Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Zebrafish: A new drug development platform
NASHVILLE, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Vanderbilt University scientists say they've identified biological compounds in zebrafish that might offer new therapies for bone-related diseases and cancer.
New genetic map will speed up plant breeding of the world's most important medicinal crop
Plant scientists at the University of York have published the first genetic map of the medicinal herb Artemisia annua. The map is being used to accelerate plant breeding of Artemisia...
Cadavers Made to Blink with Artificial Muscles
Artificial muscles may help restore the ability of thousands of patients with facial paralysis.
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
NASA designs one-person hovercraft ... Red groupers architects of the sea ... Asian carp DNA found in Lake Michigan ... Snail shell provides clues for armor ... Health/Science news from...
Why mice develop 'knots' while exploring a new environment
During exploration of a new environment, mice establish 'knots' - preferred places visited sporadically and marked by the performance of twists and turns, according to a new study by Israel...
Punishment important in plant-pollinator relationship
Figs and the wasps that pollinate them present one of biologists' favourite examples of a beneficial relationship between two different species. In exchange for the pollination service provided by the...
New biological models of homeopathy published in special issues
The journal Homeopathy has published a two part special issue focusing on biological models of homeopathy. The special issue highlights experiments on homeopathic treatments in biological models, ranging from whole...
Rare bird's breeding area found in Afghanistan
The first known breeding area of one of the world's rarest birds has been found in the remote and rugged Pamir Mountains in war-torn Afghanistan.
African fish choose safety over sex
Safety in numbers wins out over an increased chance of sex when it comes to a native African fish, a new study finds.
Observatory: Desert Spider Discovery on Jordan-Israel Border
In a cross-border study, biologists from Israel and Jordan found a new spider species, Cerbalus aravensis, living in Arava Valley sand dunes.
Oregon moose monitored for deadly parasite
ENTERPRISE, Ore., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Biologists in Oregon says they're trying to determine if a deadly parasite killed two animals in the state's small Shiras moose herd.
When our economic interests are at stake, the war on nature resumes | George Monbiot
All this badger cull will prove is that our relations with the natural world have scarcely altered since the dark agesThere's a story that almost all of us believe: that beyond a...
Invertebrate Collections Help Solve Agricultural Problems
(PhysOrg.com) -- Creepy, crawly spiders and bugs are just some of the unusual creatures in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) invertebrate collections. While many find insects a nuisance, ARS scientists...
Following the Glow: Researchers Use 'Fluorescent Fish' to Study Gene Function
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at North Carolina State University are using fluorescent fish as a molecular 'beacon' to study the early stages of animal development. The researchers focused their attention on...
Observatory: The Platypus Is Cute but Far From Harmless
The male platypus is among the few mammals that produce venom, and researchers in Japan are trying to determine why that venom is so painful.
Remarkable Creatures: When Built-In Antifreeze Beats a Winter Coat
Many insects, and other animals, defend themselves against direct exposure to subfreezing temperatures through biochemical ingenuity.
Attacking 14α-Demethylase May Help Treat Sleeping Sickness
Reporting in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, an international team of researchers has determined the structure of 14α-Demethylase (14DM), an enzyme essential to the survival of the protozoan parasites that...
Scientists push "Doomsday Clock" back a minute
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scientists pushed back the hands on the symbolic Doomsday Clock by one minute citing hopeful developments in nuclear weapons and climate change.
Loss of epigenetic regulators causes mental retardation
Developing neurons don't just need the right genes to guide them as they grow, they need access to the right genes at the right times. The improper functioning of one...
Ion exchange may be most important driver of gill development in fish
(PhysOrg.com) -- A long-standing theory is that the first function of fish gills was to allow fish to breathe, but new research is casting doubt on the idea that this...
In Death Throes, Fish Help Offspring Escape
Dying fish release alarm chemicals that cause embryos to develop faster.
Stem cell transplant hopes lifted
A technique which may remove the need for matched bone marrow transplants for patients is used in humans for the first time.
Stingrays Are Cute, And Pretty Smart Too! (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- A gift from the Parc Merveilleux Zoo in Luxembourg to the Tiergarten Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna made in 2003 led to a serendipitous research project by zoo observers.
Sugars synthesised with help of promiscuous enzyme
Researchers use an unfussy enzyme in new method to make sugar molecules that could lead to new vaccines and other important compounds
New clues on human hand evolution
The evolution of human hands was a "side-effect" of evolutionary changes in our feet, according to research.
First wild bear birth filmed live
A webcam placed in a den may reveal the first recorded birth of a wild bear.
Protein complex possibly crucial for triggering embryo development identified
Researchers have discovered a protein complex that appears to play a significant role in erasing epigenetic instructions on sperm DNA, essentially creating a blank slate for the different cell types...
Biomedical Science In 2020
What will geneticists and molecular cell biologists be doing in 2020? 10 years ago, genomic technologies like DNA microarrays were just beginning to change the way molecular biologists worked, and...