Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Better food makes high-latitude animals bigger
New research suggests that animals living at high latitudes grow better than their counterparts closer to the equator because higher-latitude vegetation is more nutritious. The study, published in the February...
Genes for left-right orientation found
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. and Japanese scientists report discovering genes allowing an embryo to locate its left and right sides, and to determine the placement of...
A gimmick-free weight-loss pill in the works
A Universite de Montreal research team is developing a pill composed of leptin, the protein that tells our brain to stop eating. 'Mice deprived of leptin will not stop eating....
Environmental change impacts Oklahoma rivers
Biodiversity in freshwater systems is impacted as much or more by environmental change than tropical rain forests, according to University of Oklahoma Professor Caryn Vaughn, who serves as director of...
Why humans outlive apes
The same evolutionary genetic advantages that have helped increase human lifespans also make us uniquely susceptible to diseases of ageing such as cancer, heart disease and dementia, reveals a study...
How to shoot the messenger
Cells rely on a range of signalling systems to communicate with each other and to control their own internal workings. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg,...
Slow snails are quick to make new species
Snails may split into different species rapidly precisely because they move so slowly, scientists now suggest. Species - Snail - Biology - Flora and Fauna -...
Study: How to catch a fly ball? Keep an eye on it
A new study finds the way that baseball outfielders catch fly balls is simple: by keeping their eyes on the ball. Baseball - Batted ball -...
UCF professor's vaccine could be lethal weapon against malaria, cholera
Mankind may finally have a weapon to fight two of the world's deadliest diseases. A University of Central Florida biomedical researcher has developed what promises to be the first low-cost...
Trawlers threaten Australian blobfish
SYDNEY, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The gelatinous blobfish is at risk of extinction from fishing trawlers that drag the ocean floors off southeastern Australia, a marine scientist said.
Bigger corn plants bully smaller neighbors in no-till fields
It might not look like there's much going on in those roadside corn fields, but a researcher has shown that corn plants are in a fierce battle with each other...
How to measure attention span of a fly: Implications for ADHD, autism in humans
An Australian-German team of scientists has found a way to measure the attention span of a fly. The findings could lead to further advances in the understanding of attention-deficit hyperactivity...
Hiding place for missing heritability uncovered
Rare mutations linked to disease may hide in common variants.
Genome sequencing study finds clues to unravelling the causes of deadly epidemics
A team of collaborating scientists at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston, the Broad Institute in Boston, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, and the Ontario Agency for Health Protection...
Thinking outside the block in disease gene studies
In the decade since the Human Genome Project produced the first map of DNA sequences in the human genome, scientists throughout the world have combed through genome data to identify...
Lopsided fish show that symmetry is only skin deep
Putting function before form, members of the Perissodinus genus of fish have developed a hugely lopsided jaw that provides a distinct feeding advantage. Research published in the open access journal...
New class of brain-protecting drugs emerging
Researchers have identified a compound that mimics one of the brain's own growth factors and can protect brain cells against damage in several animal models of neurological disease...
In pictures: Wildlife sniffer dogs
Unique pictures released by scientists show how dogs are being used to help track large mammals for conservation purposes in the biodiversity hotspot of the Cerrado, Brazil, South America.
Flash frozen under the electron microscope: Examining the mechanical properties of Alzheimer`s amyloid fibrils
(PhysOrg.com) -- Alzheimer`s disease, Parkinson`s disease, type-II diabetes, and prion diseases like BSE all involve the deposition of amyloid fibrils in tissues and organs. These are fibrous clumps of incorrectly...
Neuron array advances toxicity testing
Scientists in Germany propose a reliable in vitro assay for neurotoxicology testing, which could offer an alternative to animal testing
Stabilising RNAs enhances gene silencing in tumours
Chemically modified, stabilised RNA molecules find their way into cells more easily, claim researchers
Global Update: Parasites: ‘Tropical’ Diseases Are Common in Arctic Dwellers, a Survey Finds
Aboriginal peoples in the Arctic face the kind of worm and protozoan infections that are often described as neglected ailments of the tropics.
Unwanted guests: How herpes simplex virus gets rid of the cell's security guards
A viral infection is like an uninvited, tenacious houseguest in the cell, using a range of tricks to prevent its eviction. Researchers have identified one of the key proteins allowing...
Homing In on Mammalian Echolocation
A handful of animals rely on specially tuned sound--and hearing--to detect objects around them. Bats and whales have some of the best biosonar , and some birds...
Feathered dinos leapt from trees, not ground
While some scientists say Microraptor could have used its feet to walk around, the leaders of a new study say these feathers would have made walking nearly impossible because of...
New groups change ecology
In a changing climate, new combinations of species will live together – but researchers are already finding out how they will go.
Study maps birds' auditory brain pathway
DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Duke University Medical Center scientists say they've identified an auditory feedback pathway in the songbird brain that is needed to learn a song.
Technique for preserving pre-transplant livers improves outcomes and organ pool
NEW YORK (Jan. 25, 2010) -- Preserving organs on ice prior to transplantation, an approach known as cold storage or CS, has been the standard practice in liver transplant for...