Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Carbon nanoparticles not necessarily toxic
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. biologists say they've found certain types of carbon nanoparticles are environmentally toxic to adult fruit flies, but benign when added to larvae...
Researchers Fully Decode HIV Genome For the First Time
Using special techniques developed to sequence RNA, researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, have published the first complete genome of HIV. Laying bare the complete genetic make up of...
Orangutans use tools to fool predators with kiss squeaks
Clever orangutans are using tools to change the sound of their kiss squeaks' a call made in response to predators. Scientists reporting in Proceedings B of the Royal Society explain...
Scientists isolate protein that may be 'boon' to medicine
Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have isolated a unique protein that appears to have a dual function and could lead to a 'boon in medicine.' The findings are published in...
Joint research into an enzyme that causes genetic diseases
Researchers from CIC bioGUNE's Structural Biology Unit and Columbia University (New York) have conducted a joint research project, published in the prestigious scientific journal Structure, to gain in-depth knowledge of...
On the move
Rather than sticking to a single DNA script, human brain cells harbour astonishing genomic variability, according to scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The findings, published in the...
Understanding how weeds are resistant to herbicides
In a little over seven hours, University of Illinois weed scientist Patrick Tranel got more genetic information about waterhemp than in two years time in a lab. The genetic information...
Protein Complex Key In Avoiding DNA Repair Mistakes, Cancer
Lymphoma and other cancers may occur when a delicate gene recombination process in antibody-making cells goes awry, according to preliminary studies in mice at the University of Michigan.
Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic
The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or...
New DNA and RNA aptamers offer unique therapeutic advantages
New Rochelle, NY, August 5, 2009—A novel class of drugs composed of single strands of DNA or RNA, called aptamers, can bind protein targets with a high strength and specificity...
Beautiful plumage: Feather color and sex start the species revolution
Faculty of 1000, the leading scientific evaluation service, has highlighted research providing evidence for the evolution of a new species.
Pinhead-size worms + robot = new antibiotics
In an advance that could help ease the antibiotic drought, scientists in Massachusetts are describing successful use of a test that enlists pinhead-sized worms in efforts to discover badly needed...
Methods for gene transfer in stem cells featured in Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Wed., Aug. 5, 2009) -- Vectors derived from retroviruses are useful tools for long-term gene transfer because they allow stable integration of transgenes and propagation...
Pterosaur features defy comparison
A well-preserved pterosaur with soft tissues reveals this dinosaur-age flying reptile had hair, claws and wings that were unlike anything seen on today's living animals, suggests a new paper.
Smuggling wildlife: From eggs in a bra to geckos in underwear
John Sellar is no comic book super hero, but judging by the criminals he deals with as the only policeman at the UN agency against illegal wildlife trade, he could...
Bug Plays Dead, Sacrifices Neighbor
Some beetles play possum, and for the same reason that possums do: to avoid attention from predators.
It's Not Easy Being Gene Suppressed
Frogs around the world are dying from a fungal pathogen perhaps because they don't realize they are sick. In a study conducted at the University of Idaho, scientists found that...
Protein 'Tweek' Rare But Critical In Synaptic Process
Recycling is a critical component in the process of transmitting information from one neuron to the next, and a large protein called Tweek plays a critical role, according to new...
WHO launches scheme to improve African diagnostic labs
The WHO has begun an accreditation scheme for laboratories to ensure that diagnosis on the continent improves.
NEW FROG PICTURE: Species Changes Color With Age, Sex
A new dink frog discovered in southern Costa Rica sports different colors depending on its age and sex—a rare trait among frogs, a new study says.
New plastic beehives to boost UK population
A new plastic beehive was launched in Britain on Wednesday to encourage people to keep bees in their gardens or on rooftoops to help boost declining honeybee populations.
New Mexico library has Billy the Kid letters
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) -- The handwritten letter to the governor is polite, articulate and to the point....
Exxon ignores calls from 50 000 people to stop threatening rare whales
'The Western Grey Whale population is at great risk of extinction. It is imperative that all oil companies operating in its feeding area acknowledge the effects of their operations on...
Cell-sized vesicle assembly line
Scientists have created a production line that pumps out microspheres that are all the same size and surrounded by a single lipid bilayer
Bcl6 Gene Sculpts Helper T Cell To Boost Antibody Production
Expression of a single gene programs an immune system helper T cell that fuels rapid growth and diversification of antibodies in a cellular structure implicated in autoimmune diseases and development...
Understanding Biology Of Guam's Native Fadang Tree
Self-sustaining organisms like plants possess the ability to synthesize their own food using inorganic materials. Plants use water and carbon dioxide to begin this process in their green tissues. The...
Keep bees, conservation body urges England's city dwellers
People in English towns areas are being encouraged to keep bees to help declining populations.
Zoo pelican swallows cell phone
A pelican at the Tautphaus Park Zoo took something other than food in his bill when a cell phone that had been dropped in a pool at the exhibit made...