Latest science news in Biology & Nature
For Elephants, Bees Are Cause for Alarm
Researchers Say Elephants Have Developed a Special Alarm to Avoid Contact With Bees
Mice (and possibly humans) make their own morphine
(PhysOrg.com) -- New research has confirmed that mice have the biochemical pathways required to manufacture morphine from intermediates. Morphine is a powerful drug usually derived from the opium poppy, but...
Recipes for Health: Beet Tzatziki
Yogurt and beets go well together — though the bright color may give some diners pause.
On Patrol With the Reef Ranger
Scientists say that overfishing has wreaked havoc throughout the Caribbean, which is why marine reserves like Glover's Reef, an atoll off Belize, are so important. Belize's government has imposed strict...
Monitor Lizard Discovered with Flame-Colored Head
Scientists discover a new species of monitor lizard on Indonesian island.
Green Light for Commercial Whale Hunts
Whaling Commission Proposes Limited Commercial Whale Hunts
New views at the nanoscale
(PhysOrg.com) -- Magnetic resonance imaging, first developed in the early 1970s, has become a standard diagnostic tool for cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders, among others. MRI is ideally suited...
Novel nanoparticles prevent radiation damage
Tiny, melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from the harmful effects of radiation therapy, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University who successfully tested the...
Risk of Lyme Is Moving Into Southern Quebec; Increased Tick Habitat May Reflect a Warming Climate
A study published April 19, 2010 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) demonstrates that conditions that can support the establishment of Lyme disease have come...
The Search for Genes Leads to Unexpected Places
Edward M. Marcotte and colleagues have found hundreds of genes involved in human disorders.
New requirements for male fertility
Two independent groups of researchers have identified distinct roles for two proteins in a family of proteins known as PLA2s as crucial for sperm function and fertility in mice. These...
'Good vibrations' help in research into new bioactive metal complexes
Scientists have managed to accurately determine the location of metal complexes within living cancer cells using Raman microscopy. The researchers have thus gained new insights into the mechanism of action...
Protein partners may provide insight into inherited mental retardation
A new study that uncovers a pathway critical for proper embryological development in zebra fish may also reveal a parallel mechanism that drives wiring of the vertebrate brain. The research...
Scientists learn to block pain at its source: New non-addictive painkillers from substance similar to ingredient in hot chili peppers
Researchers have discovered a new family of fatty acids, produced by the body itself, that play an important role in the biology of pain. The findings have even led to...
Visualizing brain invasion by a fungus
Infection with the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans can cause meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain itself), conditions that are often lethal. To elicit...
3D Sun for the iPhone
Imagine holding the entire sun in the palm of your hand. Now you can. A new iPhone app developed by NASA-supported programmers delivers a live global view of the sun...
The billions that bug us: A genomic view of humans and their microbes
The human species is dependent for its survival on the billions of microorganisms that inhabit multiple environmental niches within and on the human body. While microbes are commonly associated with...
Q & A: Fish Versus Flax
How does flaxseed oil compare with fish oil in nutritional benefits?
Observatory: Insect May Make Moves to Survive the Harvest
Researchers discovered that the corn borer travels down the corn stalk to reach a safe height before the stalks are cut off by humans.
Observatory: Pollen Grains Fold to Slow Rate of Water Loss
Researchers studied pollen from lilies and other flowers, and their work could have implications for engineers.
Cracking Orca’s DNA Code
Using advanced methods of sequencing DNA, scientists found systematic differences in DNA between different orca populations.
New study: The kitchen-counter diet
Can eating less be as simple as leaving serving dishes on the stove and off the table? According to a team of researchers from Cornell University, it can.
The Kiss of Death: Research targets lethal disease spread by insect that bites lips
(PhysOrg.com) -- It makes your skin crawl -- a bug that crawls onto your lips while you sleep, drawn by the exhaled carbon dioxide, numbs your skin, bites, then gorges...
The Molecular Mechanics of Hearing and Deafness (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- Our senses are essential for survival and for the exploration of natural environments, and much has been learned about the molecular basis of vision, olfaction, and taste. Yet...
Brown rice and cardiovascular protection
New research suggests a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a protein and known culprit in the...
Israeli forces kill Hamas militant
Ali Sweiti died when authorities bulldozed the West Bank house in which he was hiding. He was suspected in the 2004 killing of an Israeli soldier.
Protein Nitration Influences Allergic Reactions
Food proteins are nitrated through various processes. Just how these processes affect food allergies, however, is only now coming to light. The latest findings of a research project funded by...
New cotton pest reaches Florida for first time
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The cotton seed bug, a pest that has not been found in the United States, has been found for the first time in Florida, agriculture officials...