Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Increasingly threatened loggerheads follow their own paths in travel, eating
With loggerhead sea turtle nests in dramatic decline, researchers would love to know more about where the turtles go, and what they eat, so they can better protect the creatures'...
New theory of Down syndrome cause may lead to new therapies
Conventional wisdom among scientists for years has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder most likely results from the presence of too many genes...
Gene structure of fruit fly brains studied
OXFORD, England, March 23 (UPI) -- U.K. researchers say they have identified the gene determining the structure of the male and female body in the fruit fly, as well...
New stem cell growth factor found
DURHAM, N.C., March 23 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've identified a new growth factor that stimulates the expansion and regeneration of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells.
Overcoming tumour resistance to anti-cancer agent TRAIL
The TRAIL ligand is a promising anticancer agent that preferentially kills tumour cells without apparent damage to healthy cells. Many cancers exhibit resistance to TRAIL, however, thus limiting its therapeutic...
TWEAK triggers atrophy of disused muscle
A new study in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB) identifies a cytokine signalling pathway that induces the breakdown of disused skeletal muscle. Blocking this pathway could prevent immobilised patients...
Cancer corrupts embryo genes
New research has discovered that a cancer-related protein may cause trouble through genes usually known for embryonic development.
Stomach Cells Happier With Dark Roast Coffee
Ever get a sour stomach after your morning coffee? Well, you might end up switching to a dark roast--because that coffee concoction may leave you with a happier tummy. That's...
Chagas disease surveillance focuses on palms, undercover bugs
Failure to detect disease vectors may result in increased disease risk. The first systematic study in the Amazon of surveillance techniques for the bugs that transmit Chagas disease takes into...
Web Complicit in Wildlife Demise?
Conservationists At UN Wildlife Meeting Say Internet Fueling Trade In Endangered Species
Ivory bids fall on poaching fears
A UN wildlife trade meeting rejects proposals for further sales of ivory amid concern on poaching controls.
'Good' cells can go 'bad' in a 'bad neighborhood'
(PhysOrg.com) -- The general theory of cancer development holds that malignancies occur because of the presence of certain genetic elements within the affected cells.
Bioblitz campaign calls on public to help detail Britain's flora and fauna
Backers hope to create largest ever record of UK wildlife by uniting experts with public as alien species spurs sightings callBlog: How to take part in a bioblitzFor centuries, natural history societies staffed...
Rarest sparrow nest sites found
New nesting sites of one of the world's rarest birds, the Worthen's sparrow, are found in Mexico.
Compromise reached on tiger trade proposal
WWF welcomed improvements over trade in tigers and other Asian big cat species at a United Nations meeting on wildlife trade...
Signs of spring 2010 readers' photographs
Here is a shortlist of the best snaps from our signs of spring 2010 Flickr group
Proof in humans of RNA interference using targeted nanoparticles
A team of researchers and clinicians has published the first proof that a targeted nanoparticle -- used as an experimental therapeutic and injected directly into a patient's bloodstream -- can...
Blue Butterflies Come Back from the Brink
Biologists Near L.A. Discover Just 10 of a Species Thought to Be Extinct; Now They've Bred 1000s and Are Letting Them Go
Cancer genes silenced in humans
Tiny particles carrying short strands of RNA can interfere with protein production in tumours.
Capsule boosts pig treatment
Researchers have found a way to treat pigs with less zinc – they usually need such a huge amount that it could harm the environment.
Plant's ability to identify, block invading bacteria examined
Understanding how plants defend themselves from bacterial infections may help researchers understand how people and other animals could be better protected from such pathogens. That's the idea behind a study...
Forest tree species diversity depends on individual variation
It's a paradox that's puzzled scientists for a half-century. Models clearly show that the coexistence of competing species depends on those species responding differently to the availability of resources...
Researchers characterise stem cell function
The promise of stem cells lies in their unique ability to differentiate into a multitude of different types of cells. But in order to determine how to use stem cells...
Scientists shed new light on how retina's hardware is used in colour vision
Biologists at New York University and the University of Wuerzburg have identified, in greater detail, how the retina's cellular hardware is used in colour preference. The findings, published in the...
Antifreeze proteins can stop ice melt, new study finds
The same antifreeze proteins that keep organisms from freezing in cold environments also can prevent ice from melting at warmer temperatures, according to a new Ohio University and Queen's University...
Chemical competition: Research identifies new mechanism regulating embryonic development
A Princeton University-led research team has discovered that protein competition over an important enzyme provides a mechanism to integrate different signals that direct early embryonic development. The work suggests that...
With just 1 enzyme missing, mice show 'global' metabolic improvements
When researchers created mice lacking an enzyme that breaks down and releases stored triglycerides (more properly known as triacylglycerols or TGs), they expected to see animals with better lipid profiles....
Deceptive model
For years scientists have puzzled over to what extent the findings of studies on the embryonic stem cells (ES cells) of mice are transferable to humans. It is certainly true...