Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Where Did All the Flowers Come From?
A few genes seem to have guided the great evolutionary burst of flowering plants.
Chimpanzees develop specialized tool kits to catch army ants
Chimpanzees in the Congo have developed specialized "tool kits" to forage for army ants, reveals new research published Sept. 3 in the American Journal of Primatology. This not only provides...
Species Diversity Helps Researchers Refine Analyses Of Human Gene Mutations
Researchers examining DNA mutations from both healthy and diseased patients are evaluating the reliability of computer models aimed at predicting the eventual effect of such mutations.
Newly found mosquito may carry malaria
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- A species of mosquito in South Africa new to researchers may carry the ability to transmit malaria, researchers in Johannesburg said.
Would Pain-Free Animals Make a More Humane Hamburger?
(PhysOrg.com) -- With advancements in genetic engineering, researchers say that it may soon be possible to breed farm animals that don't feel pain. The suggestion has sparked controversy on whether...
Last chance to save the saola from extinction?
Conservation biologists based in four countries gathered for an emergency meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR, August 19
Secrets of the four chambers revealed by reptile hearts
The first genetic link in the evolution of the heart from three-chambered to four-chambered has been found, illuminating part of the puzzle of how birds and mammals became warm-blooded...
Walkman outsells iPod in Japan: survey
The Walkman outsold the iPod in Japan last week for the first time in four years, handing Japanese electronics giant Sony a rare victory over arch-rival Apple, a survey showed.
Plants choose ammunition carefully
Plants are anything but as defenceless as they might seem. Various plant hormones work together to specifically fend off attacks. Dutch researcher Antonio Leon-Reyes has now shown how these hormones...
NOAA scientists map fish habitat and movements at Gray's Reef Marine Sanctuary
Two related research expeditions by NOAA scientists to track the habitat preferences and movements of fish at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary may help managers protect overfished species such as...
Boron-based compounds trick a biomedical protein
Chemists and biologists have successfully demonstrated that specially synthesised boron compounds are readily accepted in biologically active enzymes, a move that, they say, is a proof of concept that could...
Elusive UK dolphin re-emerges
An elusive Risso's Dolphin has been seen again off the British coast three years after being sighted in different waters much further north.
400 of Britain's rarest lizard released across UK sites
The endangered lizard has almost disappeared from Britain due to loss of its heath and sandy habitats from agriculture, forest and building developments
Report: Loggerhead turtles at risk of extinction
(AP) -- It's a scene that scientists say is all too common: A commercial fishing boat pulls in a net full of shrimp or tuna and finds a loggerhead...
Scientists to study plant 'switchboards'
A new four-year, $3.72 million grant to North Carolina State University will allow researchers to shed light on an important mystery - how genes impact the type and amount of...
Free radicals
Free radicals are the molecules that outside the human body cause rust in metals or cause browning in sliced apples. Free radical damage in the body is known as oxidative...
Conservatives See Need for Serious Health Debate
Many conservative experts said the dynamic of the debate was making it nearly impossible for them to inject their studied, free-market solutions into the discussions.
Fungal Map Of Mutations Key To Increasing Enzyme Production For Bioenergy Use
New research provides the first genome-wide look at the mutations in strains of the fungus Trichoderma reesei in order to understand just how the production of enzymes that break down...
The plant cell's corset
We still have a lot to discover about the mechanism in plants that ensures cell growth in a specific direction. However it is clear that a structure of parallel protein...
Feature: The human being and the environment
As a species, our reliance on unsustainable food is leading us towards extinction. Ray M. Golding looks to our past to find out how we ended up here.
Scientists begin census of microbes: the trillions that live in or on us
Scientists are beginning a large-scale effort to identify and analyze the vast majority of cells in or on your body that aren't of human origin.
What Wall Street and nature have in common
When a big change is coming — be it in ocean circulation patterns, wildlife populations, or even the global economy — it is often heralded by telltale signs, scientists have...
Blinkx at work on search engine for online video
If you're like me, when looking for a video online, you reflexively go to YouTube or maybe to Hulu.
Researchers uncover genetic origins of rice fragrance
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new Cornell study reports that the gene that gives rice its highly valued fragrance stems from an ancestor of basmati rice and dispels other long-held assumptions about...
Experimental Drug Shows Promise for Several Cancers
Compound shrinks tumors by targeting critical genetic pathway
Studying the Sex Secrets of a Snail Parasite
Evolutionary biologist studies snails to investigate sexual reproduction in parasites.
Invasive Green Mussel May Inspire New Forms Of Wet Adhesion
The green mussel is known for being a notoriously invasive fouling species, but scientists have just discovered that it also has a very powerful form of adhesion in its foot....
AMPA receptors on cell membrane make us smarter
AMPA receptors are an important regulating factor in the connection between our nerve cells. However, Dutch researcher Helmut Kessels has demonstrated that it is not the amount of AMPA receptors...