Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Breathe easy: A natural fruit compound may help asthma
A preliminary study by New Zealand company Plant & Food Research shows that natural chemicals from blackcurrants may help breathing in some types of asthma.
Could smell play a role in the origin of new bird species?
Two recently diverged populations of a southern California songbird produce unique odours, suggesting smell could contribute to the reproductive isolation that accompanies the origin of new bird species. The Indiana...
Disease-causing mutation disrupts movement of cell's 'power house'
New research shows how a mutation causes a common inherited neurodegenerative disease, according to a study in the March 24 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The study shows that...
Queen's scientists boost endangered freshwater mussels population
The endangered freshwater mussel species has been given a welcome boost by scientists from Queen's University Belfast following a 12 year cultivation project...
Scientists share secret of how our cells make us tick
Scientists have shed light on a key control process within cells that helps ensure our bodies function efficiently...
Ingredient in tequila plant may fight osteoporosis and other diseases
The plant that gave the world tequila contains a substance that seems ideal for use in a new genre of processed foods -- so-called "functional foods" -- with health benefits...
GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology Meeting
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to attend the Genetics Society of America biennial meeting, "GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology," June 12-15, 2010, at the Sheraton...
If I Ate Lab-Grown Human Tissue or Organs, Would I Be Considered a Cannibal?
We realize you're asking hypothetically. If you're looking to indulge in the other, other white meat but can't stand the idea of society branding you a cannibal, this might be the loophole...
Tropical maize gets vitamin A boost
Researchers have found natural gene variants that greatly increase the vitamin A value of one of the staple foods in the developing world.
More accurate alcohol-use test is sought
HERSHEY, Pa., March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say measuring a set of blood protein changes linked to alcohol use might provide more accurate diagnostic tests than are now...
Counting frogs: Why monitoring our amphibian populations is important
Amélie Perez is preparing to tally the number of amphibians in the Montreal area for the second summer in a row. The objective? To measure the impact of the invasive...
Gatsby Charitable Foundation Awards $4 Million to Salk-UC San Diego Consortium to Study Brain Circuitry
A new consortium of four research teams from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California, San Diego has been selected by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, based...
Tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology
Scientists Uncover Vast Microbial Diversity of Carnivorous Pitcher Plant The microbial ecosystem inside the carnivorous pitcher plant is vastly more diverse than previously thought according to...
Leena Peltonen, genetics researcher, dies at 57
Peltonen, a Finnish researcher, and her team discovered mutated genes responsible for 15 inherited diseases. She also established the department of human genetics at UCLA in 1998. Dr. Leena Peltonen, an unusually prolific...
3 zoo tigers escape in Spain, killed by police
A zoo in Spain's Canary Islands says three tigers escaped from their cage after a mistake by an employee and were later shot by police. Spain...
Zoo investigates dismembered giraffe
The mayor of Albuquerque has ordered an investigation after a beloved Rio Grande Zoo giraffe was dismembered and placed in a trash bin. Albuquerque New...
Cranberry Juice Keeps Infections At Bay
ACS Meeting News: Home remedy prevents bacteria from forming biofilms, study shows.
Sushi-cide: Secret ballot kills hopes for bluefin tuna protections
The triennial meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is still underway in Doha, Qatar, this week, but so far news...
Case Closed: A Fluky Finding Raises Hopes for Mending Wounds
Ellen Heber-Katz, a scientist at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, used to study autoimmunity--that was until she noticed something strange in the mice she was using to model lupus: The...
Glossy male birds are more 'sexy'
Male birds with glossy feathers are more attractive to the opposite sex, scientists discover.
Microbes implicated in Alzheimer’s
For many years, beta amyloid has been blamed for causing Alzheimer’s – but could it also be protecting us from infection?
Future Computer Chips Could Assemble Themselves
The microchips of the future could help assemble themselves using a newly developed technique.
Bringing Better Grapes a Step Closer to Reality
A team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers has found a way to speed up grape breeding by developing a way to identify genetic markers in the grapevine's genome that...
Superelastic iron alloy could be used for heart and brain surgery
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Japan have designed an elastic iron-based shape metal alloy for use in applications as diverse as heart and brain surgery and buildings in earthquake-prone areas.
Report: Arctic biodiversity is declining
WHITEHORSE, Yukon, March 23 (UPI) -- A survey of the arctic's biodiversity reports a 26 percent decline in species, including caribou and lemmings, in the past 34 years.
800-Year-Old Fossilized Brain Found Containing Intact Remnants of Brain Cells
Sorry cryo-immortals, this preservation method is not for you Even a stutter-gait zombie might turn up its nose at a 13th-century fossilized brain, but neuroscientists probably have good cause for excitement. An amazingly...
Warner to open Montreal studio
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment says it will open a development studio in Montreal that will employ more than 300 people by the end of 2015.
City pollution harms sea turtles
Big cities make sea turtles sick, according to recent research – poor water quality leads to parasites and disease infections.