Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists map brain pathway for vocal learning
Scientists have identified neurons in the songbird brain that convey the auditory feedback needed to learn a song. Their research lays the foundation for improving human speech, for example, in...
Chromosomes make a rapid retreat from nuclear territories
Chromosomes move faster than we first thought. New findings show the way chromosomes move around the nucleus when leaving the proliferative stage of the cell cycle and entering quiescence --...
Neural thermostat keeps brain running efficiently
Our energy-hungry brains operate reliably and efficiently while processing a flood of sensory information, thanks to a sort of neuronal thermostat that regulates activity in the visual cortex, researchers have...
Genome Sequencing Shows Past Genetic Events Made Soybeans Rich in Versatile Gene Families
The sequencing of the soybean genome will be announced in a paper forthcoming in the January 14 issue of the journal Nature. Authored by Jeremy Schmutz of the Joint Genome...
Protein needed to develop auditory neurons identified
Loss of spiral ganglion neurons or hair cells in the inner ear is the leading cause of congenital and acquired hearing impairment. Researchers have found that Sox2, a protein that...
New test for lung cancer described
CORONADO, Calif., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A study of a new blood test to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages says results look hopeful, researchers meeting in California...
Key piece of puzzle sheds light on function of ribosomes
When ribosomes produce protein in all living cells, they do so through a chemical reaction that happens so fast that scientists have been puzzled. Using large quantum mechanical calculations of...
Parasitic larva ditches doomed host
A cunning insect detects when its host is under threat from predators to make a timely escape.
Disease epidemic killing only US bats
European bats seemingly unaffected by fungal infection.
'Noisiest' neurons persist in the adult brain
MIT neuroscientists have discovered that when it comes to new neurons in the adult brain, the squeakiest wheels get the grease.
Tilapia threatening Fiji fish species
SUVA, Fiji, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Tilapia, an African fish introduced to Fiji for sustainable farming, is threatening the larvae and juvenile fish of several native species, officials said.
Light shed on fish gill mystery
Fish developed gills to "decontaminate" their bodies, rather than to breathe, new research suggests.
Sweet corn study provides large-scale picture of better fields
In what amounted to a kind of census of sweet corn grown for processing, three years of data from 175 fields in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota shed light on what...
Wild boars on the rise in North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Destructive wild boar populations are increasing in North Carolina and have been documented in nearly half of the state's counties, officials said.
Click chemistry reveals sugar synthesis in live animals
Clever click chemistry allows the biosynthesis of glycans – key components in cellular processes – to be monitored in living mice
Big, social, Island-dwelling birds live longest
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research may help explain underlying evolutionary principles that shape life spans for many organisms, including humans.
Wild boar forage in Forest bins
The creatures are spotted rooting through rubbish bins to find food during the big freeze.
Puffins' winter odyssey revealed
Puffins from the North Sea's largest colony make a surprise excursion to the Atlantic Ocean, tags fitted to the seabirds reveal.
Stingray's 'tool use' revealed
Freshwater stingrays use water as a 'tool' in problem-solving tests, scientists reveal for the first time.
Gladstone scientists identify role of key protein in ALS and frontotemporal dementia
Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have identified the reason a key protein plays a major role in two neurodegenerative diseases.
Mosquito hunters invent better, cheaper, DIY disease weapon
Researchers believe they have come up with the cheapest, most efficient way yet to monitor adult mosquitoes and the deadly diseases they carry, from malaria to West Nile Virus.
In Reversal, Jaguar Habitat Will Be Protected
Thirteen years after the jaguar was listed as endangered, the Fish and Wildlife Service will protect its habitat.
Nociception and Pain in Teleost Fish
For her doctorate, Janicke Nordgreen has studied nociception and pain in teleost fish. Her conclusion is that it is very likely the fish feel pain.
The 'Nose' Knows
(PhysOrg.com) -- Some might say it's as plain as the nose on your face. But detecting toxic or dangerous chemicals in the microgravity environment of space takes a little extra...
Team wins global race to achieve landmark synthesis of perplexing natural product
In 1993 researchers discovered a chemical compound in a sponge off Palau, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, that has shown anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal pharmaceutical promise. This compound,...
Lizards' camouflage reveals evolution in action
These desert lizards' accelerated evolution could provide researchers with new insights into how species form. Evolution - Species - Biology - Human - Education
Can a Whale Get Rabies?
“It’s not as silly a question as you might think,” says Michael Moore, a marine-mammal research specialist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. “It would take some extraordinary circumstances, but any mammal...
Disease Enzyme Scrutinized
Structural Biology: X-ray structure of a conformationally flexible drug target reveals how its inhibitors work.