Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Small changes in protein chemistry play large role in Huntington's disease
In Huntington's disease, a mutated protein in the body becomes toxic to brain cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that a small region adjacent to the mutated segment plays a...
Wild chimps have near human understanding of fire
The use and control of fire are behavioral characteristics that distinguish humans from other animals. Now anthropologists report that savanna chimpanzees in Senegal have a near human understanding of wildfires...
Bioengineered materials promote the growth of functional vasculature
Scientists have induced significant functional vasculature growth in areas of damaged tissue through the use of synthetic polymers called hydrogels.
New warbler identified in Southeast Asia
VIENTIANE, Laos, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A tiny colorful bird with a loud and distinctive sound has been discovered living in the forests of Laos and Vietnam, scientists said.
New DNA Analysis Method Drastically Cuts Time and Cost of Genome Sequencing
DNA genome sequencing has the potential to unlock a lot of secrets of our biology, but the process of DNA amplification -- making billions of molecular copies of a DNA strand in...
Genomes of identical twins reveal epigenetic changes that may play role in lupus
Identical twins look the same and are nearly genetically identical, but environmental factors and the resulting cellular changes could cause disease in one sibling and not the other. In a...
Microcephaly genes associated with human brain size
Scientists have shown that common variations in genes associated with microcephaly -- a neuro-developmental disorder in which brain size is dramatically reduced -- may explain differences in brain size in...
Protein that represses genes may play role in cell growth
(PhysOrg.com) -- A Cornell study shows the protein not only activates some genes involved in the regulation of cell growth and signaling, but also may play a role in preventing...
Wiggling and waggling: Study sheds light on amazing bee brain
(PhysOrg.com) -- Their brains are tiny - about the size of sesame seeds - and yet the behaviour of the humble honey bee is so advanced it has scientists scratching...
'Sexy' orchids pollinate more efficiently
NAPLES, Italy, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Orchids that use sexual trickery to lure insects are more efficient in the transfer of pollen to another orchid, scientists in Italy said.
Czech Zoo Sends Four Rare White Rhinos to Kenya
Four of the world's eight remaining northern white rhinoceroses have been flown to Kenya in a last-ditch effort to save the critically endangered subspecies.
Pesticide runoff impacts salmon recovery
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Reducing pesticide runoff from farms and homes could speed the recovery of wild salmon populations in the western United States, biologists said.
Egg Processing Plant Carts Can Harbor Bacteria
(PhysOrg.com) -- Plywood-shelved carts that are used to transport eggs into processing plants can harbor Enterobacteriaceae, according to a microbial survey conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Athens,...
Making New Enzymes to Engineer Plants for Biofuel Production
(PhysOrg.com) -- Brookhaven scientists have created a new enzyme with the potential to interfere with a key cell-wall component in plants, possibly leading to plants that are easier to "digest"...
Your Christmas tree has seven times more DNA than you do!
Take a close look at your Christmas tree -- it has seven times more genetic material (DNA) than you do! Why this is so is still largely unknown, but now...
Inhibiting The Cellular Process Autophagy Makes Mice Leaner
The more brown fat cells a person has, the lower their body mass. Therefore, manipulating the development of fat cells so that they become brown fat cells rather than white...
Seamount diary: In Pictures
Unidentified deep-sea fish, octopus and squid are caught at the final stop of the 2009 Seamount expedition conducted by IUCN scientists.
MARES to provide comprehensive view of south Florida marine ecosystems
A new $1.5 million NOAA-funded project, MARES will provide a comprehensive view of south Florida marine ecosystems. This will be the first study to include human dimensions science and deliver...
Molecular freight: Synthetic nanoscale transport system modeled on nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- Just like our roads, there is a lot of traffic within the cells in our bodies, because cell components, messenger molecules, and enzymes must also be brought to...
Scientists take a step towards uncovering the histone code
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have determined the structures of two enzymes that customise histones, the spool-like proteins around which DNA coils inside the cell...
Metastasis formation revealed in detail and real time
Up to 25% of cancer patients develop metastases in the brain -- often long after successful treatment of the primary tumor. In almost all such cases, the prognosis is...
New insight into selective binding properties of infectious HIV
Free infectious HIV-1 is widely thought to be the major form of the virus in the blood of infected persons. However researchers have demonstrated that essentially all of the infectious...
The buzz on fruit flies: New role in the search for addiction treatments
Fruit flies may seem like unlikely heroes in the battle against drug abuse, but new research suggests that these insects -- already used to study dozens of human disease --...
Fewer migratory birds in Dutch woods due to climate change
All insect-eating migratory birds who winter in Africa and breed in the Dutch woods have decreased in numbers since 1984, according to new research. This decline is dramatic for certain...
Type of cell proves to be highly significant in genetic studies
Choosing the right cell type is particularly important in genetic studies. Researchers have now shown how variations in the genome can influence the activity of genes. This effect was found...
Bowing to Body Clocks, N.B.A. Teams Are Sleeping In
Several N.B.A. teams, to help their players get enough rest, have decided to do away with the early-morning shoot-around.
Postal Service lavish on some meals
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Postal Service workers dined on crab cakes and beef Wellington during a five-month period in which $792,022 was spent unnecessarily, officials said.
Does Junk DNA Protect Against Mutation?
One of the most common hypotheses that I hear with regard to possible non-coding DNA function is that it serves to protect genes against mutation. Junk DNA, according to this...