Latest science news in Biology & Nature
UCSB, UCL scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells
An international team of scientists has rescued visual function in laboratory rats with eye disease by using cells similar to stem cells. The research shows the potential for stem cell-based...
Shark Fins Traced to Home Waters Using DNA -- A First
Many of the hammerhead sharks butchered to feed Asian demand for shark-fin soup come from endangered populations in American waters, a new forensic study shows.
African killer is a new Salmonella strain
A new strain of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella is responsible for a series of deaths in Africa, genetic sequencing shows.
Rhino poaching surges in Asia and Africa
GLAND, Switzerland, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A report by two Switzerland-headquartered conservation groups says worldwide rhinoceros poaching is increasing, especially in Asia and Africa.
Scientists reveal malaria parasites' tactics for outwitting our immune systems
Malaria parasites are able to disguise themselves to avoid the host's immune system, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust and published today in the journal Proceedings of the...
Bacterial gut symbionts are tightly linked with the evolution of herbivory in ants
Broadly speaking, ants have two different feeding strategies. A large proportion of all species are 'carnivorous,' meaning that they are generalist predators feeding on other small animals or scavenging on...
It takes two to infect
Two so-called invasion proteins are crucial for infection. Each binds a specific receptor on the surface of human cells, which stimulates the host cell to take up the pathogen. Normally,...
ERK's got rhythm: Protein that controls cell growth found to cycle in and out of cell nucleus
Time-lapsed video of individual breast tissue cells reveals a never-before-seen event in the life of a cell: a protein that cycles between two major compartments: the nucleus, where genes are...
Artificial refuges created to save the reptiles of Doñana, Spain
The Aznalcóllar mining accident more than 11 years ago, which contaminated part of the Doñana National Park, also damaged reptile habitat there. Now a team of Spanish researchers, who have...
Acidic Oceans May Be a Boon for Some Marine Dwellers
Falling ocean pH might help some marine animals build stronger skeletons and shells [Read more]
Overfishing linked to algal blooms
Depletion of large predatory fish disrupts food chain.
A modernized methodology for obtaining new varieties of potato
Research into the potato tuber at the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development and at the NEIKER-Tecnalia Technology Centre has, in recent years, focused on the development of new...
Video: Giant jellyfish invade Japanese waters
Swarms of giant jellyfish are threatening Japan's fishing industry as the huge seaborne creatures are ruining fishermen's nets and catches
Clever ravens cooperatively hunt
Brown-necked ravens team up to hunt lizards, revealing an unexpected level of intelligence, say scientists.
Getting on 'the GABA receptor shuttle' to treat anxiety disorders
There are increasingly precise molecular insights into ways that stress exposure leads to fear and through which fear extinction resolves these fear states. Extinction is generally regarded as new inhibitory...
Protein engineering advancing Alzheimer’s research
No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can...
Evolutionary arms race between bacteria and their viruses in soil
Viruses of soil bacteria (phages) evolve to improve their ability to infect the bacterial hosts that surround them. This is shown in a new study. Phages appear to be better...
Bacteria 'invest' wisely to survive uncertain times, scientists report
Like savvy Wall Street money managers, bacteria hedge their bets to increase their chances of survival in uncertain times, strategically investing their biological resources to weather unpredictable environments. In a...
Grant to help zoo visitors learn more about science with their cell phones
Zoo visitors may soon use their cell phones to "Call the Wild" as part of a project led by University of Florida researchers to help the public learn more about...
Scripps research study describes new tool in the fight against autoimmune diseases, blood cancers
Jupiter, Florida, November 30, 2009 -- A study led by a Scripps Research Institute scientist describes a new, highly pragmatic approach to the identification of molecules that prevent a...
Observatory: A Beetle, Its Eggs and the Secrets of a Glue
An insect that glues its eggs to the branches of the asparagus plant may help scientists learn to protect the plants.
Scientists gain new understanding of disease-causing bacteria
A team of scientists from The Forsyth Institute, the University of Connecticut Health Center, the CDC and the Wadsworth Center, have used state-of-the-art technology to elucidate the molecular architecture of...
Two-pronged protein attack could be source of SARS virulence
Researchers have uncovered what they believe could be the major factor contributing to the SARS virus' virulence: the pathogen's use of a single viral protein to weaken host cell defenses...
Amphibians as environmental omen disputed
Amphibians, for years considered a leading indicator of environmental degradation, are not uniquely susceptible to pollution, according to a new meta-analysis.
New mechanism of blocking HIV-1 from entering cells identified
Researchers have found a novel mechanism by which drugs block HIV-1 from entering host cells.
Protein might aid probiotics producers
NORWICH, England, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- British scientists say they've crystallized a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to the gastrointestinal tract, thereby aiding producers of probiotics.
Vultures should be allowed role as 'nature's waste managers', say Spanish researchers
Mad cow regulations deprived vultures of carcasses to feed off, reversing revival of European populations, say researchersEurope's carrion-guzzling vultures should be allowed to return to their old jobs as nature's waste managers, according...
Bacteria make light work of detecting landmines
Developing countries could eventually benefit from genetically modified bacteria that glow in the presence of landmines.