Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Blood enzyme breaks down carbon nanotubes
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 8 (UPI) -- Swedish and U.S. scientists say they have, for the first time, shown how carbon nanotubes can be broken down by an enzyme found...
Medicine residues may threaten fish reproduction
Researchers at Umea University and the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that traces of many medicines can be found in fish that have been swimming...
Defective protein is a double hit for ataxia
The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) damages nerve cells in two ways. University of Minnesota researchers now report that the defective protein responsible for the...
Orange corn holds medical promise
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 5 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led study has found a newly discovered gene in some varieties of corn may have significant implications for reducing childhood blindness...
Out of this world: New study investigates infection of human cells in space
In a first-of-its-kind experiment, the unique conditions of spaceflight will be used to examine how cells remain healthy or succumb to disease, particularly in the face of stress or damage.
Environmental Factors Contributing To Autism
Evidence that environmental factors can contribute to autism has been around for several decades. The first clue comes from studies of monozygotic (‘identical’) twins, who share 100% of their inherited...
Increasing Grain Yield in Sorghum
Scientists investigate kernel development in a large-seeded sorghum line and its hybrid in comparison with normal-seeded lines and hybrids. They examine pre-fertilization floret and ovary development and analyzed post-fertilization kernel-filling...
Bringing dehydrated plants 'back to life': Possible key to desiccation-tolerant plants
Drought can take a toll on plants and animals alike. When cells are deprived of water, they shrink, collapsing in upon themselves and, without water as a medium, chemicals and...
New genetic risk factors for brain aneurysms identified
In the largest genome-wide study of brain aneurysms ever conducted, an international team of researchers has identified three new genetic variants that increase a person's risk for developing this deadly...
Scientists scent victory against the tsetse fly
Chemicals in human odour that attract tsetse flies have been identified and could bait traps to kill more of the disease-carrying insects.
New use for once-cursed drug Thalidomide?
Thalidomide, the sedative blamed for tragic birth defects half a century ago, treated a rare inherited blood disorder, according to lab experiments reported on Sunday.
Blocking gene boosts radiotherapy
A gene which hinders the ability of radiotherapy to kill cancer cells has been detected by UK researchers.
Concern over non-native species
A conservation charity warns a number of non-native mammal species are damaging the UK countryside by eating crops and threatening native wildlife.
Caltech scientists uncover structure of key protein in common HIV subgroup
Scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have provided the first-ever glimpse of the structure of a key protein - gp120 - found on the surface of a specific...
NYC study: 50 native plants disappearing
(AP) -- Oriental Bittersweet was an exotic foreigner still found mostly in East Asia when the New York Botanical Garden planted its first specimen in 1897.
Metabolic disease: Differential drug response in lean and obese patients explained
One thing that predisposes individuals who are obese to type 2 diabetes is the persistent, low-level inflammation that results, in part, from dysregulation of the function of white fat tissue...
'Tony' the tiger pulled from moat at SF zoo
'Tony' the Siberian tiger is back on display at the San Francisco Zoo after being shot with tranquilizers and hauled out of a moat where he'd spent four nights. ...
Hormones indicate possible panda pregnancy
Scientists at the National Zoo in Washington have detected rising hormone levels in the zoo's female giant panda, which indicated she could be pregnant. Giant Panda...
Neurons Stick Together To Get Their Message Heard
Although they only account for a fraction of the synapses in the visual cortex, neurons in the thalamus get their message across loud and clear by coordination -- simultaneously hitting...
Dr. Pepper Throwdown
We defied expectations in last week's Pepsi Throwback Challenge. We found the unusual result that our bodies, against our wills, preferred high fructose corn syrup to ordinary sugar. Our comparison...
Flies Don't Think Much Of Turning (w/ Video)
The next time a fly dodges your swatter, take a moment to appreciate how maneuverable these little pests are. Fruit flies can make a complete U-turn in one-tenth of the...
A Tale of 2 Species: What Do Canine Chromosomes Reveal about Humans?
With more than 400 genetically distinct breeds worldwide, the domestic dog is the most diverse land mammal. After 14,000 years of artificial selection for traits such as size, shape and...
Sunflowers Show How Gene Duplication Generates Diversity
The authors of a new paper in Current Biology say they have found the first concrete evidence that shows how gene duplications can lead to functional diversity in organisms. In...
Worm gene could offer clues to human aging
BIRMINGHAM, England, April 2 (UPI) -- A gene greatly involved in determining the life span of a laboratory worm could offer clues to aging in people, researchers in Britain...
Water latest stress to Indo-Pak relations
LAHORE, Pakistan, April 2 (UPI) -- Disputes over water from the Indus River are the latest stresses to the shaky relationship between nuclear-armed foes Pakistan and India.
Stockholm's Green City award for what you can't see
A fisherman braces to reel in a large, wriggling salmon, its scales glistening in the sun as he lays his catch down, not on a sandy river bank but on...
Rapid response team investigates coral disease outbreak in Kaneohe Bay, O'ahu
An outbreak of a disease called Montipora White Syndrome (MWS) was found in Kaneohe Bay, O'ahu within the last month prompting an interagency response team composed of scientists and students...
New Blind Snakes Found, Help Explain World Domination
The discovery of a new family of wormlike snakes may help explain how blind snakes conquered continents despite being unable to swim.