Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Earthworm Detectives Provide Genetic Clues For Dealing With Soil Pollution
The humble earthworm provides a new sensitive and detailed picture of what is going on in our contaminated soil ecosystems. New research shows that copper contamination has a detrimental effect...
Scientists find human virus in chimpanzees
BLACKSBURG, Va., June 5 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have found evidence chimpanzees are becoming sick from viral infections they likely contract from humans.
Gene called DLC1 is tumor suppressor
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., June 5 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists searching for cancer-causing genes say they've discovered a gene called DLC1 is actually a tumor suppressor.
Bacteria found in 120,000-year-old ice
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., June 5 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists report discovering a tiny species of bacteria that has survived for more than 120,000 years within a Greenland glacier.
Arthritis Hope: Engineers Use High Pressure To Stimulate Growth Of New Cartilage
Bioengineers have discovered that intense pressure -- similar to what someone would experience more than a half-mile beneath the ocean's surface -- stimulates cartilage cells to grow new tissue with...
Transgenic Plants Don't Hurt Beneficial Bugs, Entomologists Find
Genetically modified (GM) plants that use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a common soil bacterium, to kill pests won't harm the pests' natural enemies, according to new research by Cornell entomologists. That...
Makeup Turns Birds From Scrubs To Studs
A little strategically placed makeup quickly turns the wimpiest of male barn swallows into chick magnets, amping up their testosterone and even trimming their weight, new research shows.
Microsurgery on the brain of the fruit fly leads to new insights into irreparable nerve injuries
Every year, one million Europeans are confronted with potentially irreparable brain or spinal cord injuries resulting from traffic accidents. Because the nerves in a damaged spinal cord cannot, or cannot...
Mouse ovaries and testes age in unique ways
Aging leads to large changes in gene activity in the ovaries of mice, but only limited changes in testes, according to research published in the open-access journal, BMC Biology. A...
Climate change could impact vital functions of microbes
Global climate change will not only impact plants and animals but will also affect bacteria, fungi and other microbial populations that perform a myriad of functions important to life on...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
NASA again reschedules GLAST launch date … Damaged brains helped by stem cell therapy … Phoenix lifts first scoop of Martian soil … New genetic insight offered into ALS ......
Researchers Discover Natural Inflammation-fighting Mechanism In Body-fat Cells
Researchers have shown for the first time that fat-storing cells, or adipocytes, contain a protective anti-inflammatory immune mechanism that prevents the cells from over-reacting to inflammation-causing stimuli, such as fatty...
Thinness Vs. Obesity Not Directly Linked To Eating Habits, Study Suggests
Whether you are fat or thin isn't directly determined by your eating habits, suggest researchers who report new findings made in worms. While both feeding and fat in worms depends...
Flow of potassium ions in brain cells is key to sexual arousal
When it comes to sex, a female rat knows how to avoid a communication breakdown. To announce her sexual readiness, she will automatically arch her back, deflect her tail and...
Study finds way to detect gene variations
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y., June 3 (UPI) -- The number of copies of genes can vary widely in humans, and now U.S. researchers say they've found how to...
Researchers identify gene that regulates glucose levels
In an effort to understand how genes work, a collaborative study which includes the University of Southern California (USC) has identified a gene that regulates glucose levels. The results, which...
Possible New Approach To Purifying Drinking Water
A genetic tool used by medical researchers may also be used in a novel approach to remove harmful microbes and viruses from drinking water. In a series of proof-of-concept experiments,...
N.B. will be abuzz with mosquitoes this summer, says expert
New Brunswickers should invest in bug spray this summer, according to an expert on pest control.
Great White Lies About Great White Sharks
In the water, fear the jellyfish. On land, watch for those bees. They are far deadlier than sharks.
Evolution of an imprinted domain in mammals
The normal human genome contains 46 chromosomes: 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Thus, you have two copies of every gene (excluding some irregularity in the pair...
Unnatural roots of the food crisis
Why the loss of biodiversity and abandonment of ecology-friendly farming undermine attempts to feed the world.
Well: Experts Revive Debate Over Cellphones and Cancer
What do brain surgeons know about cellphone safety that the rest of us don’t?.
Dark, Perhaps Forever
After decades of effort, some scientists are beginning to despair of explaining the universe. Or is it universes?
Reforestation Using Exotic Plants Can Disturb Fertility Of Tropical Soils
A research program recently conducted by an IRD team and its partners found new clues for understanding the influence of exotic species on the biodiversity of communities of mycorrhizal fungi...
Good News In Our DNA: Defects You Can Fix With Vitamins And Minerals
As DNA sequencing becomes cheaper, it will become common for people to have their complete genomes sequenced. Personal genomes will not only tell people about genetic susceptibility to cancer and...
Isolated in Amazon, Visible From the Air
Aerial photographs of an isolated community of indigenous people in the Amazon basin were released to show that they exist but may be endangered by illegal logging.
Beyond Harry & David
A tribute to the overwhelming diversity of fruits on this planet, both botanical and human.
Research uncovers the hidden world of turtles
The frog may be the environmental indicator of the land, but University of Queensland researchers reckon when it comes to the sea, we should look to the turtle.