Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists to track leopard's prey
Australian scientists will soon be tracking the endangered snow leopards main prey in the hopes of improving its survival odds.
DNA molecules in moss open door to new biotechnology
Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have now demonstrated that plasmid-based...
US and European experts applaud new transatlantic task force on antibiotic resistance threat
Thursday, Nov.
Australian agency denies gagging researchers
Furore over decision to pull scientist's carbon trading critique from journal.
We spend more on products with detailed nutritional information
People would be willing to pay more for products that carry detailed nutritional information than for the so-called light items.
Bacteria flourish in favorite ecosystems on the human body
Study offers most comprehensive inventory yet of the human microbiome and a basis for understanding how those microbes affect health
Chemistry Behind The Wall
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, chemists who lived in former East Germany reflect on science then and now.
Following the Adventurous Ant Trail
Biologist John Longino and his group study ant biodiversity in Central America
Scientists Reproduce a Building Block of Life in Laboratory
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, a key component of our hereditary material, in the laboratory.
Nanoparticles for gene therapy improve
(PhysOrg.com) -- About five years ago, Professor Janet Sawicki at the Lankenau Institute in Pennsylvania read an article about nanoparticles developed by MIT's Robert Langer for gene therapy, the insertion...
Horse genome sequence and analysis published in Science
An international team of researchers has decoded the genome of the domestic horse Equus caballus, revealing a genome structure with remarkable similarities to humans and more than one million genetic...
Genomes of biofuel yeasts reveal clues that could boost fuel ethanol production worldwide
As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two...
Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat
Whether it's magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) giving an army of 'therapeutically armed' white blood cells direction to invade a deadly tumour's territory, or the use of mNPs to target specific nerve...
Chocolate rich in flavanols may protect the skin from UV
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has discovered for the first time that dark chocolate rich in flavanols may provide significant protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
Spirit bears become 'invisible'
Being invisible to fish is what helps a rare white morph of black bear, known as a spirit bear, survive, scientists discover.
The quest to save world's rarest duck - the Madagascar pochard
Conservationists have taken the first step in their mission to save the critically endangered Madagascar pochard.
Florida grapples slippery giant snake invasion
Florida homes and swamps more used to dealing with dangerous critters like alligators now face a more foreign invader -- giant pet snakes escaped into the wild whose numbers are...
Heavy Metals Accumulate More In Some Mushrooms Than In Others
Researchers in Spain have analyzed the presence of heavy metals in 12 species of mushroom collected from non-contaminated natural areas, and has found that the levels vary depending on the...
New Technique For Specifying Location Of Sugars On Proteins Paves Way For Medical Discoveries
Researchers have previously been able to analyse which sugar structures are to be found on certain proteins, but not exactly where on the protein they are positioned.
Top 10 Smartest Mammals*
Elephants have much heavier brains than we humans, but when it comes to a neuron count, we tie with the pachyderms.
Calculating Animal Intelligence.
In a column posted a few days ago (November 1) I mentioned that my friend John Evans, a Cambridge (England) mathematician, has developed a general formula for estimating biocomplexity. It...
Horse genome added to growing list of barnyard genetics projects
Shedding new light on chromosome structures, equines join pigs and cucumbers on roster of organisms to have DNA code spelled out letter by letter
Polycystins : proteins that regulate the cellular barometer
What is the role of proteins called polycystins in patients with polycystic kidney disease? A team of researchers from CNRS and INSERM, led by Eric Honoré from the Institut de...
Humans, Other Mammals Similarly Voice Frustrations
Pet owners and scientists who spend a lot of time in the wild say that they can tell when an animal is upset by the sound of its voice. Now...
Jamaica to tackle species threatening biodiversity
Jamaica and four other Caribbean countries have been granted US$1.7 million to reduce the biodiversity threat of invasive alien species.
For Gene Therapy, Seeing Signs of a Resurgence
Three recent successes, though small, are prompting hopes among scientists that a still-experimental idea of correcting genetic disorders may be back.
Before Flowers, Odd Bugs Pollinated Plants
Animal pollinators were flitting about long before flowering plants evolved.
Frigid Antarctica Loaded with Viruses
A lake in Antarctica is home to a surprising number of viruses, a new study says.