Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Mobilizing the repair squad: Critical protein helps mend damaged DNA
In order to preserve our DNA, cells have developed an intricate system for monitoring and repairing DNA damage. Yet precisely how the initial damage signal is converted into a repair...
Ladder-walking locusts use vision to climb, show big brains aren't always best
Scientists have shown for the first time that insects, like mammals, use vision rather than touch to find footholds. They made the discovery thanks to high-speed video cameras that they...
Climate change puts ecosystems on the run, researchers say
(PhysOrg.com) -- Global warming is causing habitats to move across the landscape. Can the creatures living there keep up? If they can't, some species may die out, researchers say.
Molecular anchor links the 2 inheritable diseases Fanconi anemia and Bloom's syndrome
A new study establishes a molecular link that bridges two rare inherited disorders and explains why these diseases result in genetic instability. The research, published by Cell Press in the...
Certain genes boost chances for distributing variety of traits, drive evolution
Genes that don't themselves directly affect the inherited characteristics of an organism but leave them increasingly open to variation may be a significant driving force of evolution, say scientists.
Genomic toggle switches divide autoimmune diseases into distinct clusters
Genomic switches can predispose an individual to one set of autoimmune disorders but protect the same person against another set of them, scientists have found.
Sensitizing leukemic cells to death-inducing compounds
Recent research has indicated that in the process of generating energy, leukemic cells use a cellular pathway known as fatty acid oxidation, rather than pyruvate oxidation, as had been previously...
Edwin Krebs, 91, Is Dead; Discovered a Crucial Bodily Process
Dr. Krebs shared a Nobel Prize in 1992 for discovering a crucial bodily process that helps govern the movement of muscles, the shape and division of cells, and even learning...
Warming has already boosted insect breeding
Museum records, publications suggest extra generations at same time as temperature increases
Hot Water Treatment Eliminates Rhizoctonia from Azalea Cuttings
(PhysOrg.com) -- Rhizoctonia, a fungal disease that can be found in many ornamental plants, can be eliminated in azalea by placing plant cuttings in a hot water treatment, an Agricultural...
Cavity Causer Goes Under the Microscope
Sequence of bacterium's genome reveals why it is such a pain in the tooth [Read more]
Slideshow: Deep-sea Spiders Have a Snack
Robot submersible captures rare creatures in the act of devouring sea anemones [Read more]
Vitamin C Boosts the Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells
Soon after the exciting discovery of a method to transform human skin cells into stem cells in 2006 came the frustration of actually trying to make a sufficient amount of...
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...
Broken genomes behind breast cancers
The first detailed search of breast cancer genomes to uncover genomic rearrangements is published today. The team characterised the ways in which the human genome is broken and put back...
Research yields new agent for some drug-resistant non-small cell lung cancers
The ability to make, test, and map the atomic structure of new anti-cancer agents has enabled a team of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists to discover a compound capable of halting...
Columbia scientists discover 2 genes that drive aggressive brain cancers
A team of Columbia scientists have discovered two genes that, when simultaneously activated, are responsible for the most aggressive forms of human brain cancer...
Fight infection by disturbing how bacteria communicate
Researchers have clarified the structure of an enzyme that disturbs the communication processes between bacteria. By doing so they have laid the foundations for a new method of tackling bacterial...
Cora Pizza closed after dead rats spotted
Cora Pizza, a popular eatery near the University of Toronto, has been shut down after several dead rats and fresh rat droppings were found on the premises.
Encyclopedia of microbe genomes underway
Genome scientists from the US and Germany have assembled the first pages of a comprehensive encyclopedia of genomes of all the microbes on Earth. There are estimated to be a...
Genomic differences identified in common skin diseases
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you have dry skin, wet it, if wet skin, dry it. This has been a general rule of dermatology for centuries, but scientists are working to develop...
Scientists visualize how a vital hepatitis C virus protein moves along its nucleic acid substrate
In a series of three snapshots that recapitulate the coordinated actions, scientists reveal how a protein essential for the replication of the hepatitis C virus moves along its nucleic acid...
Titia de Lange awarded $400,000 grant from American Cancer Society
The head of Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics has received a $400,000 grant from the American Cancer Society and has been named an American Cancer Society Research...
Copenhagen Call For Action
Climate Change: Negotiators sweat the details as clock ticks down.
Fish tanks 'threaten Sunshine State sea creatures'
Florida invertebrate fishery could be heading for collapse, scientists warn.
Discovery's Edge Winter Issue
Here are highlights from the winter issue of Discovery's Edge, Mayo Clinic's research magazine. 1) Deep Brain Stimulation -- It Boggles the Mind; 2) Osteoporosis in Men; 3) Combat Injuries...
Synergistic interaction enhances pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease
Scientists have identified a synergistic interaction that disrupts normal intracellular transport mechanisms and leads to the accumulation of neuron-damaging clumps of protein associated with...
Birds Play an Important Role in the Spread of Lyme Disease
(PhysOrg.com) -- The range of Lyme disease is spreading in North America and it appears that birds play a significant role by transporting the Lyme disease bacterium over long distances,...