Latest science news in Biology & Nature
BBS proteins shown to run an export business that protects cilia
A protein complex mutated in human disease removes excess signalling molecules to prevent them from damaging cilia, say researchers from UMass Medical School. The study was published in the 28...
Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cells
Famous for its antioxidant properties and role in tissue repair, vitamin C is touted as beneficial for illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer and perhaps even for slowing...
Rice scientists divide and conquer
Half a protein is better than none, and in this case, it's way better than a whole one. A Rice University lab has discovered that dividing a particular fluorescent protein...
Body of sea urchin acts as one big eye
Sea urchins may use the whole surface of their bodies as compound eyes, scientists now suggest. Biology - Flora and Fauna - Animalia - Echinodermata -...
Chloride increases response to pheromones and odors in mouse sensory neurons
The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an odor detection system that mediates many pheromone-sensitive behaviors. Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs), located in the VNO, are the initial site of interaction with odors...
Student sleuths using DNA reveal zoo of 95 species in NYC homes -- and new evidence of food fraud
Two New York City high school students exploring their homes using the latest high-tech DNA analysis techniques were astonished to discover a veritable zoo of 95 animal species surrounding them,...
Genetic causes identified for disturbances in lipid metabolism; implications for diabetes
Scientists have identified new gene variants associated with disturbances in the lipid metabolism. Some of these common human gene variants are already known to be risk factors for diabetes mellitus.
Disinfectants cause some bacteria to thrive
A new lab study shows one pesky bacterium eats cleansers for breakfast: When disinfectant was applied to lab cultures of the bacteria, they adapted to survive not only the disinfectant...
'Fountain of youth' for stem cells?
Stems cells used for transplantation in the nervous system to provide neural regeneration are fragile, but can be kept "forever young" during implantation through the use of self-assembling nanofiber scaffolds...
Why some continue to eat when full: Researchers find clues
New research in mice suggest that ghrelin might also work in the brain to make some people keep eating "pleasurable" foods when they're already full.
New form of malaria threatens Thai-Cambodia border
(AP) -- O'treng village doesn't look like the epicenter of anything. Just off a muddy rutted-out road, it is nothing more than a handful of Khmer-style bamboo huts perched...
125 Whales Die on New Zealand Beaches
But Vacationers and Conservation Workers Manage to Save Dozens of Other Stranded Whales
Protein that keeps stem cells poised for action identified
Researchers have now identified a critical component, called Jarid2, of this delicate balancing act -- one that both recruits other regulatory proteins to genes important in differentiation and also modulates...
Some birds listen, instead of look, for mates
Looks can be deceiving, but certain bird species have figured out that a voice can tell them most of what they need to know to find the right mate. Researchers...
Seeing family for the holidays? Scientists discover how the stress might kill you
If you ever thought the stress of seeing your extended family over the holidays was slowly killing you -- bad news: a new study shows that you might be right....
A mechanical model of vocalization
When people speak, sing or shout, they produce sound by pushing air over their vocal folds -- bits of muscle and tissue that manipulate the air flow and vibrate within...
Genetic predeterminants for diabetes in African-Americans identified
Researchers say a recent discovery suggests that inherited genetic variations exist between whites and blacks living in the US, leading to less efficient metabolism of glucose and predisposition to diabetes...
Whiteflies sabotage alarm system of plant in distress
When spider mites attack a bean plant, the plant produces odors attracting predatory mites. These mites then exterminate the spider mite population, thus acting as a type of "bodyguard" for...
Neuroscientists store information in isolated brain tissue; possible basis of short-term memory
For the first time, neuroscientists have created stimulus-specific sustained activity patterns in brain circuits maintained in vitro.
Emerald BioStructures announces discovery of small molecule modulators of PDE4
Bainbridge Island, WA. December 28, 2009. Emerald BioStructures (formerly deCODE biostructures) announced today a publication in the December 27, 2009 advance online issue of Nature Biotechnology,...
Genes 'drive deadly brain cancer'
Scientists have discovered two genes that appear responsible for one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer.
Plant chemical 'manipulates' ants
Acacia plants have chemical control over the armies of ants that guard them, scientists discover.
Flowering powers genetic understanding
New research on how plants adapt their flowering to climate is also helping to unravel some of the mysteries of how genes are controlled. Studies on a gene in Arabidopsis...
Happy Flies Look For A Place Like Home
A happy youth can influence where a fruit fly chooses to live as an adult, according to new research. The study provides new insight into how animals choose places to...
Secrets of the Brain: Researchers decipher parts of the neuronal code
The human brain works at a far higher level of complexity than previously thought. What has been given little attention up to now in the information processing of neuronal circuits...
Brazil Aims to Prevent Land Grabs in Amazon
In a huge stretch of the Amazon, the state has been virtually nonexistent, giving way to a brazen culture of illegal land seizures, often at the tip of a gun...
The Body Electric
An inside look at Darpa, the secretive defense agency that’s changing the way we use machines — and the way they use us.
Bone control of glucose levels
Bone cells known as osteoblasts were recently shown to have a role in controlling the biochemical reactions that generate energy via secretion of the molecule osteocalcin. Researchers have now determined...