Latest science news in Biology & Nature
First reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM Institute (France), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009....
Explanation for rapid maturation of neurons at birth
So a baby can detect outside signals, the brain cells use a a "pump" that drains chloride out of newborn neurons, making these highly chaotic, developing cells quiet down. Researchers...
Solving the 50-year-old puzzle of thalidomide
Resurgence of thalidomide use in Africa and South America raises the urgent need to isolate the negative side effects by identifying the drug's "common mechanism."
On your last nerve: Researchers advance understanding of stem cells
Researchers have identified a gene that tells embryonic stem cells in the brain when to stop producing nerve cells called neurons. The research is a significant advance in understanding the...
Studies suggest males have more personality
Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species -- from humans to house sparrows -- according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression and...
Cosmic Log: Big pictures of tiny wonders
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Who would have thought that water fleas, diseased neurons and poisoned algae could look so beautiful? It's just a matter of perspective. ...
Is 80-year-old mistake leading to first species to be fished to extinction?
A species of common skate is to become the first marine fish species to be driven to extinction by commercial fishing, due to an error of species classification 80 years...
Oscar Pistorius' artificial limbs give him clear, major advantage for sprint running, new study suggests
The artificial lower limbs of double-amputee Olympic hopeful Oscar Pistorius give him a clear and major advantage over his competition, taking 10 seconds or more off what his 400-meter race...
Rare crocs found hiding in plain sight
Conservationists searching for one of the world's most endangered crocodile species say they have found dozens of the reptiles lounging in plain sight — at a wildlife rescue center in...
Ladybugs taken hostage by wasps
Are ladybugs being overtaken by wasps? A Universite de Montreal entomologist is investigating a type of wasp (Dinocampus coccinellae) present in Quebec that forces ladybugs (Coccinella maculata) to carry their...
Cross-country runabouts - immune cells on the move
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, have now deciphered the mechanism that illustrates how these mobile cells move on diverse surfaces. 'Similar...
Biomed Analysis: To control or eradicate malaria?
Some scientists worry that renewed enthusiasm for malaria eradication could distract from vital control efforts, says Priya Shetty.
Common Names For Uncommon Octopods
Some discussion over the identity of Nemo's little octopus friend Pearl has led me into a deep investigation of Grimpoteuthis (dumbo octopuses) and Opisthoteuthis (flapjack octopuses). Both are shortened on...
Night beat, overtime and a disrupted sleep pattern can harm officers' health
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good...
Pushing the brain to find new pathways
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Until recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to...
Orphan Army Ants Join Nearby Colonies
Colonies of army ants, whose long columns and marauding habits are the stuff of natural-history legend, are usually antagonistic to each other, attacking soldiers from rival colonies in border disputes...
When Glass Develops Into A Shell: New Findings In Diatoms
Diatoms are microalgae that are responsible for nearly a quarter of the oxygen we breathe, but how does their glass-like skeleton develop? Researchers have solved part of the mystery concerning...
Decline In Russian Tigers Renews Calls To End All Trade In Tiger Parts
A shocking decline in the Russian Federation's wild tiger population highlights the importance of eliminating trade in and demand for tiger parts, the International Tiger Coalition has said. Research shows...
Notes and queries: the origins of the bonfire; is the human body an efficient machine?
Origins of the bonfire; beware the garden rabbit menace; is the human body an efficient machine?Why is it a "bonfire" rather than "fire"?Just as some religious festivals were grafted on to existing calendar...
Magnetic Nanotags Spot Cancer in Mice Earlier Than Current Methods
(PhysOrg.com) -- Searching for biomarkers that can warn of diseases such as cancer while they are still in their earliest stage is likely to become far easier thanks to an...
Picture - Bacteria Talking - In Color
Bacteria are abundant in soil, water, and air as well as in the depths of the Earth's crust, organic matter, and live animals or plants. They are also abundantly social -- among themselves and with...
Penguin DNA evolving faster than thought
Comparing the DNA in modern birds to that in ancient generations shows molecular evolution can happen at varying rates
Petascale computing tools could provide deeper insight into genomic evolution
Technological advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing have opened up the possibility of determining how living things are related by analyzing the ways in which their genes have been rearranged on...
In Amazon, a frustrated search for cancer cures
SAO SEBASTIAO DE CUIEIRAS, Brazil (Reuters) - The task of harvesting the secrets of Brazil's vast Amazon rain forest that could help in the battle against cancer largely falls to...
Fish Kill: Nanosilver Mutates Fish Embryos
Smaller than a virus and used in more than 200 consumer products, silver nanoparticles can kill and mutate fish embryos, new research shows.Tiny particles of silver – potent...
Dog fleas implicated in leishmaniasis spread
Fleas may transmit leishmaniasis to dogs, maintaining a reservoir of disease that could then infect humans.
Today's Top Athletes: Human or Android?
Athletes are becoming more android-like through physical, biological and chemical enhancements.
New view of blood vessel inhibition ID'd
UPPSALA, Sweden, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A team of Swedish-led scientists says it has identified a new mechanism by which a specific protein in the body inhibits formation of...