Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Missing piece of DNA replication puzzle identified
DNA replication is a basic function of living organisms, allowing cells to divide and multiply, all while maintaining the genetic code and proper function of the original cell. The process,...
Stem-cell activators switch function, repress mature cells
New research shows how a crucial step in stem-cell growth and differentiation happens and how a reversal of that step contributes to cancer. It shows that three key proteins first...
Researchers design a tool to induce controlled suicide in human cells
When cells accumulate excessive errors in the proteins they produce, apoptosis is activated, that is to say, a cell suicide programme; however, beforehand the cells attempt to rectify the problem...
Invasion without a stir
'Based on our data, the molecular mechanism of infection employed by Salmonella has to be revised,' says Klemens Rottner, head of the HZI research group 'Cytoskeleton Dynamics.' The group's results...
2 cancer codes cracked
Scientists hail the unlocking of the complete genetic code of two common cancers as "a fundamental moment in cancer research."
Promising New Class of Antibiotics Causes Bacteria to Commit Suicide
As bacteria continue to grow more resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, doctors are searching furiously for better ways to kill infectious microbes. Enter hydroxyurea. Researchers at MIT and Boston University have...
Study: Cells move in mysterious ways
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have, for the first time, tracked how the body's cells move in three dimensions.
Diversity lacking in some stem cell lines
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- University of Michigan researchers say they've discovered a genetic lack of diversity in some of the most used human embryonic stem cell...
Invasion without a stir
Bacteria of the genus Salmonella cause most food-borne illnesses. The bacteria attach to cells of the intestinal wall and induce their own ingestion by cells of the intestinal epithelium. Up...
Significant advances made in molecular computing
Researchers have made significant advances in molecular computing. These include defining the fundamental limits of such 'biological computers'. Molecular computing attempts to use components of organisms (eg genes) to run...
Bees 'mummify' their enemy alive
A stingless bee in Australia mummifies its enemy by entombing alive in wax and resin.
More effort needed to crack down on 'secret remedies'
The medical establishment and politicians must do more to crack down on alternative medicine, argues a senior scientist on BMJ.com today.
Scientists use DNA sequencing to attack lung cancer
Aided by next-generation DNA sequencing technology, an international team of researchers has gained insights into how more than 60 carcinogens associated with cigarette smoke bind to and chemically modify human...
Scientists use cell phone records to predict spread of malaria
University of Florida researchers at work on a malaria elimination study in Africa have become the first to predict the spread of the disease using cell phone records...
Zoning the ocean may help endangered whales to recover
Scientists in Scotland, Canada and the US have proposed a new method to identify priority areas for whale conservation. The team's findings, published in Animal Conservation, suggest that even small...
Researchers find cells move in mysterious ways
Our cells are more like us than we may think. They're sensitive to their environment, poking and prodding deliberately at their surroundings with hand-like feelers and chemical signals as they...
Cancer genomes reveal risks of sun and smoke
Sequencing of skin and lung cancers show that many mutations could be prevented.
Human genomics: The genome finishers
Dedicated scientists are working hard to close the gaps, fix the errors and finally complete the human genome sequence. Elie Dolgin looks at how close they are.
Mao Wuz Here: The Great Leap, Uh, Forward?
I came across a this graph from the US Census Bureau on io9. They project the linear trend after 1965 out to 2050, assuming no major changes, which is always...
Synthetic platelets halve clotting time
Researchers have developed synthetic platelets from biodegradable polymers. In animal models, the synthetics attach to natural platelets and stem bleeding faster than current treatments.
Santa promotes unhealthy lifestyle, doctor argues
Santa ought to ditch his sleigh, get walking, and give up his pipe, a public health expert argues.
Hospitals' flower bans questioned
Patients would be better off if British hospitals let them have flowers, a paper published Thursday suggests.
Make your pets a part of your New Year's resolutions
(PhysOrg.com) -- When drawing up a list of New Year's resolutions, be sure to include your pets, says Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine.
For coots, hatching order is crucial ID
When birds sneak eggs into others' nest, mom and dad can learn to find their own
Toward reading your own personal 'Book of Life'
What secrets about your risk for diseases are written in your own personal "Book of Life" -- the 30,000 or so genes that make you you? ...
Rare Cross River gorilla filmed
Rare footage is taken of an elusive and critically endangered type of gorilla.
A Gazillion Tiny Avatars
Viruses can cause havoc and misery, but they also cause other organisms to evolve.
Scientists' 3-D view of genes-at-work is paradigm shift in genetics
New research has revealed for the first time that genes work together by huddling in clusters inside the nucleus -- the information center of a cell. These findings represent a...