Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Stopping MRSA before it becomes dangerous is possible
Most scientists believe that staph infections are caused by many bacterial cells that signal each other to emit toxins. The signaling process is called quorum sensing because many bacteria must...
Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans
Biodiversity loss can increase infectious diseases in humans, scientists show in a first-of-its-kind global study.
Bird feeding, migration could be splitting a species
German birds that spend cold months at U.K. birdfeeders now look slightly different from neighbors that migrate to Spain
Marine life collected to inventory DNA sequence of all Pacific island's living species
Researchers are collecting marine invertebrates on the French Polynesian island of Moorea as part of a massive effort to inventory the DNA sequence of every living species there.
A little magic provides an atomic-level look at bone
A new study using solid-state NMR spectroscopy to analyze intact bone paves the way for atomic-level explorations of how disease and aging affect bone.
Gladstone scientists identify strategies to protect new brain cells against Alzheimer's disease
Stimulating the growth of new neurones to replace those lost in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an intriguing therapeutic possibility. But will the factors that cause AD allow the new neurones...
Grooving down the helix
A team of scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, Harvard University, and the Indian Institute of Science has made a major step in understanding how...
2 heads better than 1 in new antibiotic method
An antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way could be the inspiration for designing new, more potent antibacterial drugs...
By feeding the birds, you could change their evolutionary fate
Feeding birds in winter is a most innocent human activity, but it can nonetheless have profound effects on the evolutionary future of a species, and those changes can be seen...
Common weed killer gives male frogs a sex change
A popular weed killer sprayed on cornfields across North America turns male frogs into females even at low levels, Ottawa biologists have found.
Genes allow humans longer life than apes
DAVIS, Calif., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. gerontologist says genetic advantages allow us to outlive our ape ancestors, although we are more susceptible to diseases of aging.
Lifelong memories linked to stable nerve connections
Our ability to learn new information and adapt to changes in our daily environment, as well as to retain lifelong memories, appears to lie in the minute junctions where nerve...
Green tea chemical combined with another may hold promise for treatment of brain disorders
Scientists at Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) and the University of Pennsylvania have found that combining two chemicals, one of which is the green tea component EGCG, can prevent...
Researchers Build Artificial Immune System to Solve Computational Problems
(PhysOrg.com) -- By mimicking the way that a living body acquires immunity to disease through vaccination, researchers have designed an artificial immune system to solve optimization problems more effectively than...
Researchers find long awaited key to creating drought resistant crops
Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) researchers have determined precisely how the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) works at the molecular level to help plants respond to environmental stresses such as...
Scientist: Blue whale voices getting lower
LA JOLLA, Calif., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Researchers in California say the voices of male blue whales have gotten lower by 31 percent since the 1960s, although the reasons...
Prairie-chicken wiped out in Canada
The Greater Prairie-Chicken, a bird that once numbered in the millions on the grasslands, is now considered wiped out in Canada, scientists from the Committee on the Status of Endangered...
Are Large Dams Altering Extreme Weather Patterns?
Dams can radically alter irrigation patterns in the surrounding land and impact climate patterns.
Vine seeds become 'giant gliders'
Remarkable footage is captured of falling Alsomitra vine seeds, which use wings to disperse like giant gliders.
Male and female shopping strategies show evolution at work in the mall
Male and female shopping styles are in our genes - and we can look to evolution for the reason...
Newly explored bacteria reveal some huge RNA surprises
Yale University researchers have found very large RNA structures within previously unstudied bacteria that appear crucial to basic biological functions such as helping viruses infect cells or allowing genes to...
Scent signals stop incest in lemurs
Chemical identifiers secreted from the genital glands of lemurs, allow them to avoid incest and also to engage in nepotism. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology...
Alaska businesses fret beluga protections
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Leaders of the business community in Alaska say they have concerns about a proposed protected habitat for beluga whales in Cook Inlet.
Top Ten Discoveries of 2009: Nat Geo News's Most Viewed
National Geographic News's most popular coverage of 2009 scientific finds is swarming with megamouth sharks, giant snakes, a transparent-headed fish, and rare species rescued from obscurity—then eaten.
Amino acid recipe could be right for long life
In fruit flies, a low-calorie diet with extra amounts of methionine extends lifespan without harming fertility
Abstaining Boobies Get "Sexier"
Male blue-footed boobies that take a yearlong sex sabbatical get a brighter shade of blue in their feet the following year, which makes them more attractive to females, a new...
First Taxpayer-Funded Stem Cell Study OK'd
NIH Says 13 Batches of Master Cells are Available Now and Another 96 are Undergoing Review
Scent test reveals books’ condition by their odor
A new testing method can rapidly determine the condition of old books and documents by analyzing the bouquet of volatile organic compounds released by paper off-gassing. ...