Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Herbicides, fibrates block human receptor
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered common herbicides and some lipid-lowering drugs known as fibrates block a nutrient-sensing receptor found in humans.
Tiny motes sniff out chemical, biological threats
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research to develop a new method to detect biological and chemical threats may also lead to new approaches for removing pollutants from the environment.
Mechanism That Helps Bacteria Avoid Destruction In Cells Identified
Infectious diseases currently cause about one-third of all human deaths worldwide, more than all forms of cancer combined. Advances in cell biology and microbial genetics have greatly enhanced understanding of...
Parasite turns cells cancerous
Scientists have revealed that a human parasite contributes to the development of liver cancer by secreting a cell growth hormone.
No place like home: Africa's big cats show postcode preference
The secret lives of some of Africa's iconic carnivores, including big cats, are revealed in a new study in Animal Conservation, today...
Gene Data Tool Advances Prospects For Personalized Medicine
A sophisticated computational algorithm, applied to a large set of gene markers, has achieved greater accuracy than conventional methods in assessing individual risk for type 1 diabetes. The researchers suggest...
3-D Structure Of Human Genome: Fractal Globule Architecture Packs Two Meters Of DNA Into Each Cell
Scientists have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of the human genome, paving the way for new insights into genomic function and expanding our understanding of how cellular DNA folds at scales...
Enhanced Stem Cells Promote Tissue Regeneration
Engineers have boosted stem cells' ability to regenerate vascular tissue (such as blood vessels) by equipping them with genes that produce extra growth factors (naturally occurring compounds that stimulate tissue...
On The Belly: Evolution’s Hot Button
I need most of my body parts. I figure I have my various meaty chunks for good evolutionary reasons, and far be it from me to sell any, no matter...
Killer whales leave porpoises for dead
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Wildlife experts say they're trying to determine why fish-eating killer whales roughed up harbor porpoises and left them for dead off British...
Bug splatter on your car's windshield is a treasure trove of genomic biodiversity
If you have ever taken a long road trip, the windshield of your car will inevitably be splattered with bugs by the time you arrive at your destination. Could the...
New Tumor Suppressor Destroys Key Link In Cancer Chain
A tumor-suppressing protein snatches up an important cancer-promoting enzyme and tags it with molecules that condemn it to destruction, a research team reports.
When Being a Cuckold Makes Evolutionary Sense
(PhysOrg.com) -- Evolutionary biology theory predicts that males usually won't invest a lot of time raising offspring when there is a good chance they are not the fathers. Yale University...
How 'superswarms' of krill gather
Scientists have found out how trillions of individual krill gather together into gigantic 'superswarms' in the Southern Ocean.
How RNA polymerase II gets the go-ahead for gene transcription
All cells perform certain basic functions. Each must selectively transcribe parts of the DNA that makes up its genome into RNAs that specify the structure of proteins. The set of...
U-M discovery about biological clocks overturns long-held theory
University of Michigan mathematicians and their British colleagues say they have identified the signal that the brain sends to the rest of the body to control biological rhythms, a finding...
Proposed mouse habitat is controversial
ROCKY FLATS, Colo., Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Conservationists are cheering a proposal to expand a threatened mouse's protected habitat in Colorado, but developers say they'll challenge the plan in...
What Do Ardi, Raptorex, And Komodo Dragons Have In Common?
Paleontology doesn't always get the respect it deserves (or desires), in the molecular, genomic, evolutionary, quantitative genetic circles we run in around here. Blame the DNA. Sequence comparisons have proven...
How We Lost Our Diversity
Human ancestors survived two genetic bottlenecks as they spread out of Africa [Read more]
Trimming the Tree of Life
(PhysOrg.com) -- In a sense, Antonis Rokas is an arborist: He is a member of a small cadre to scientists who are applying the growing power of genomics to untangle...
Termites travel with fungi as take-away food
Fungi travelled to Madagascar in the intestines of termites. Fungus serves as a source of food and helps in cellulose conversion.
Eating fish has no effect on health of large intestine
It appears that eating more fish has no effect on the health of the large intestine. Neither was there any difference between eating salmon and cod. In other words, there...
How the Body Packs Two Meters of DNA Into a Six-Micron Cell Nucleus
I can't seem to manage to keep my iPod in my bag for a day without creating an awful tangle of headphones, but my body's cells can work with two meters of...
Study pinpoints key mechanism in brain development, raising question about use of antiseizure drug
STANFORD, Calif. -- Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a key molecular player in guiding the formation of synapses -- the all-important...
Circadian clockwork takes unexpected turns
One group of neurons follow a different pattern than others that guide the brain’s master clock
Royal blood disorder identified
DNA analysis reveals the identity of the "cursed blood" disorder that afflicted the British Royal Family.
Study: Monkey moms act like human ones
Rhesus macaques and their offspring interact in the first month of life in ways much like what humans often do, scientists now suggest.
Science wins fight over evolution in schools, says Case Western Reserve University author
If you want to understand how evolution has challenged the constitutionality of the separation of church and state, Mano Singham from Case Western Reserve University provides a concise and chronological...