Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Calcium atom halts bacterial travel
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The discovery that a single atom can control how bacteria move could lead to new drugs that prevent infection, scientists in North...
Androgen receptor slows healing
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A protein key to the action of male hormones also plays a pivotal role in the body's ability to heal, scientists in Rochester,...
'Junk DNA' could spotlight breast and bowel cancer
Scientists at The University of Nottingham have found that a group of genetic rogue elements, produced by DNA sequences commonly known as 'junk DNA,' could help diagnose breast and bowel...
Early-warning system defends rare Jersey cows from disease spreading through Europe
Scientists from the Channel Islands are working on an early-warning system to help defend cattle against "bluetongue" disease, which can be carried from France by the wind.
'Nano cocktail' to target and kill tumors
Scientists have developed a "cocktail" of different nanometer-sized particles that work in concert within the bloodstream to locate, adhere to and kill cancerous tumors.
How to build bone: Separate bone formation from bone destruction
Treatments for osteoporosis need to increase the amount and/or quality of bone. As bone formation is tightly coupled to bone destruction, researchers looking to develop new approaches to build bone...
Florida cold snap threatens iguanas
MARGATE, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Southern Florida's unusually cold weather likely will reduce the number of invasive iguanas considered a pest by many, officials said.
Turning Rapid Mutation Against Viruses
Rapid evolution could lead to "lethal mutagenesis" and kill off pesky viruses Viruses can rapidly evolve and adapt to the latest antiviral drugs in a never-ending war of survival. Yet some scientists have...
New ‘strawberry’ crab species found off Taiwan
A marine biologist says he has discovered a new crab species off the coast of southern Taiwan that looks like a strawberry with small white bumps on its red shell. ...
Roundworm Repository Contributes to Agricultural Wellbeing
(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Md., manage a most unusual sort of insurance: 43,000 slides and vials containing all manner of wormlike organisms called nematodes, from...
From arc to park
(PhysOrg.com) -- Parasite infections are an important threat in conservation biology, particularly to individuals that have been bred in captivity for release into the wild.
NZ, Australia to research whales
New Zealand and Australia are to research whales using non-lethal methods, to counter Japan's hunting programme.
Kenya holds 'rhino poaching gang'
Kenyan authorities arrest a gang suspected of killing a white rhino and cutting off its horns for sale on the black market.
NDSU Prof. Sivaguru Jayaraman to Receive International Award
Sivaguru Jayaraman, (Siva) Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry and molecular biology at North Dakota State University, Fargo, has been selected as the 2010 laureate of the Swiss Chemical Society's Grammaticakis-Neumann...
In pictures: Humpback whales feeding in Alaska
British photographer and kayaker Duncan Murrell paddles close to humpback whales to shoot them feeding off the coast of Alaska
Using a Virus’s Knack for Mutating to Wipe It Out
When a virus’s rate of mutation gets too high, mathematical studies suggest, it will suffer, and scientists hope this will aid in fighting diseases.
The Doctor's World: For F.D.R. Sleuths, New Focus on an Odd Spot
A new book, “F.D.R.’s Deadly Secret,” revives an intriguing theory about a medical mystery around the 32nd president that persists to this day.
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Dog gene for OCD could aid humans ... Images suggest Mars once had lakes ... Mosquitoes whine to attract mates ... St. John's wort not for irritable bowel ... Health/Science...
Asian Monkey Hair Warns Of Toxic Threats To Humans
Writing in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, a team of researchers says that testing hair from Asian monkeys living close to people may provide early warnings of toxic threats...
Analysis of microbes, immune response featured in Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
Metagenomics, the study of DNA isolated from samples of naturally occurring microbial populations, is rapidly growing. Improvements to cloning and sequencing techniques are allowing researchers to...
LSU professor develops technology to take mystery out of fishing
Fishing, a supposedly relaxing pastime, all too often becomes a frustrating series of near misses and lost chances for the recreational sportsman. This frustration is magnified for those who make...
Observatory: Much-Maligned Mother of Many Beloved Wines
In a new look at the DNA in chloroplasts in a dozen grape varieties, researchers discovered that gouais blanc was the maternal parent of nine.
Observatory: White Lizards Evolve In New Mexico Dunes
Scientists report on a textbook case of evolution at the gypsum dunes in New Mexico.
In California, a Scrub Oak Is an Old Pro at Cloning
Researchers said a low thicket of about 70 stem clusters appeared to have been cloning itself for at least 13,000 years.
Cryonics institute aims to beat death
DETROIT, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The Cryonics Institute in Detroit says it has frozen 94 human corpses with the aim of one day outsmarting death.
Dog gene for OCD could aid humans
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Discovery of a gene linked to compulsive behavior in dogs could lead to better understanding of the disorder in humans, scientists in Massachusetts...
New Evidence Of Culture In Wild Chimpanzees
A new study of chimpanzees living in the wild adds to evidence that our closest primate relatives have cultural differences, too. The study shows that neighboring chimpanzee populations in Uganda...
Genes for drought-tolerance, aflatoxin may mingle to boost corn production
Scientists plan to put two and two together in a study that will likely yield improved U.S. corn quality and yields.