Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Brother sperm train together
Mouse sperm cells team up with their kin in the race to fertilize eggs.
More Asian carp DNA found near Lake Michigan, officials say
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it has more evidence indicating that the dreaded Asian carp is in Lake Michigan, making the announcement hours after the U.S. Supreme Court...
Chemical analyses uncover secrets of an ancient amphora
Chemists have confirmed that the substance used to hermetically seal an amphora found among remains at Lixus, in Morocco, was pine resin. The scientists also studied the metallic fragments inside...
Communication problems in the brain
For brain cells to communicate, the contacts to each other must function. The protein molecule neuroligin-1 plays an important role in this as it stimulates the necessary maturation processes at...
Glaxo to share malaria drug data
GlaxoSmithKline announced yesterday that it will provide open access to 13,500 promising malaria drug candidates.
Biologists explain how organisms can tolerate mutations, yet adapt to environmental change
Biologists at the University of Pennsylvania studying the processes of evolution appear to have resolved a longstanding conundrum: How can organisms be robust against the effects of mutations yet simultaneously...
Human brain uses a grid to represent space
"Grid cells" that act like a spatial map in the brain have been identified for the first time in humans, which may help to explain how we create internal maps...
UC San Diego researchers synchronise blinking 'genetic clocks'
Researchers at UC San Diego who last year genetically engineered bacteria to keep track of time by turning on and off fluorescent proteins within their cells have taken another step...
Mammals "Rafted" to Madagascar, Climate Model Suggests
The ancestors of lemurs, fossa, and other Madagascar mammals got to the island aboard natural rafts, according to a new model of the ocean currents and prevailing winds that existed...
Humans were once an endangered species
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in the U.S. have calculated that 1.2 million years ago, at a time when our ancestors were spreading...
Membrane-coat proteins: Bacteria have them too
Although they are present almost everywhere, on land and sea, a group of related bacteria in the superphylum Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae, or PVC, have remained in relative obscurity ever since they were...
Chaperonins Prompt Proper Protein Folding, And Scientists May Know How
Biologists know that Chaperonins ensure proteins are folded properly to carry out their assigned roles in cells, and according to a new letter published in Nature, they may also know...
Conservationists oppose proposed polar bear trade ban
The World Wildlife Fund and another international conservation group are opposing a U.S. proposal to ban the trade of polar bear products from countries like Canada.
Wildlife photo stripped of award
The winner of a major wildlife photography award is disqualified because the wolf featured in his photograph was likely a "model".
Defying Climate Change, Ensuring Maize Stability
Crop genetics play key role in understanding the impact of environmental stress.
Survival Of The...Cutest? Why Domestic Dogs Prove Evolution
According to a new study in the American Naturalist that compared the skull shapes of domestic dogs with those of different species across the order Carnivora, domestic dogs have followed...
Pay-by-phone glitch causing parking tickets
A glitch in the pay-by-phone system for parking meters in Vancouver has resulted unexpected parking tickets for some drivers.
Triffid seed threatens flax industry
Canadian flax seed has been shut out of its largest market after traces of Triffid - a genetically modified form of the crop ordered destroyed 10 years ago - was...
Fish Are Remarkable Architects
Red groupers create remarkable structures that attract other creatures, including dinner.
How to Quit Nervous Habits
How to quit nervous habits and bad habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, overeating and smoking.
Researchers discover method to objectively identify PTSD
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis VA Medical Centre have identified a biological marker in the brains of those exhibiting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)...
Using genetics to tackle malnutrition
Jim Kaput explains why efforts to tackle malnutrition should consider nutrigenomics — the interplay between food and genetic make-up.
Simple biosensors for immune disease monitoring
DNA-based electrochemical sensors allow simple quantitative monitoring of autoimmune-diseases
Bee decline link to nature fall
The decline of honeybees seen in many countries may be due to reduced plant diversity, research suggests.
Friendly bacteria love the humble apple
Why does an apple a day keep the doctor away? New research contributes to our understanding of why eating apples is good for you.
Novel mouse model of demyelinating disorder
In a new study, researchers describe how mutation of a gene called ZFP191 leads to disordered central nervous system myelination in mice -- reminiscent of what is seen in human...
African sleeping sickness: Loosely coiled DNA helps trypanosomes make their escape
To escape the grip of the human immune system, Trypanosoma brucei, which causes African sleeping sickness, performs its acclaimed disappearing act. Every time the host's immune cells get close to...
'Sleeping Beauty' -- Molecule of the Year
The jumping gene or "Sleeping Beauty" transposon is "Molecule of the Year 2009". This was announced by Professor Isidro T. Savillo, President of the International Society for Molecular and Cell...