Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Genetic code of first arachnid cracked
An international team of scientists - including Ghent VIB scientists - has succeeded in deciphering the genome of the spider mite. This is also the first known genome of an...
They call it 'guppy love': UCLA biologists solve an evolution mystery
Guppies in the wild have evolved over at least half-a-million years — long enough for the males' coloration to have changed dramatically. Yet a characteristic orange patch on male guppies...
Scientists determine how antibody recognizes key sugars on HIV surface
WHAT: HIV is coated in sugars that usually hide the virus from the immune system. Newly published research reveals how one broadly neutralizing HIV antibody actually uses part of the...
Lynn Margulis, Trailblazing Theorist on Evolution, Dies at 73
Dr. Margulis was a biologist whose work on the origin of cells helped transform the study of evolution.
Cobweb chemical keeps ants off
Golden orb web spiders add a defensive chemical on their webs to repel invading ants, a new study shows.
Scientists working hard to build a better turkey
Turkey researchers are investigating the big bird's genetic heritage and biology as part of an effort to improve several aspects of its cultivation.
Introducing the monarch butterfly genome
The Monarch butterfly is famous for its ability to travel up to 2,000 miles from North America to central Mexico every fall. Now, it's enjoying fame of a different...
Salmon genome in final phases of completion
The International Cooperation to Sequence the Atlantic Salmon Genome (ICSASG, the "Cooperation") has awarded the Phase II contract for next-generation sequencing and analysis of the Atlantic salmon genome to the...
Studying bat skulls, evolutionary biologists discover how species evolve
A new study involving bat skulls, bite force measurements and scat samples collected by an international team of evolutionary biologists is helping to solve a nagging question of evolution: Why...
Key to aging? Key molecular switch for telomere extension by telomerase identified
Researchers have described for the first time a key target of DNA damage checkpoint enzymes that must be chemically modified to enable stable maintenance of chromosome ends by telomerase, an...
Ten-point plan to save the oceans
Performance on commitments made 20 years ago to protect the world's oceans is unimpressive, say reports.
Is short stature associated with a 'shortage' of genes?
New research sifts through the entire genome of thousands of human subjects to look for genetic variation associated with height. The results of the study, published by Cell Press in...
U.K. researcher honored for beehive fence
BERGEN, Norway, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A British biologist was honored by the United Nations for research that led to the development of a beehive fence to keep elephants...
South African scientists win first Obasanjo science prize
The inaugural Olusegun Obasanjo Prize has been awarded to HIV/AIDS researchers Salim S. and Quarraisha Abdool Karim.
Mystery bird: Bornean black oriole, Oriolus hosii | @GrrlScientist
This Malaysian mystery bird is not related to the group of birds with whom it shares its name Bornean black oriole, Oriolus hosii Sharpe, 1892 (scientific name sometimes misspelled as Oriolus hosei), also...
Just the two of us: Stable dinucleotide-RNA duplexes show promise in biotechnology
(PhysOrg.com) -- Nucleic acid technology has revolutionized the field of biomedicine, as it can be effectively utilized in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of genetic diseases The efficacy of most...
Finger (mal)formation reveals surprise function of desert DNA
Swiss scientists from the EPFL and the University of Geneva have discovered a genetic mechanism that defines the shape of our members in which, surprisingly, genes play only a secondary...
Researchers develop method for advancing development of antipsychotic drugs
Researchers interested in the treatment of schizophrenia and dementia have clarified how antipsychotic drugs that target a complex of two receptors at the surface of cells in the brain work,...
Anesthesia & Analgesia Launches iPad App
The editors of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), are pleased to announce the launch of their new Anesthesia & Analgesia for the iPad(r)...
EU warns river wildlife at risk
Many mollusc and fish species are endangered in Europe's rivers, the EU says, calling for greater efforts to halt biodiversity loss.
Another helping of grasshopper?
If you want to try something new for Thanksgiving, Matthew Krisiloff has a suggestion: add some insects to the meal.
Blossom end rot: Transport protein identified
Poor calcium distribution in agricultural crops causes substantial loss of income every year. Now a Korean-Swiss research team under the co-leadership of plant physiologists at the University of Zurich identified...
FEATURE: Are Australian fish in hot water?
The ongoing effects of climate change on fish and fisheries have to be countered with the latest science, John Koehn writes.
Scientists point to link between missing synapse protein and abnormal behaviors
(Medical Xpress) -- Although many mental illnesses are uniquely human, animals sometimes exhibit abnormal behaviors similar to those seen in humans with psychological disorders. Such behaviors are called endophenotypes. Now,...
Deer most recognised Scots animal
Deer are the type of wildlife the public associate most with Scotland, according to a survey commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage.
VIDEO: London artwork that fights SAD
A new light sculpture has just opened to the public in London, which aims to fight Seasonal Affective Disorder - commonly known as the winter blues.
Rats help Colombia sniff out deadly landmines
BOGOTA (Reuters) - In a laboratory on the grounds of a police-guarded complex, 11 white-furred rats wait their turn to impress trainers and perhaps receive a bit of sugar as...
Grizzly bears still need protecting, US court rules
Conservationists welcomed a US appeals court ruling that grizzly bears still need protecting, after federal authorities sought to have them taken off an endangered species list.