Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Disease-resistant plants are study's focus
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., April 6 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say their identification of a compound that primes a plant's immune system moves science closer to developing disease-resistant plants.
First Robot Scientist Makes Gene Discovery
ADAM is the first—but maybe not the last—robot to make a new scientific discovery, according to researchers who recently built themselves a mechanical colleague.
Inbreeding taking toll on Michigan wolves
The two dozen or so gray wolves that wander an island chain in northwestern Lake Superior are suffering from backbone malformations caused by genetic inbreeding, posing yet another challenge to...
Bird Can 'Read' Human Gaze
We all know that people sometimes change their behavior when someone is looking their way. Now, a new study in Current Biology shows that jackdaws -- birds related to crows...
Heart cells renew themselves throughout life: study
Humans regenerate heart cells throughout their lifespan, say scientists who found the rate of renewal slows into adulthood.
Study: Heart cells develop into adulthood
LIVERMORE, Calif., April 2 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists say they've determined cells in the human heart continue to develop into adulthood, but then decrease rapidly.
Zebra fish used to study blindness
WEST LAYFAYETTE, Ind., April 3 (UPI) -- Experiments with zebra fish are helping identify genes linked to retinal diseases that cause blindness, a Purdue University scientist said.
Hobbit brain small, but organized for complex intelligence
Evolution may have endowed a controversial species with small but humanlike brains equipped to support advanced thinking
'Fuzzy logic' reveals cells' inner workings
(PhysOrg.com) -- Living cells are bombarded with messages from the outside world -- hormones and other chemicals tell them to grow, migrate, die or do nothing. Inside the cell, complex...
Fluorescent probes take screening to next level
New screening technique uses fluorescence to shed light on the activities on little-understood proteins
Mexico City vows to protect historic maize varieties
Mexico City says it will protect local maize varieties; meanwhile the country has lifted its ban on GM crop trials in the north of the country.
Ohio zoo's baby elephant ready for the spotlight
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is ready to show off its latest addition, a baby Asian elephant born last week.
Fish Can Count, Study Finds
Fish have joined the growing ranks of animals that can count, according to a new study that showed mosquitofish could add up geometric shapes.
Orangutan Females Steal Food to Test Potential Mates
Female orangutans judge potential partners' aggression levels by snatching food from them and watching their response.
PHOTOS: Rainbow Hues of Amphibian "Worms" Demystified
Most animals that live in darkness are pale and colorless. Yet caecilians, wormlike amphibians that spend most of their lives underground, are surprisingly vibrant--a trait that might be due to...
Undersea Mating Habits of the Stars
Isabella Rossellini returns this month to the Sundance Channel with a new set of episodes of her Green Porno series, which focuses on the mating habits of the animal kingdom....
Improved Replicating Synthetic Membranes
Scientists have devised vesicles with multilayer lipid membranes that grow and divide--an improved model for creating artificial cells
Invasive Species: Will Europe At Last Unite To Combat Thousands Of Alien Invaders?
Europe's borders have been breached by thousands of plants and animal species from other parts of the world: from the American mink to the New Zealand flatworm. The invaders feed...
Orientation of antenna protein in photosynthetic bacteria described
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have figured out the orientation of a protein in the antenna complex to its neighbouring membrane in a photosynthetic bacterium, a key find...
Protective Role For Kallikrein Proteins In Kidney Disease
A team of researchers has shed new light on several forms of the kidney disease known as nephritis.
Brain study could yield clues to schizophrenia
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have revealed the role of one type of brain cell in the development of a process crucial for memory and learning.
Recipes for Health: Bruschetta With Mushroom Topping
This savory mushroom stew can be made with a combination of mushrooms, including wild ones.
Visual Science: A New Look at Race and Natural Selection
A team of geneticists has identified many fingerprints of natural selection in the human genome.
Nuclear hormone receptors, microRNAs form developmental switch
A particular nuclear hormone receptor called DAF-12 and molecules called microRNAs in the let-7 family form a molecular switch that encourages cells in the larvae of a model worm to...
Sleep: Spring cleaning for the brain?
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you know the feeling that your brain is full of wool.
Sleep may clear the decks for next day’s learning
Fruit fly studies find that snoozing prunes connections between brain cells
Protein protects neurons in brain from damage due to inflammation
A research team from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla has identified a protein in the brain...
Scientist to study plant stress
A Dundee scientist is given £1m to study plant stress and how they can survive things like climate change.