Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Genetic analysis disputes increase in Antarctic minke whales
A new genetic analysis of Antarctic minke whales concludes that population of these smaller baleen whales have not increased as a result of the intensive hunting of other larger whales...
Alligators breathe like birds, scientists find
Biologists in the U.S. have found that air loops through the lungs of alligators in one direction, just as it does in the lungs of birds.
Wasp genome could aid pest control
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- The genome sequence of three wasp species could be valuable in producing products for pest control, researchers in New York said.
Impact of eucalyptus plantations on the ecology of rivers
For more than twenty years this team has been trying to identify links between the ecology and functioning of rivers and the surrounding terrestrial environment because, when all is said...
Novel mouse model of demyelinating disorder
In the February 1st issue of G and D, Dr Brian Popko (The University of Chicago) and colleagues describe how mutation of a gene called ZFP191 leads to disordered CNS...
Pink tomato gene
What makes a particular variety of tomato pink? The gene responsible may help researchers develop new exotic tomatoes.
Why we can't always find what we're looking for (and sometimes find what isn't there)
When people look for things that are rare, they aren't all that good at finding them. And it turns out that the reverse is also true: When people look for...
Trial of new osteoporosis drug beginning
Endocrinologists are launching a human trial of a new drug that their research indicates holds great promise for building bones weakened by osteoporosis. An experimental drug called parathyroid hormone-related protein...
New technique uses zebrafish behavior to screen for useful compounds: Pathways affecting sleep and wakefulness discovered
A robust new technique for screening drugs' effects on zebrafish behavior is pointing scientists toward unexpected compounds and pathways that may govern sleep and wakefulness in humans. Among their more...
Gene discovery could boost yield of key malaria drug
The discovery of genes in the plant Artemisia that control the yield of the antimalarial artemisinin could increase stretched supplies.
Early immune response needed for hit-and-hide cancer viruses
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Retroviruses such as HIV and HTLV-1 don't hit-and-run, they hit-and-hide. They slip into host cells and insert their own DNA into the cell's DNA, and from...
Bee research shows benefits of native plants, wild bees
(PhysOrg.com) -- As scientists struggle to come to grips with Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease threatening to wipe out domesticated honey bees in the United States, they have begun...
Animal behavioral studies can mimic human behavior
Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear. Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have...
Arctic birds fly long distance to avoid predators
Arctic shorebirds migrate over great distances - from Arctic islands to South America - in part because their eggs are less likely to be eaten in the far North, researchers...
Mammoth Project to Digitize the Tree of Life Could Uncover Thousands of New Species
Microsoft's Photosynth software will help scan and catalog 3-D models of specimens for analysis over the Web, anywhere Over the past 20 years, Richard Pyle figures he's discovered 100 new species of fish....
Escaped zoo hippo still roaming free
A 2-ton hippo who escaped from a flooded private zoo in Montenegro was roaming free Wednesday but returning to the zoo owner's restaurant to eat bread and hay. ...
Scientists Reveal How Tendons Shape Developing Bones
Bones, muscles, and tendons work together to provide the perfect balance between stability and movement in the skeleton. Scientists have now shown that this partnership begins in the embryo. The...
New finding in cell migration may be key to preventing clots, cancer spread
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have discovered how cells in the body flatten out as they adhere to internal bodily surfaces, the first step...
Acidifying ocean may stifle phytoplankton
Chemical changes in seawater make a key nutrient less available to these organisms
Japan research funding safe
Research and university funding in Japan appears safe after recent threatened cuts, but some larger programmes still face sharp cutbacks
Behavioural fingerprints point to potential drugs
New high throughput screening technique generates behavioural fingerprints based on the responses of fish larvae to potential drugs
New genetic map will speed up plant breeding of the world's most important medicinal crop (w/ Podcast)
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...
Punishment important in plant-pollinator relationship
Figs and the wasps that pollinate them present one of biologists' favorite examples of a beneficial relationship between two different species. In exchange for the pollination service provided by the...
Researchers find new ways to understand bacteria's 'thinking'
It's not thinking in the way humans, dogs or even birds think, but new findings from researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, show that bacteria are more capable of...
ARS Gene Collections Vital to Animal Research Efforts
(PhysOrg.com) -- When the National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) opened its doors a decade ago, it started out with genetic material from 40 lines of chicken. Today, the center operated...
New Borneo bird species spotted
A new species of bird, the spectacled flowerpecker, has been spotted in the rainforests of Borneo.
Key mechanism for the proliferation of Epstein-Barr virus discovered
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus of the herpes family, has two distinct life phases: After infecting a cell it first goes into a resting phase. Under certain circumstances the...
Variety slows fish learning
Researchers have found that silver perch are good at learning to catch one type of prey, but find it harder to learn two.