Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists use viruses to split water
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have found a way to use viruses in mimicking the process plants use to split water and make chemical...
Key protein aids in DNA repair
Chapel Hill, NC – Scientists have shown in multiple contexts that DNA damage over our lifetimes is a key mechanism behind the development of cancer and other age-related diseases. ...
New probe technology illuminates the activation of light-sensing cells
(PhysOrg.com) -- Through ingenious combinations of roughly 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of life, genes can build the proteins that comprise everything from the simplest bacteria to the...
Biological link between stress, anxiety and depression identified for the first time
Scientists at The University of Western Ontario have discovered the biological link between stress, anxiety and depression. By identifying the connecting mechanism in the brain, this high impact research led...
The assembly of protein strands into fibrils
Researchers at ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne and at the University of Fribourg have evidenced a basic general mechanism describing how filamentous proteins assemble into ribbon like structures, the so-called Amyloid...
Black snakes cultivate algae
Extensive testing has found that black areas on sea snakes collect more algae, creating drag and slowing them down.
Scientists track variant of gene-regulating protein in embryonic stem cells
The journey from embryonic stem cell to a fully developed liver, heart or muscle cell requires not only the right genes, but genes that are turned on and off at...
Gene that changes the brain’s response to stress identified
Stress can literally warp your brain, reshaping some brain structures that help cope with life's pressures. In the short term, the stress response can be helpful -- i.e., fight or...
U of T engineers honoured for Apollo 13 aid
A team from the University of Toronto Institute of Aerospace Studies is about to receive special recognition for the crucial role it played in the rescue of three Apollo 13...
Are eggs truly bad for the heart?
Cholesterol-rich eggs were assumed to increase heart disease risk. But research tells a different story — except for those with diabetes. ...
Are patients misserved by patents on human genes?
Some tests can be obtained from just one source because of limitations. A look at both sides of the issue. Inside every cell of your body are 23 tightly packed strands of...
Rewiring of gene regulation across 300 million years of evolution
As published today in Science, researchers from Cambridge, Glasgow and Greece have discovered a remarkable amount of plasticity in how transcription factors, the proteins that bind to DNA to control...
Honest deer every year
The vocalisations or 'groans' of male fallow deer provide rivals and potential mates with an honest account of the emitting animal's competitive abilities. A study, published in the open access...
Alaska eagle survives plunge after mating dance
(AP) -- An acrobatic display of passion proved too much for a pair of eagles engaged in a mating dance over Alaska's Prince William Sound.
Empathy and violence have similar circuits in the brain
'Just as our species could be considered the most violent, since we are capable of serial killings, genocide and other atrocities, we are also the most empathetic species, which would...
Significant findings about protein architecture may aid in drug design, generation of nanomaterials
Researchers in Singapore are reporting this week that they have gleaned key insights into the architecture of a protein that controls iron levels in almost all organisms. Their study culminated...
Octopus vs. Sea Lion—First Ever Video
It's a first. Outfitted with a Crittercam, an Australian sea lion has filmed itself hunting, and eating, a large octopus. Video.
Carnivorous plants' diets may be a danger
Eating insects that contain high levels of trace metals can hinder growth for North American pitcher plants, a study finds. One expert says habitat loss is still the plants' biggest threat. Carnivorous plants...
Something's wrong with right whales
A few years ago, right whales began washing up on the shores of Argentina's Patagonian coast. So far, researchers have counted a total of 308 dead whales since 2005.
Invasive fish and mussels team up to transfer toxic substances into Great Lakes walleyes
(PhysOrg.com) -- Two notorious Great Lakes invaders -- the zebra mussel and the round goby -- now play a central role in transferring toxic chemicals called PCBs up the food...
Lightning Makes Mushrooms Multiply
Lightning strikes can more than double some mushroom crops, according to ongoing experiments that are jolting fungi with electricity.
Nitroxyl Lights Up Copper Complex
Copper-based fluorescent probe is a selective indicator for HNO in biological systems.
Study a Bat, Build a Better Aircraft
Studying a bat's evolution, its structure and biomechanics in flight will help us better understand our own evolution and could lead to the development of aerodynamic materials for more lightweight,...
Cellulosic Ethanol: Expanding Options, Identifying Obstacles
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are figuring out how to turn wheat straw into ethanol "gold," and learning more about the bacteria that can "infect" ethanol plants and interfere with...
Beached whale in N.Y. euthanized
Marine scientists euthanized a young humpback whale stranded for three days at a New York beach.
Farmers prefer to use GM seeds for cash crops, survey finds
A survey of views on genetically modified (GM) crops shows that 80 per cent of farmers are unwilling to use GM seeds to grow food.
WAR POISONS
The Military laboratories are constantly seeking new poisons with special attention to the world's animal and plant, biological toxins.Examples: Snakes as the cobra, which the fish Arothron hispidus Arothron meleagris...
St. John's wort collection mined for its medicinal value
A unique collection of St. John's wort (Hypericum) is providing researchers with genetically diverse, well-documented sources of this herb to use in studies examining its medicinal potential.