gene
Virginia Tech faculty member Bingyu Zhao is investigating a disease-resistant gene in corn that prevents bacteria from invading distantly related plant species.
Enzyme Crucial to Insulin Resistance Found in Brain
An enzyme known to cause insulin resistance in muscle is also located in the brain and has a similar function there, a research team that includes a University of Cincinnati scientist...
Disordered proteins sensitive to environment, sequence changes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research published by a team of Indiana University bioinformaticists has shown quantitatively the influence of small sequence changes and environmental conditions on the disordered regions of a protein.
Study shows how disruption of spectrin-actin network causes lens cells in the eye to lose shape
A network of proteins underlying the plasma membrane keeps epithelial cells in shape and maintains their orderly hexagonal packing in the mouse lens, say Nowak et al. The study will...
Green tea component may help preserve stored platelets, tissues
In two separate studies, a major component in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG), has been found to help prolong the preservation of both stored blood platelets and cryopreserved skin tissues.
Monkey malaria kills humans
Researchers have confirmed that an emerging strain of monkey malaria that has infected humans in Malaysia is deadly.
Seasource-brand sea salt scrub is recalled
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Arbonne International of Irvine, Calif., is recalling one lot of its Seasource Detox Spa-brand foaming sea salt scrub due to possible bacterial contamination.
Isopod Replaces Fish's Tongue
(PhysOrg.com) -- An isopod that replaces a fish's tongue has been discovered for the first time in the Channel Islands in Europe. The marine isopod, described by its finder as...
Python "Nightmare": New Giant Species Invading Florida
Africa's largest snake—the "vicious," 20-foot rock python—is now colonizing the Everglades, scientists say. The giant snake's threat is "worse" than that of the Burmese python, another alien likely introduced to the swamp by...
Ice cream may target the brain before your hips
Blame your brain for sabotaging your efforts to get back on track after splurging on an extra scoop of ice cream or that second burger during Friday night's football game...
Nanofibres to rival spider silk
Researchers have discovered a way to radically strengthen nanofibres much thinner than human hair, which could revolutionise the way we live.
Sex life may hold key to honeybee survival
The number and diversity of male partners a queen honeybee has could help to protect her children from disease, say University of Leeds scientists, who are investigating possible causes of...
Feature: Why our bread needed folic acid
From now on all bread in Australia must have folic acid added to it, buy why is it so important?
Sex Talk Revelations Of The Lonely Y Chromosome: Communication Between Male And Female Occurs In Our Innermost Beings
New findings reveal for the first time that the male and female do truly communicate -- at least at the fundamental genetic level.
Boron-based Compounds Trick A Biomedical Protein
Chemists and biologists have successfully demonstrated that specially synthesized boron compounds are readily accepted in biologically active enzymes, a move that, they say, is a proof of concept that could...
Improvement Of Liver Stem Cell Engraftment By Protein Delivery
Researchers have engineered a chimeric protein that increases cell survival, migration and proliferation to improve stem cell engraftment. The results show that TAT-Tpr-Met, a cell permeable form of the hepatocyte...
Frogs survived Black Saturday
Researchers have found that an unexpected number of Victoria's frogs survived the Black Saturday bushfires and resulting habitat loss.