Latest science news in Biology & Nature
'Blue' moon to grace New Year's sky
Partygoers will be treated to an extra full moon Thursday night, but don't expect it to actually be blue.
Schizophrenic mouse developed
AUGUSTA, Ga., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- The development of schizophrenic mice should improve understanding and treatment of the disorder in humans, scientists in Georgia said.
Waterproof hearing aids tested
The maker of an invisible hearing aid is attempting a waterproof version. Next month, about 60 swimmers will begin testing a next-generation Lyric, to see if stronger coatings can withstand...
Dr. Edwin G. Krebs dies at 91; Nobel laureate co-discovered fundamental cell processes
The University of Washington biochemist co-discovered the mechanism that causes cells to grow, change divide and die. It launched an explosion of knowledge about diseases, medicines and metabolics. Dr. Edwin G. Krebs, the...
Afib Triggered By A Cell That Resembles A Pigment-producing Skin Cell
The source and mechanisms underlying the abnormal heart beats that initiate atrial fibrillation (Afib), the most common type of abnormal heart beat, have not been well determined. Researchers have now...
Scientists isolate new antifreeze molecule in Alaska beetle
Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain protein,...
Researchers design a tool to induce controlled suicide in human cells
Researchers in Spain have designed a new tool to study rescue signaling pathways and cell suicide in depth.
Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid Precursor Protein -- Good, Bad Or Both?
New data about amyloid precursor protein, or APP, a protein implicated in development of Alzheimer's disease, suggests it also may have a positive role -- directly affecting learning and memory...
How calorie-restricted diets fight obesity and extend life span
Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The...
Small molecules found to protect cells in multiple models of Parkinson's disease
FINDINGS: Several structurally similar small molecules appear capable of protecting cells from alpha-synuclein toxicity, a hallmark of Parkinson's disease.
Molecular chaperone keeps bacterial proteins from slow-dancing to destruction
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Just like teenagers at a prom, proteins are tended by chaperones whose job it is to prevent unwanted interactions among immature clients. And at the molecular level, just...
Johns Hopkins scientists discover a controller of brain circuitry
By combining a research technique that dates back 136 years with modern molecular genetics, a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist has been able to see how a mammal's brain shrewdly revisits and...
In New Way to Edit DNA, Hope for Treating Disease
Scientists might have a new way to alter human DNA if a technique for editing the genetic text proves safe and effective.
Molar Emergence Says Much About Evolution Of Apes, Humans
From the smallest South American monkeys to the largest African apes, the timing of molar development and eruption is closely attuned to many fundamental aspects of a primate's biology, according...
Scientists Start a Genomic Catalog of Earth’s Abundant Microbes
These tiny, resilient life forms, representing “the vast majority of organisms on earth,” are still largely unknown to scientists.
Africa-wide "Great Green Wall" to Halt Sahara's Spread?
A massive "wall" of trees spanning 11 countries may rise in Africa in a bid to save drought-stricken farmlands from a relentless invader: sand.
Common mechanism underlies many diseases of excitability
Inherited mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs) are associated with many different human diseases, including genetic forms of epilepsy and chronic pain. Theodore Cummins and colleagues, at Indiana University School...
Human tumor-targeting immune cells inhibited by the protein BTLA
Immune cells known as CD8+ T cells have important roles in protection against infectious diseases and cancer. Now, Daniel Speiser and colleagues, at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Switzerland,...
Why diseased heart muscle cells don't communicate properly
The heartbeat is controlled by rapid conduction of an electrical current between heart muscle cells. Central to passage of the electrical current are structures known as gap junctions, low resistance...
Cosmetics pioneer Yves Rocher dies at 79
Yves Rocher, French founder of a global chain of beauty products and a pioneering advocate of the use of plants and other natural elements in cosmetics, has died at age...
Q & A: Squirrels of White
How can the significant number of sightings of white or albino squirrels in many areas of North America be explained?
New Method Tests Severity of Key Citrus Virus
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new rapid way to test severity of the devastating citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in citrus trees has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Parlier,...
New RNA interference technique can silence up to 5 genes
Researchers at MIT and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals report this week that they have successfully used RNA interference to turn off multiple genes in the livers of mice, an advance that could...
Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The sight of a cockroach scurrying for cover may be nauseating, but the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel, and is providing researchers at...
Simplest bacteria unravelled at the cellular level
Even the simplest cell appears to be far more complex than researchers had imagined. In a series of three articles in the journal Science, researchers including Vera van Noort at...
Adjusting acidity with impunity
How do individual cells or proteins react to changing pH levels? Researchers have now developed a technique for ‘gently’ adjusting pH: in other words, without damaging biomolecules. This should soon...
Gene mutation linked to nerve disorder
CHICAGO, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- The discovery of gene mutations linked to two nerve disorders could lead to a new understanding of how nerves stimulate muscles, scientists in Chicago...
Pheromone turns fruit flies violent
The scent of a single chemical can turn peaceful, happy fruit flies into flying fists of fury. Pheromone - Fruit - Biology - Insecta - Flora...