Latest science news in Biology & Nature
A 3-D Printer Makes Customized Human Bones To Order
This Machine Prints Bones via WSU We're already printing organs to order, so why not Cmd+P some customized 3-D bone? Washington State University researchers have tweaked a 3-D rapid prototyper designed to create...
Worms survive months in space
NOTTINGHAM, England, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- British researchers say a colony of worms that survived a trip into space is providing insight into the biological effects of deep space...
How Tiny Worms Could Help Humans Colonize Mars
Studying how roundworms tolerate microgravity and space radiation may teach us a thing or two.
Guiding lights
In a scientific first that could shed light on how signals travel in the brain and the effects of learning on neural pathways, scientists at Harvard have created genetically altered neurons that light...
More tuart dieback culprits found
A new Phytophthora fungi species might be a significant factor in tuart decline of tuart trees.
Uncovering Da Vinci's rule of the trees
As trees shed their foliage this fall, they reveal a mysterious, nearly universal growth pattern first observed by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago: a simple yet startling relationship that...
FLEX-ible insight into flame behavior
(PhysOrg.com) -- Whether free-burning or smoldering, uncontrolled fire can threaten life and destroy property. On Earth, a little water, maybe some chemicals, and the fire is smothered.
Is the end of polio truly in sight?
Declaring the eradication of polio will be far more difficult than it was for smallpox, according to a review published in the Journal of General Virology. Further research into the...
Seaweed Hotspots, Illegal Logging, and Discovering New Species Under the Desert
More than 450 world experts from 60 countries will converge on Adelaide, Australia this week to discuss the importance of DNA "barcoding" - a rapidly growing international initiative to develop...
Why Are Squid Attracted To Light, Anyway?
Extra-glowy squid lures are the new hotness, according to the UK's Western Morning News:Virtually all squid jigs [fishing lures] have luminescent sections, but now available in the South West are...
Invasive ants wave white flag in New Zealand
Not all invasive species must be fought back using electrified barriers, natural enemies imported from afar, campaigns to turn them into food, or other, often pricey means. Instead, it appears...
Adulterous male birds encourage bad behavior
Males that stray from the nest for adulterous adventures may leave an opening for their mates to cheat, new research on great tit birds suggests.
Genetic buzzer-beater genes may save fish
Two distinct populations of rainbow trout -- one in Alaska, the other in Idaho -- share a genetic trait that could have huge implications for fisheries conservation and management, an...
Growing knowledge in space: Studying what effects microgravity has on plant cell walls, root growth patterns and gene regulation
Plants are critical in supporting life on Earth, and with help from an experiment that flew onboard space shuttle Discovery's STS-131 mission, they also could transform living in space. NASA's...
Chimpanzees self-medicate with food
An extensive look at what chimpanzees consume each day reveals that many of the plants they consume aren't for nutrition but are likely ingested for medicinal purpose.
Texas Drought Is Revealing Secrets of the Deep
As lake levels drop, objects long submerged are being revealed, attracting the attention of historians, anthropologists, criminal investigators and, in one case, NASA.
How Sharks Go Fast
Fearsome fish stiffen their tails midswing to create extra jets of water
Nanotube-Polymer Mixture Prevents Biofilms
Nanomaterials: Combining carbon nanotubes with a polymer reduces the amount of nanotubes needed to kill bacteria
Supercomputer seeks way to mimic mollusk shell
One of the first tasks for Warwick's new super computer is to use its monster megabytes to analyse the natural properties of the tiny mollusc shell.
Nature online: November 13, 2011
Nature online: November 13, 2011 Structure of full-length Drosophila cryptochrom Brian D. Zoltowski, Anand T. Vaidya, Deniz Top, Joanne Widom, Michael W. Young and Brian R. Crane Here, we report a 2.3-Å...
Shedding light on the 'dark matter' of the genome
Most of the time, Stefano Torriani is a plant pathologist. His most recent research project revolved around the fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola where he analyzed a special class of genes that...
Arab scientists call for funding for regional collaborations
Scientists have called for more funding of regional collaborations and have suggested an 'Al Jazeera-style' science TV channel.
Mystery bird: Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa | @GrrlScientist
This Ethiopian mystery bird is challenging to distinguish from its sister species (includes video)Black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (protonym, Scolopax Limosa), Linnaeus, 1758, also known by a variety of antiquated or old names, including...
Should a New Recipe for Engineered Bird Flu, Potent Enough to Kill Millions, Be Published?
H5N1 Virion A transmission electron micrograph reveals the structure of an H5N1 avian flu virion (a single virus particle). CDC via Wikimedia Commons Inside a Dutch medical facility is a potentially devastating weapon...
Smartphone Touchscreens Could Analyze Biological Smears to Diagnose Illness
The lab-on-a-chip model has been praised as the future of simplified diagnostic medicine--place a sample of saliva, blood, or urine on a small chip-like device that traps disease biomarkers, and send it off...
Restaurant Menus Will Include DNA Barcodes to Verify Fish Species
Fish Farm in China IvanWalsh via Flickr Fish specials at your local restaurant may soon come with an extra guarantee of quality and sustainability, as fishmongers start checking the DNA of their wares....
Study finds pigeons use bodies to turn rather than wing force
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a rather surprising turn of events, it appears pigeons use their body to make sharp turns, rather than stronger wing strokes when flying. This bit of news...
Pollen research not be sniffed at
Pollen may annoy allergy sufferers in springtime but, viewed under the microscope, a pollen grain is a thing of beauty. Amazing images and facts about pollen are part of an...