Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Team Approach Appears To Work Best For Insect Colonies
Ants and bees have long been recognized as tireless workers, but now new research suggests they behave like model citizens, too. Unlike herds of bison or shoals of fish --...
Scientists find really old frogs
Researchers have found that wild populations of New Zealand's frogs are able to live much longer than expected.
Study Assesses Impact Of Fish Stocking On Aquatic Insects
The impact fish stocking has on aquatic insects in mountain lakes can be rapidly reversed by removing non-native trout, according to a new study.
Need Wild Bees? Plastic Totes Make A Superb Bee 'Nursery'
Corrugated plastic bins like the kind sold for handling mail and packages can be quickly and easily converted into a durable "nursery" for wild bees, according to a research entomologist.
New Device Helps Control Disease-causing Ticks
Spring is finally here, and with it comes tick season. Scientists are reporting the latest in a series of related studies on the effectiveness of a new technology that reduces...
Rust Resistance Genes In Soybeans Identified
Using state-of-the-art genomics techniques, scientists have identified a cluster of soybean genes that provide resistance to the fungus which causes Asian soybean rust. The discovery will help defend the $27...
New Gene Linked To Low Levels Of Magnesium
A small number of individuals have genetic mutations that cause them to have very low levels of magnesium, which can cause altered heart beats, seizures, and involuntary muscle contraction.
Crabs feel pain and remember it
BELFAST, Northern Ireland, March 27 (UPI) -- A researcher at Queen's University Belfast says crabs and other crustaceans are capable of feeling pain.
Experimental Ebola Vaccine Used On Human
An experimental vaccine - never before tried on humans - was given to a scientist who accidentally pricked her finger with a needle used to inject the deadly Ebola virus...
New Protein Important In Breast Cancer Gene's Role In DNA Repair Identified
A new study has identified genes associated with the BRCA1 protein and their involvement in the DNA repair pathway, helping to clear the way for researchers to better understand what...
Bush bioethics advisors take potshot at Obama stem cell platform
You might have thought that President Obama's recent order earlier this month, lifting restrictions on federally funded stem cell research, would render obsolete the opinions of a Bush-appointed council tasked...
Zoo reports rare captive birth of Asian bird
Discovery of tuberculosis bacterium enzyme paves way for new TB drugs
A team of University of Maryland scientists has paved the way for the development of new drug therapies to combat active and asymptomatic (latent) tuberculosis infections by characterizing the unique...
A splice of life
Waltham, MA--In a new study this week in Nature, researchers at Brandeis University and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Cambridge, U.K.) for the first time shed light on a...
Team approach appears to work best for insect colonies
The study's findings appear to echo the insect worlds portrayed in the animated films Antz and Bee Movie, in which the characters live in rigidly conformist societies.
Nanopore Sequencing Could Slash DNA Analysis Costs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Over the past 5 years, researchers have been exploring the use of nanoscale pores as nucleic acid sequencing tools. In theory, such pores should generate a unique response...
Spotting the animal bugs that could shift to humans
Scientists are monitoring people at risk of catching diseases from animals in the hope of preventing a pandemic
Gorging on omega-3 fats lets birds get fit without exercise: study
It's a pity you're not a quail. Ottawa researchers have found that quails can boost their aerobic fitness just by sitting around and eating fats, provided they're the right kind.
Making fish fluoresce for mercury detection
Probe highlights inorganic and organic mercury forms in organs of living organisms
Robot Madness: Will Cyborgs Compromise Privacy?
"Smart" systems embedded with human bodies may threaten privacy.
Pole-Dancing Robots
Snakes can slither through tight spaces, swim across lakes, scale trees, and even glide through the air. Their mechanical doubles won’t be flying anytime soon, but thanks to technological leaps...
Implanted. Enhanced. Invaded?: Human-Robot Mergers
The coming convergence of human and machine comes up from the bottom (with micro-bots and nano-cytes) and down from the top (with "mecha").
Evolutionary origin of bacterial chromosomes revealed
Researchers have unveiled the evolutionary origin of the different chromosomal architectures found in three species of Agrobacterium. A comprehensive comparison of the Agrobacterium sequence information with the genome sequences of...
Face recognition: the eyes have it
Our brain extracts important information for face recognition principally from the eyes, and secondly from the mouth and nose, according to a new study from a researcher at the University...
New Technique Used To Profile Anthrax Genome
Scientists have used a new approach, known as RNA-Seq, to profile the gene expression of the bacterium that causes anthrax. Their study marks the first time any bacterial transcriptome has...
UV-C wand touted as super-weapon against germs
Device's claims raise questions among some scientists. ...
5 Things You Must Never Forget
Whether it is a name, date or directions, there always seems to be something new to remember.