Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Keeping black bears wild
Wildlife managers test out ways to keep bears away from food, people
Mad-cow proteins created in the lab
Scientists have firmed up the evidence that misshapen protein are responsible for brain-wasting diseases by showing how these infectious prions are created.
Magellanic region rich in biodiversity
PORVENIR, Chile, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A study of worms, sponges and other macrobenthos animals are revealing the mysteries of the Straits of Magellan, a British scientist said.
Sex-free worms survive by drying up, blowing away
Tiny worm-like creatures that have no males and reproduce by cloning can escape disease by drying up and floating away on the breeze, researchers have found.
The almond tree's secret weapon
The nectar of the almond tree produces an extraordinary and dangerous poison. This is the only known plant to have this poison in its flowers' nectar. A study carried out...
Developmental delay may explain behaviour of easygoing ape species
New research suggests that evolutionary changes in cognitive development underlie the extensive social and behavioural differences that exist between two closely related species of great apes. The study, published online...
Uncorrelated activity in the brain
Interconnected networks of neurones process information and give rise to perception by communicating with one another via small electrical impulses known as action potentials. In the past, scientists believed that...
Researchers find new way to study how enzymes repair DNA damage
Researchers at Ohio State University have found a new way to study how enzymes move as they repair DNA sun damage - and that discovery could one day lead to...
Tungsten Breaks Tough Bond
Organometallics: Rare carbon-carbon bond scission could lead to new route for functionalizing aromatics.
Seabirds' movement patterns tied to what fishermen toss away
Humans and human activities have clearly altered the Earth's landscape and oceans in countless ways, often to the detriment of other plants and animals. But a new report published online...
Neuroscientists making computers smart enough to see connections between brain's neurons
(PhysOrg.com) -- C. elegans, a tiny worm about a millimeter long, doesn`t have much of a brain, but it has a nervous system - one that comprises 302 nerve...
Desiccation Helps Rotifers Beat the Red Queen
Microscopic creature has found a way to evade an evolutionary dead end [Read more]
Prion Diseases: No Accomplice Needed
Researchers show that misfolded proteins behind mad cow act alone [Read more]
How Carnations Conquered Europe
Rapid diversification of flower suggests continent may have been an evolutionary hot spot [Read more]
Virus-like particle vaccine protects monkeys from chikungunya virus
An experimental vaccine developed using non-infectious virus-like particles (VLP) has protected macaques and mice against chikungunya virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that has infected millions of...
Secrets of immunologic memory: New understanding of CD44 receptor's role in immune cell survival
Investigators have discovered a new way the cell surface protein, CD44, helps specific T helper cells develop immunologic memory.
Freeloading Flap: Mediterranean Seabirds That Scrounge Off Fishing Boats Have a Smaller Foraging Range
Where there are fishery boats docking after a day's catch, there are usually seabirds hovering in hopes of lifting scraps. Discards from fisheries supplement the diets of these...
Neurons may function more solo than thought
Surprising observations of neuron firing patterns raise new questions about how the brain works
Why can’t ostriches fly
As the Age of Dinosaurs came to an end, some flying birds swooped in and took up the newly available niches, foraging on the ground, eventually losing the ability to...
Are new genes always better?
Re-vegetation seems like a beneficial strategy for conserving and restoring damaged ecosystems, and using a variety of species can help increase biodiversity in these systems. But what are the...
"Sex Puppeteers" Force Sex Change, Virgin Birth in Bugs via Genes
Fast-spreading parasites force sex changes on victims, induce virgin births, and turn animals into "gross monsters"—all via genetic sabotage, a new study finds.
Synthetic molecules can activate genes
MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've used synthetic molecules to activate specific genes in bacteria, a method that could lead to new drug and gene...
Scientists map changes in science and beyond
How has the structure of scientific research changed over the past decade? A team of researchers from Umeľ University, Sweden, and the University of Washington, USA, aims to answer...
Taiwan pushes e-books but lacks Chinese content
(AP) -- Taiwan leads the world in development of readers for the fast-growing electronic book market, but when it comes to satisfying the e-appetites of the island's highly literate population,...
Map exposes cow gas gene
Cows release a lot of greenhouse gas when they digest, but a new study has mapped DNA from one of the culprits – a bacteria species.
Plant flavanoid may help prevent leukemia
LONDON (Reuters) - Eating foods like celery and parsley which contain the naturally occurring flavanoid apigenin may help prevent leukemia, Dutch scientists said Thursday.
World Bank wants tiger farms shut
BANGKOK (AP) -- China and other Asian nations should shut privately run tiger farms as they are inhumane and fuel demand for the endangered big cat's...
Birds follow their noses during migration
Birds largely rely on their sense of smell to navigate on their long migration routes. Indeed, the “third sense” has been shown to be a more important for them than...