Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New tool in the fight against mosquito-borne disease: A microbial 'mosquito net'
Earlier this year, researchers showed that they could cut the lives of disease-carrying mosquitoes in half by infecting them with a bacterium they took from fruit flies.
Scientists show that plants have measure of the shortest day
(PhysOrg.com) -- It is not only people who feel the effects of short winter days - new research by the University of Edinburgh and the University of Warwick has shed light...
New DNA Analysis Method Drastically Cuts Time and Cost of Genome Sequencing
DNA genome sequencing has the potential to unlock a lot of secrets of our biology, but the process of DNA amplification -- making billions of molecular copies of a DNA strand in...
Czech Zoo Sends Four Rare White Rhinos to Kenya
Four of the world's eight remaining northern white rhinoceroses have been flown to Kenya in a last-ditch effort to save the critically endangered subspecies.
African leaf-eating primates 'likely to be wiped out' by climate change
Monkey species will become 'increasingly at risk of extinction' because of global warming, according to new research. The study reveals that populations of monkeys and apes in Africa that depend...
MARES to provide comprehensive view of south Florida marine ecosystems
A new $1.5 million NOAA-funded project, MARES will provide a comprehensive view of south Florida marine ecosystems. This will be the first study to include human dimensions science and deliver...
Molecular freight: Synthetic nanoscale transport system modeled on nature
(PhysOrg.com) -- Just like our roads, there is a lot of traffic within the cells in our bodies, because cell components, messenger molecules, and enzymes must also be brought to...
Scientists take a step towards uncovering the histone code
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have determined the structures of two enzymes that customise histones, the spool-like proteins around which DNA coils inside the cell...
Emergency Room wait times in Southern California
In Southern California -- where the posting of wait times has yet to be adopted -- wait times are even longer than they are nationally.
Metastasis formation revealed in detail and real time
Up to 25% of cancer patients develop metastases in the brain -- often long after successful treatment of the primary tumor. In almost all such cases, the prognosis is...
New insight into selective binding properties of infectious HIV
Free infectious HIV-1 is widely thought to be the major form of the virus in the blood of infected persons. However researchers have demonstrated that essentially all of the infectious...
The buzz on fruit flies: New role in the search for addiction treatments
Fruit flies may seem like unlikely heroes in the battle against drug abuse, but new research suggests that these insects -- already used to study dozens of human disease --...
Fewer migratory birds in Dutch woods due to climate change
All insect-eating migratory birds who winter in Africa and breed in the Dutch woods have decreased in numbers since 1984, according to new research. This decline is dramatic for certain...
Type of cell proves to be highly significant in genetic studies
Choosing the right cell type is particularly important in genetic studies. Researchers have now shown how variations in the genome can influence the activity of genes. This effect was found...
Bowing to Body Clocks, N.B.A. Teams Are Sleeping In
Several N.B.A. teams, to help their players get enough rest, have decided to do away with the early-morning shoot-around.
Koalas show some changes from ancestors
SYDNEY, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Prehistoric Australian koalas were as lazy as their modern counterparts and used the same loud bellowing to attract mates, a new study shows.
CDC: Rare infection passed on by Miss. organ donor
(AP) -- An extremely rare infection has been passed from an organ donor to at least one recipient in what is thought to be the first human-to-human transfer of...
Postal Service lavish on some meals
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Postal Service workers dined on crab cakes and beef Wellington during a five-month period in which $792,022 was spent unnecessarily, officials said.
Does Junk DNA Protect Against Mutation?
One of the most common hypotheses that I hear with regard to possible non-coding DNA function is that it serves to protect genes against mutation. Junk DNA, according to this...
Disease Risk Depends on Which Parent a DNA Variant Is Inherited From
A company used data from the population of Iceland to distinguish which chromosomes came from the mother and which from the father.
Europe's flora is becoming impoverished
With increasing species richness, due to more plant introductions than extinctions, plant communities of many European regions are becoming more homogeneous. The same species are occurring more frequently, whereas rare...
Why (And How) Some Daisies Got Their Spots
Dark spots on flower petals are common across many angiosperm plant families and occur on some flowers such as lilies, orchids, and considerable research has been done on the physiological...
Octopus tool-using behavior seen
LONDON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Australian researchers watching octopuses manipulate halved coconut shells into shelter claim it is the first example of tool use by the cephalopods.
Hitchhiking frogs possible disease threat
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Christmas trees heading north to Alaska may be carrying an extra "ornament" -- frogs -- and fish and game officials say they bring...
Research in aircraft control systems and robotics helps improve flight safety
(PhysOrg.com) -- At first blush, it may not seem like robots and aircraft control systems have anything in common. When you put them together, however, you arrive at the core...
Japanese Create Fluorescent Mario from Genetically Engineered Bacteria
Team Osaka's nanobiology lab created a petri-dish image of everyone's favorite Nintendo game character Nintendo's Mario has taught us science and even encouraged the development of better artificial intelligence. So it's...
Sucker-Footed Bat Hangs Upright Via Sweat, Not Suction
Despite its name, the sucker-footed bat of Madagascar—one of the few bats known to roost upright—actually uses "modified sweat" to cling to surfaces, a new study says. With video.
1,200-Plus Venomous Catfish Species Uncovered
About half of all known catfish species—many more than expected—bear spines that, when agitated, can rip open venom glands and stymie predators, a new study says.