Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Gulf Oil Is in the Loop Current, Experts Say
Oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is being dragged into an eddy of the Loop Current that hugs Florida's coasts, satellite images show.
Transportation governed by simple rules: Scientists unlock the secret of how cells maintain the spatial distribution of proteins
All life on earth is threatened by chaos. In this sense, a cell is like a ship which could at any moment sink in a sea of chaos. It must...
Tags on, tags off: Scientists identify new regulatory protein complex with unexpected behaviour
The group of proteins called Polycomb complexes -- which ensure correct embryonic development and play an important role in stem cell differentiation and cancer -- has a new member, whose...
Neuron research could improve hearing loss restoration
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research into the way our brain uses neurons to enable us to perceive sound and understand speech could fundamentally improve the design of current surgical implants and...
Transgenic mice mimic Parkinson's disease
SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've created the first transgenic mouse to display early signs of Parkinson's disease using the genetic mutation's human form.
Re-using enzymes in industry
(PhysOrg.com) -- A South Dakota State University scientist is exploring ways to re-use enzymes in processes such as making cellulosic ethanol.
Ku70 shown to be critical regulator of DNA damage in Huntington's disease
Ku70, a component of the DNA repair complex, is shown to be a new critical player in the DNA damage-linked pathologies of Huntington's disease (HD), according to a study in...
The protein tPA provides protection for nerve cells
The protein tPA is best known for its role in breaking down blood clots that form in blood vessels and the heart. However, tPA is also found in nerve cells...
The bivalve effect
Explaining and understanding life cycles is on many people's minds in spring, and McGill Biologist Dr Frederic Guichard is no exception - in fact, he's made a fascinating discovery relating...
Bald eagles in Channel Islands might start eating endangered wildlife, researchers say
The warning was based on an extensive analysis of the shifting diets of the opportunistic foragers from the Pleistocene era, about 20,000 years ago, to the late 1960s, when they...
Cancer cells show rewired, fragmented microRNA networks
A new study shows that in healthy cells molecules of microRNA work together in single, well-connected networks that resemble a family tree with dozens to hundreds of members. In cancer...
Cold-blooded mothers: Magpie parents seem to induce mortality of 'unwanted' chicks
Human parents often pay more attention to a few favored children among all of their offspring. It has already been known that birds do it too, and it may result...
Genes identified in cleft lip and palate
BETHESDA, Md., May 3 (UPI) -- A U.S. consortium of scientists says it has identified two genes that, when inherited in a mutated form, may play a role in...
Growing Strawberries In Space?
Astronauts could one day tend their own crops on long space missions, and researchers from Purdue say a variety of strawberry called Seascape seems to meet the requirements for becoming...
Charles Darwin's family tree tangled with inbreeding, early death
Charles Darwin 's studies of heredity, adaptation and evolution included many experiments into the effects of crossbreeding and inbreeding in both plants and animals. Such consanguineous pairing often resulted in...
Purple is the new green
CORAL GABLES, FL (May 3, 2010) -- Purple bacteria were among the first life forms on Earth. They are single celled microscopic organisms that play a vital role in sustaining...
Recipes for Health: Substantial Smoothies
Smoothies are a wonderful way to enjoy fruits, but the addition of nuts and grains can add nutritional punch.
Warmer January Temperatures May Favor Expansion of Cryptococcus gattii in Northwest North America
Researchers in British Columbia, Canada, have used a technique known as ecological niche modeling to identify likely areas where a potentially lethal fungus could spread next. Cryptococcus gattii, which can...
Foul-smelling 'Corpse Flower' Blooms
A foul-smelling, aptly named “corpse flower” at Western Illinois University has bloomed, releasing a powerful aroma of rotting meat.
Large caps this spring's must-have for water fleas
It remains one of the unresolved mysteries of the animal world: why do females change the way they look each season while males look the same all year round? Researchers...
Danger in Gulf 'Unfathomable,' says Cornell Ornithologist
Ken Rosenberg, director of conservation science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a specialist on the conservation of birds throughout the Western Hemisphere, comments on the ecological threat posed...
Fruit waste yields nutrients
Scientists have discovered the remarkable nutritional benefits of fruit waste, which could be harnessed to fight cancer cells.
Bear shot in N.W.T. was grizzly-polar hybrid
Biologists in the Northwest Territories have confirmed that an unusual-looking bear found earlier this month near Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., was a rare hybrid grizzly-polar bear.
Food staples lack nutrients
Scientists are researching new cereal varieties which can provide essential micronutrients that are often lacking in human diets.
Hypertensive rat genome sequence expected to uncover genetic basis of human hypertension
Chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a serious health risk factor that afflicts more than 25 percent of all adults worldwide, but the molecular basis of the...
How nerve cells distinguish odors
Whether different odors can be quickly distinguished depends on certain synapses in the brain that inhibit nerve stimulation. Researchers have shown that mice in which a certain receptor in the...
Ocean bacteria can harvest energy from sunlight for survival
Bacteria in the ocean can harvest light energy from sunlight to promote survival thanks to a unique photoprotein, according to research by a team of scientists in Sweden and Spain.
Protecting Genetic Resources
Plant breeders look to genetic markers to protect their research investments and unique plant varieties.