Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Absence of gene causes male-male courtship
CHICAGO, May 29 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say the absence of a gene know as sphinx produces increased male-male courtship in the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster.
Heat, Not Light, May Be Real Engine Driving Biodiversity
The diversity of species increases from the poles to the tropics, but until now bacteria were thought to be an exception. A new study shows that bacteria follow the same...
Monkeys' Brains Operate Robotic Arm
Two primates have learned to operate a prosthetic arm using only visualization exercises, scientists report in the latest advance in brain-machine interfaces.
Controlling Invasive Species: When The Butterfly Bush Blossoms
Invasive plant species can flourish better in their new homes than in their place of origin. The reasons for this can be genetic changes or the lack of herbivores such...
Molecular Fingerprint Of Cocaine Addiction Revealed
The first large-scale analysis of proteins in the brains of monkeys addicted to cocaine reveals new information on how long-term cocaine use changes the amount and activity of various proteins...
Insects may control strawberry guava
HONOLULU, May 28 (UPI) -- U.S. Forest Service scientists say they are proposing the release of Brazilian insects to control the spread of strawberry guava across Hawaii.
Virus might help Huntington's victims move
ATLANTA, May 28 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've created a tool called an "intrabody" that can remove the mutant protein that drives neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease.
Organic Free Grazing Cows Are Cream Of The Crop
Organic farmers who let their cows graze as nature intended are producing better quality milk. Milk from grazing cows on organic farms in the UK contains significantly higher beneficial fatty...
Fed report says climate change risks crops, water
(AP) -- Climate change is increasing the risk of U.S. crop failures, depleting the nation's water resources and contributing to outbreaks of invasive species and insects, according to a...
Scientists Remove Thousands Of Aspen Trees To Glimpse Forest's Future
Armed with chainsaws and pry bars, researchers recently hastened the end for nearly 7,000 mature aspen and birch trees in a large-scale, long-term experiment to glimpse the Great Lakes region's...
New Technique Allows Targeted Inactivation Of Genes In Research Model
A new technique improves the ability of scientists to target individual genes for inactivation -- a technique with broad potential implications for both basic science research and human disease.
How buckyballs hurt cells
A new study into the potential health hazards of the revolutionary nano-sized particles known as ‘buckyballs’ predicts that the molecules are easily absorbed into animal cells, providing a possible explanation...
Weizmann Institute scientists produce the first smell map
Is the smell of almonds closer to that of roses or bananas? Weizmann Institute scientists have now answered that question (roses) by showing for the first time that smells can...
New cheaper method for mapping disease genes
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have developed a new DNA-sequencing method that is much cheaper than those currently in use in laboratories. They hope that this new...
Leiden scientists sequence first female DNA
Geneticists of Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) are the first to determine the DNA sequence of a woman. She is also the first European whose DNA sequence has been determined....
Dual functions of gene revealed, for better and for worse
Researchers at WEHI have pinpointed the function of a potent cancer gene. The gene, known as “ERG”, has long been associated with a range of human malignancies, including leukemia and...
UCLA researchers identify leukemia stem cells
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause a normal blood stem cells to become cancerous.
Researchers use fungus to improve corn-to-ethanol process
Growing a fungus in some of the leftovers from ethanol production can save energy, recycle more water and improve the livestock feed that`s a co-product of fuel production, according to...
Some Pitfalls of Genetic Testing
The deciphering of the human genome has prompted a number of entrepreneurs to cash in on people’s genetic concerns.
Global Update: New Repellents Without DEET Show Promise in Tests on Humans
Researchers have found several new mosquito repellents that appear to work more than three times as long as DEET.
Building A Better DNA Molecule
Scientists have demonstrated that a mathematical concept called recursion can be applied to constructing flawless synthetic DNA molecules. The ideal molecules are created in successive rounds in which faultless segments...
A Protein's Role In Enabling AIDS Virus To Reproduce Detailed
Scientists have discovered new details about how a simian strain of the AIDS virus replicates. The findings are significant because they suggest new strategies to prevent replication, and because they...
DNA Clues To Reproductive Behavior
A species of wild yeast goes through a cycle of sexual reproduction once in every 1,000 asexual generations, according to new research. The study focused on the wild yeast Saccharomyces...
P.E.I. park has it made in the shade
Tea Hill Park in Stratford has become the first park in P.E.I. to be designated as sun safe by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Lifestyle Evolution Of Wild Marine Bacteria: Free-floating Cells Share With Attached Relatives
Marine bacteria in the wild organize into lifestyle groups that partition resources rather than competing for them, so that microbes with one lifestyle, such as free-floating cells, flourish in proximity...
Bone Repair Using Patient's Stem Cells Comes Closer
Enzyme induces adult stem cells to grow bone. Until now it has been difficult to induce adult human stem cells to produce bone, e.g. in order to repair bone tissue....
Animal waste made into plastic
Researchers have discovered a process that can turn animal waste, such as blood meal or feathers, into biodegradable plastic.
How Arteries And Veins Develop In Parallel Pairs In The Embryo
Using physical measurements, theoretical models and numerical simulations, researchers have shown how the growth of the arteries directly controls that of the veins through a process that depends solely on...