Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Weed chokes inshore reefs
A big survey has found seaweed dominating large areas of the Great Barrier Reef – which could be natural, or a sign of trouble.
Sierras' current height goes back 50 million years, study finds
The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that the mountain range is much older than previously believed, and has implications for evolutionary studies. ...
Silencing the brain with light
Giving epilepsy patients an electric jolt to shut off out-of-control neuron firing during seizures is being explored as a way to treat the chronic brain disorder. New research from MIT now raises the...
Frogs' secret disposal system revealed
Talented amphibians urinate foreign objects implanted in their body cavities.
CSHL scientists uncover role of protein critical for activating DNA replication
Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered how a protein long known to be an essential activator of DNA replication actually triggers this process in cells.
Miscanthus, a biofuels crop, can host western corn rootworm
The western corn rootworm beetle, a pest that feasts on corn roots and corn silk and costs growers more than $1 billion annually in the US, also can survive on...
Scientists probe mystery of loop current in eastern Gulf of Mexico
A new study examines the circulation in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and sheds new light on the behavior of the Loop Current and Loop Current Eddies, the relation between...
Birds fight alien parasites: Darwin's finches develop antibodies to flies, pox virus
Unlike Hawaii and other island groups, no native bird has gone extinct in the Galapagos Islands, although some are in danger. Biologists have found that finches -- the birds Darwin...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Dolphins smarter than chimps ... Some 27 million in U.S. have hearing loss ... Endangered sea turtles rescued in N.C. ... Bacteria linked to some cancers ... Health/Science news from...
From crickets to whales, animal calls have something in common
Scientists who compare insect chirps with ape calls may look like they are mixing aphids and orangutans, but researchers have found common denominators in the calls of hundreds of species...
Discovery Channel Joins ESPN In 3D Push
Channels Working Separately to Incorporate Emerging 3D Market Into Programming
Study provides insight into pathway linked to obesity
A new study involving the University of Iowa, Mayo Clinic and two other institutions provides insight on weight control, suggesting that a ATP-sensitive potassium channel critical to survival and stress...
1 solution to obesity: Muscles that act as an energy drain
Many people have traded in their gas-guzzling old 'clunkers' for newer and more efficient models or cut back on energy use at home by opting for Energy Star appliances and...
Sweet corn study provides large-scale picture of better fields
In what amounted to a kind of census of sweet corn grown for processing, three years of data from 175 fields in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota shed light on what...
The science and magic of cheesemaking | Andy Connelly
Andy Connelly describes the heady combination of chemistry, cooking and adventure that is cheesemakingWhen I think of cheese, my mind returns to a mountain farm in the French Pyrenees with a spectacular view...
Researchers discover antibody receptor identity, propose renaming immune-system gene
Researchers have uncovered the genetic identity of a cellular receptor for the immune system's first-response antibody, a discovery that sheds new light on infection control and immune disorders. The discovery...
From crickets to whales, animal calls have something in common
Animals produce a tremendous diversity of sounds for communication to perform life's basic functions, from courtship and parental care to defense and foraging. Explaining this diversity in sound production is...
Rare Breeds, Frozen in Time
A group in Rhode Island has created a fertility bank for heritage livestock, freezing embryos in preparation for an outbreak of disease — or the next food trend.
Wood-Based Synthetic Bone is Just Like the Real Thing
First, there was the wooden peg leg. Then came bone replacements made of various metals and ceramics. Now, in the 21st century, we're back to wood. But this ain't your average sea...
Targeted For Regulation
Toxic Substances: EPA names four categories of chemicals for action, including restrictions and bans.
Research unlocks secrets of protein linked to spread of viruses
Researchers have unlocked some of the secrets of a viral protein, known as Rev, which plays an essential role in the propagation mechanism of certain types of viruses within an...
Female birds -- acting just like the guys -- become sexual show-offs in cooperative breeding species
Female birds in species that breed in groups can find themselves under pressure to sexually show off and evolve the same kinds of embellishments -- like fanciful tail feathers or...
Researchers study microbes in cattle to unlock metabolic disease mysteries
VERNON -- Switching from warm-season grasses to cool-season forages can give livestock a belly ache, in some cases a deadly one, according to Texas AgriLife Research scientists.
AgriLife researcher studies chemical control of potato psyllid
LUBBOCK -- A Texas AgriLife Research entomologist in Lubbock is trying to determine the best management practices to reduce a potato crop's risk to zebra chip, a disease that...
It's Not Only the Gene That Counts, But How You Use It
Scientists at the University of Idaho have discovered not only that different species sometimes use the same gene to produce the same adaptation, but also that how they use it...
Use mussels to look younger
An amino acid found in mussels makes a biocompatible hydrogel for tissue engineering and wrinkle filling.
Cameroon puts brain drain into reverse
Cameroon's government has diverted funds gained from a debt write-off to academic salaries — and has now boosted scientist numbers.
In pictures: Counting the animals at London zoo
The annual stocktake at London zoo – a compulsory requirement of every zoo – is a headcount of each and every one of its hundreds of animals