Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Alligators breathe like birds, scientists find
Biologists in the U.S. have found that air loops through the lungs of alligators in one direction, just as it does in the lungs of birds.
Wasp genome could aid pest control
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- The genome sequence of three wasp species could be valuable in producing products for pest control, researchers in New York said.
Making microscopic worms into a more deadly insecticide
Microscopic nematode worms can be a potent organic insecticide, killing crop-raiding bugs without without environmental side effects of chemicals. But when the worms are mass-bred for agriculture, they tend to...
New method fixes broken proteins to treat genetic diseases
Researchers have demonstrated how it could be possible to treat genetic diseases by enhancing the natural ability of cells to restore their own mutant proteins. In particular, they found that...
Novel mouse model of demyelinating disorder
In the February 1st issue of G and D, Dr Brian Popko (The University of Chicago) and colleagues describe how mutation of a gene called ZFP191 leads to disordered CNS...
Gene discovery could boost yield of key malaria drug
The discovery of genes in the plant Artemisia that control the yield of the antimalarial artemisinin could increase stretched supplies.
Fish have longer memories than believed
WAGGA WAGGA, Australia, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A widely held belief that fish remember things for only three seconds is a myth, an Australian researcher said.
Iran, Iraq oil dispute lingers
BAGHDAD, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Iraq presented a cross-sectarian pledge to find an end to border disputes with Iran stemming from the Iranian seizure of a border oil well,...
Work starts on second leg of ESPO
MOSCOW, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Welding on the second leg of the Eastern-Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline from Skovorodino to the Sea of Japan has begun, Russian oil company Vostochnaya said.
Study Advances New Target for CNS Drug Development
Researchers at the University of Kentucky have discovered that the small molecule withaferin A targets intermediate filaments GFAP and vimentin in a model of retinal gliosis.
A flying boost for neuroscience
(PhysOrg.com) -- Understanding the causes of autism and schizophrenia could be a step closer for researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute at The University of Queensland after they unravelled the...
Lost worlds: New species found in Ecuador
A team of American and Ecuadorian scientists working for Reptile & Amphibian Ecology International have discovered a treasure trove of previously undiscovered biodiversity in a rare and dwindling ecosystem in...
South Africa's Cradle of Humankind
David Smith at South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves, known as the Cradle of HumankindDavid Smith
RSPB takes rare insects under its wing
Wild bird conservation charity announces scheme to breed and reintroduce four species of endangered invertebrates into UK habitatsWild bird conservation charity the RSPB is turning its attention to insects with schemes to breed...
Why mice develop 'knots' while exploring a new environment
During exploration of a new environment, mice establish "knots" - preferred places visited sporadically and marked by the performance of twists and turns, according to a new study by Israel...
New code as salmon season starts
Anglers on the River Tay are being asked to free every salmon they catch in an effort to conserve stocks.
Early immune response needed for hit-and-hide cancer viruses
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Retroviruses such as HIV and HTLV-1 don't hit-and-run, they hit-and-hide. They slip into host cells and insert their own DNA into the cell's DNA, and from...
A Frightful Genetic Twist
A common genetic variant makes a scary experience harder to shake [Read more]
Bee research shows benefits of native plants, wild bees
(PhysOrg.com) -- As scientists struggle to come to grips with Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease threatening to wipe out domesticated honey bees in the United States, they have begun...
Animal behavioral studies can mimic human behavior
Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear. Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have...
Arctic birds fly long distance to avoid predators
Arctic shorebirds migrate over great distances - from Arctic islands to South America - in part because their eggs are less likely to be eaten in the far North, researchers...
Mammoth Project to Digitize the Tree of Life Could Uncover Thousands of New Species
Microsoft's Photosynth software will help scan and catalog 3-D models of specimens for analysis over the Web, anywhere Over the past 20 years, Richard Pyle figures he's discovered 100 new species of fish....
Escaped zoo hippo still roaming free
A 2-ton hippo who escaped from a flooded private zoo in Montenegro was roaming free Wednesday but returning to the zoo owner's restaurant to eat bread and hay. ...
New finding in cell migration may be key to preventing clots, cancer spread
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have discovered how cells in the body flatten out as they adhere to internal bodily surfaces, the first step...
Acidifying ocean may stifle phytoplankton
Chemical changes in seawater make a key nutrient less available to these organisms
Japan research funding safe
Research and university funding in Japan appears safe after recent threatened cuts, but some larger programmes still face sharp cutbacks
Behavioural fingerprints point to potential drugs
New high throughput screening technique generates behavioural fingerprints based on the responses of fish larvae to potential drugs
New genetic map will speed up plant breeding of the world's most important medicinal crop (w/ Podcast)
Plant scientists at the University of York have published the first genetic map of the medicinal herb Artemisia annua. The map is being used to accelerate plant breeding of Artemisia...