Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Controversial DNA swap could prevent inherited disease
British scientists, using a a variation of the technique used to clone Dolly the sheep, have mastered exchanging DNA between two fertilized human eggs as a way to prevent mitochondrial...
New gene for hair loss identified
Researchers have discovered a gene involved in hair loss that may lead to new, non-hormonal therapies for baldness. The work, by researchers at Rockefeller, Columbia and Stanford universities, reveals that...
Cat Brain Inspires Computers of the Future
Electronic devices that mimic how brain cells in a cat work could allow computers to one day learn and recognize information more like humans do.
Primary cilia formation provides insight into genetic diseases
Scientists have identified a network of genes that initiate and manage cilia formation. Although scientists have known about cilia for decades, only recently have they discovered their role in disease.
Nose-dwelling leech species found
A new species of leech, discovered by an international team of scientists, has a preference for living up noses.
Cancer genome project expands
An international partnership including Canadians who plan to decode the genomes of 25,000 cancer samples announced their research plans on Tuesday.
Rat whiskers feel like fingers
A study has found that rat whiskers are run by the same part of the brain as human fingertips are – and sense touch with the same quirks.
Little melamine appears in eggs from chickens on highly contaminated feed
Eggs from chickens that consumed extremely high levels of melamine in their feed still did not contain levels of the potentially toxic contaminant that exceeded U. S. Food and Drug...
Hopkins researchers put proteins right where they want them
Using a method they developed to watch moment to moment as they move a molecule to precise sites inside live human cells, Johns Hopkins scientists are closer to understanding why...
Genetic patterns rise from huge yeast samples
Princeton University scientists have developed a new way to identify the hidden genetic material responsible for complex traits, a breakthrough they believe ultimately could lead to a deeper understanding of...
Newly discovered RNA steers brain development
BOSTON, Mass. (April 14, 2010) — How does the brain work? This question is one of the greatest scientific mysteries, and neurobiologists have only recently begun to piece together the...
Zoo fights to save snail colony
The last known colony of a species of tree snail decimated by 'cannibal snails' is entrusted to Bristol Zoo.
A lab rat -- created in the lab: Bioengineering tissues as an alternative to animal testing
A researcher in Israel has concluded that tissue necessary for animal trials can be produced from fat, skin, bone and muscle cells. His breakthrough study could have hundreds of applications...
Friction And Epistasis: You Can't Ignore 'em
Personalized genetics is hot in the news right now, but in fact we're generally terrible at using genotypes to predict who is going to get a disease. One villain here...
Helen Ranney, Pioneer in Sickle Cell Research, Dies at 89
Dr. Ranney was a hematologist whose experiments in the 1950s elucidated the genetic basis of sickle cell disease.
Randomness is no lottery thanks to entangled ions
Number sequences guaranteed random by quantum mechanics
Gene links neurodegeneration and cancer
(PhysOrg.com) -- In work that could lead to new insights into how neurons protect against neurodegeneration, researchers at MIT`s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory report that a gene family...
U.S. Leads New Bid to Phase Out Whale Hunting
A compromise deal would limit and ultimately end whale hunting by Japan, Norway and Iceland, said people involved with the negotiations.
Study Confirms DNA Repair Model After 26 Years
(PhysOrg.com) -- UC Davis researchers have confirmed a central idea about chromosome repair, more than a quarter century after it was first proposed. The finding is important to scientists who...
Research explores edible film that kills pathogens for meat packaging
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of food scientists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has shown that an edible film can be used for wrapping ready-to-eat meat products to deliver...
Navy SEALs Recognize Anger More Quickly
Navy SEALs spot anger in a face more quickly than non-SEALs. Their brains work differently, study finds.
Species distribution models can exaggerate differences in environmental requirements
Separate species that live in radically different environments don't necessarily also have different ecological niches. This is the finding of a study investigating the accuracy of current statistical tests that...
Ky. surveys hellbender salamanders
LEXINGTON, Ky., April 14 (UPI) -- Eastern hellbender salamanders are being surveyed for the first time in Kentucky to determine where they are on the decline.
Big science: The cancer genome challenge
Databases could soon be flooded with genome sequences from 25,000 tumours. Heidi Ledford looks at the obstacles researchers face as they search for meaning in the data.
The onion, a natural alternative to artificial preservatives
Some components of the onion have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making it possible to use this bulb for food preservation. This is demonstrated by researchers from the Polytechnic...
Lab that probes genetic clues to disease is poised for major expansion
Despite the continuing, crippling effects of a nationwide recession, a genetics research laboratory on Rutgers' Busch Campus is experiencing an economic boom.
Northern squid habitat identified
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, April 14 (UPI) -- A Canadian scientist says she has documented the habitat of the elusive northern squid -- a key species in the arctic marine food...
In pictures: Deserts of the World
Captivating pictures released by UK-based scientists reveal the varied and fragile nature of the world's deserts.