Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists call for biodiversity barometer
GLAND, Switzerland, April 12 (UPI) -- A group of Swiss-led scientists says it has estimated how much it would cost to seek the status of millions of species, some...
New model tracks the immune response to a T
Researchers have created novel mouse models of the immune system starting with T cells primed for the infectious disease toxoplasmosis by generating cloned mice from these T cells. This type...
'Start/stop switch' for retroviruses found
A researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism for silencing retroviruses, segments of genetic material that can lead to fatal mutations in a cell's DNA.
Variations on the genetic theme
Just like members of an orchestra are active at different times although playing the same piece of music, every cell in our body contains the same genetic sequence but expresses...
Fragile X protein loss alters brain pathways responsible for learning and memory
Geneticists have known for two decades that fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, is due to the functional loss of fragile X mental retardation protein...
Powerful new method allows scientists to probe gene activation
NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have developed a powerful new method to investigate the discrete steps necessary to turn on individual genes and examine how the process goes wrong in...
Understanding night blindness and calcium
Congenital stationary night blindness, an inherited condition that affects one's ability to see in the dark, is caused by a mutation in a calcium channel protein that shuttles calcium into...
DNA nanotechnology: 'Magic Bullets' breakthrough offers promising applications in medicine
Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in the development of nanotubes. They have developed tiny "magic bullets" that could one day deliver drugs to specific diseased cells. The research involves...
Only known living population of rare dwarf lemur found
(PhysOrg.com) -- Elusive species "rediscovered" a century after first sighting.
Report reveals rabbit and dormouse threatening Britain's wildlife
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Easter Bunny may have been a welcome visitor to many gardens at the weekend, but his fellow rabbits are among 14 invasive species threatening Britain?s wildlife, a...
Roundup 4/8: Weeding Stuff Out Edition
Have genetically engineered crops increased the personal well-being of farmers? Find out on Tuesday...
Are some rainforests too rainy?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Tropical birds migrate to escape the weather While some bird species migrate thousands of miles annually, others follow a much shorter migratory route - specifically, up and...
Discovery, Spielberg to debut `Future Earth'
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Discovery Channel says it is working with Steven Spielberg on an animated series imagining life in the future....
Arsenic anticancer target revealed
Researchers have identified the protein target of arsenic trioxide used in leukaemia treatment
FSU Marine Ecologist Wins Grant to Study Endangered Sawfish
A scientist at The Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory has won a three-year, $674,989 grant to study the endangered but little-known sawfish, whose numbers are believed to have...
Humboldt Squid Seem to Be Thriving--Thanks to Ocean Dead Zones
Although many of the Pacific Ocean's big species are floundering, one large creature of the deep seems to be flourishing. The Humboldt squid ( Dosidicus gigas , also known as...
New method to study key targets in Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer
When designing a drug against a disease, chemists often used detailed plans of the proteins affected and against which the drugs must act. However, about a third of the proteins...
New Missing Link Gets A Name - Australopithecus Sediba
The new species of hominid discovered 40 kilometers outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, the first missing link of 2010, has been dubbed Australopithecus sediba by its discoverers. Researchers believe the...
Privacy risks from geographic information
OTTAWA -- In today's world more geographic information is being collected about us, such as where we live, where the clinic we visited is located, and where we work....
Quebec residents fight pig lab plan
Residents in Boisbriand, Que. are fuming over plans for a new biotechnology firm that uses pigs to test medical implants.
In pictures: Arctic foxes go the distance
Arctic foxes are able to travel distances similar to the width of Canada, in the first study to track the animals for a whole year.
These horses are two of a kind
An increasing number of equines are being cloned in the U.S., but the duplicates are prohibited from competing in breed-sanctioned events. ...
Tough new spuds take on double trouble
Five new potato breeding lines being tested by agricultural scientists could open the door to new varieties of the crop that resist powdery scab and black dot diseases.
Bacteria divide like clockwork: Cell division in cyanobacteria controlled by same kind of circadian rhythms that govern human sleep
Scientists have shown how cell division in a type of bacteria known as cyanobacteria is controlled by the same kind of circadian rhythms that govern human sleep patterns. Previous studies...
Existence of rare hummingbird confirmed
WASHINGTON, April 7 (UPI) -- Conservation officials say the first photograph ever taken of a living Santa Marta Sabrewing hummingbird has confirmed the existence of the bird in Colombia.
Of Dollars and Scents: On the Trail of Sandalwood Oil
Geophysicist Roger Turpening has discovered how to detect the oil-rich heartwood inside living sandalwood trees, a system that could one day be used to find flaws in sawlogs. And he...
Pitt-led study identifies human enzyme that breaks down potentially toxic nanomaterials
PITTSBURGH -- An international study based at the University of Pittsburgh provides the first identification of a human enzyme that can biodegrade carbon nanotubes -- the superstrong materials found...
On the hunt for naked Wi-Fi hotspots with a wireless detective
To my untrained eyes, it was a bright and clear Silicon Valley day as we sat in the parking lot of a North San Jose high-tech company. But Dr. Amit...