Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Method found to grow unlimited stem cells
NEW YORK, March 9 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've devised a method that uses blood vessel cells to grow unlimited amounts of adult stem cells.
Exploring Echinacea's enigmatic origins
An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist is helping to sort through the jumbled genetics of Echinacea, the coneflower known for its blossoms--and its potential for treating infections, inflammation, and other...
Sage grouse: No endangered species status
WASHINGTON, March 5 (UPI) -- An iconic bird living in western U.S. sagebrush country faces extinction but won't be named an endangered species, the U.S. Interior Department said Friday.
Carbon-Fixing Enzymes Line Up
Blue-green algae arrange carbon fixation enzyme compartments for maximum efficiency.
A fingerprint for genes: Scientists develop new strategy to play major role in research on human diseases
Scientists in Germany have applied a new strategy to identify and characterize genes involved in endocytosis. From their findings the scientists also hope to derive significant information about how infections...
In pictures: The week in wildlife
Glowing squid, booming bitterns and white tigers are among the pick of this week's best flora and fauna images from around the world
The meaning of life in a developing universe | John Stewart
In this pre-press article for a special issue of the journal Foundations of Science, John Stewart argues that intentional evolution can give human life meaningEvolutionAstronomyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media...
Overfed rats may distort research results
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many laboratory animals are over-fed and under-excercised, and failing to recognize this may lead researchers to misinterpret the results of their experiments, according to a new study by...
Scientists find new form of prion disease that damages brain arteries
National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists investigating how prion diseases destroy the brain have observed a new form of the disease in mice that does not cause the sponge-like brain...
In Pictures: Sperm whale surprise
Extraordinary pictures show sperm whales hunting at the ocean surface off the coast of New Zealand.
Exotic flowers help bees stay busy in winter
Recent years have seen an unusual rise in the number of bees about in the cold winter months, and scientists are now beginning to find out why.
The Private Life of Plants | Your next box set
After so many thrilling revelations from the animal kingdom, an Attenborough programme about the botanical world might sound underwhelming - but actually, this was one of his bestThroughout his long, glorious, planet-encompassing career,...
Breaching the barrier: Too much of the protein ELA2 impairs skin barrier function
Our skin has two crucial barrier functions: it protects against water loss and it prevents penetration of infectious agents and allergens. By studying mice and humans, a team of researchers...
Protein shown to be natural inhibitor of aging in fruit fly model
Scientists have identified a protein called Sestrin that serves as a natural inhibitor of aging and age-related pathologies in fruit flies. They also showed that Sestrin, whose structure and biochemical...
Experimental vaccine protects monkeys against mosquito-borne chikungunya virus
Researchers have developed an experimental vaccine for chikungunya virus and successfully tested it in monkeys.
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Dangerous Arctic Ocean methane leak found … Same-sex marriage ban increases anxiety … Physicists create new form of matter … Climate change might help spread malaria ... Health/Science news from...
Podcast: Ancient Polar Bears, a Mitochondrial Medical Mystery, and More
Listen to a roundup of some of our favorite stories from the week [Read more]
Genome sequencing complete on plodding amoeba that flips into free-swimming flagellate
In the long evolutionary road from bacteria to humans, a major milestone occurred some 1.5 billion years ago when microbes started building closets for all their stuff, storing DNA inside...
Lizard moms choose the right genes for the right gender offspring
Two Dartmouth biologists have found that brown anole lizards make an interesting choice when deciding which males should father their offspring. The females of this species mate with several males,...
The nanoscience/neuroscience intersection: A dialogue
Is it possible to build supercomputers that can replicate the human brain, or to develop nanotechnology that can lead to an implantable chip for interfacing with neurons and other types...
Wasps' Nursery Defense
Chemical Ecology: Beewolf digger wasps use bacterial antibiotics to protect the next generation.
Why Do Lizards Have Ears? To Eavesdrop, Perhaps
While most lizards do not communicate among themselves, some use their ears to listen for warning calls from other animals, researchers say, which could alert them to predators.
Protein and metal give mussels their muscle
The tough, stretchy threads that fix mussels to seashore rocks are made up of a combination of sticky proteins and tough metal ions, researchers have found.
2010 Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Meeting
The Genetics Society of America announces the 2010 Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Meeting, July 27-August 1, 2010, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. This...
Woody shrubs don't slurp up water
Clearing encroaching plants from savannah might make drought worse.
Biologists spray-painting Newfoundland caribou
Wildlife biologists in Newfoundland are using helicopters to spray caribou with red paint as part of an effort count of their population on the island.
Transcendental Meditation activates default mode network, the brain's natural ground state
A new EEG study conducted on college students at American University found they could more highly activate the default mode network, a suggested natural "ground state" of the brain, during...
Researchers create atlas of transcription factor combinations
In a significant leap forward in the understanding of how specific types of tissue are determined to develop in mammals, an international team of scientists has succeeded in mapping the...