Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Among apes, teeth are made for the toughest times
The teeth of some apes are formed primarily to handle the most stressful times when food is scarce, according to new research* performed at the National Institute of Standards and...
Looking for the heartbeat of cellular networks
Life in biological cells appears as an intricate network of molecular interactions. Today's methods to measure such reaction kinetics, however, cannot be applied to living cells. Researchers have now developed...
Marking of tissue-specific crucial in embryonic stem cells to ensure proper function
Tissue-specific genes, thought to be dormant or not marked for activation in embryonic stem cells, are indeed marked by transcription factors, with proper marking potentially crucial for the function of...
Antagonistic genes control rice growth
Scientists have found that a plant steroid prompts two genes to battle each other -- one suppresses the other to ensure that leaves grow normally in rice and the experimental...
World's rarest gorilla captured on video
NEW YORK, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Conservationists say the world's rarest great ape has finally been captured on professional video on a forested mountain in Cameroon.
TGen analysis identifies biomarkers for diabetic kidney failure
Researchers using a DNA analysis tool developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and UCLA have identified genetic markers that could help treat chronic kidney disease among diabetics...
Even at sublethal levels, pesticides may slow the recovery of wild salmon populations
Biologists determined that short-term, seasonal exposure to pesticides in rivers and basins may limit the growth and size of wild salmon populations. In addition to the widespread deterioration of salmon...
Heart cells on lab chip display 'nanosense' that guides behavior
Biomedical engineers have produced a laboratory chip with nanoscopic grooves and ridges capable of growing cardiac tissue that more closely resembles natural heart muscle.
Scientists study hummingbirds flight to develop self-propelled surveillance devices
The secret to the flight of the hummingbird and other tiny birds and insects lies in the looping, swirling flow of air, called a vortex, that their flapping wings create.
Surveying bird biodiversity from space?
(PhysOrg.com) -- A fundamental rule of wildlife ecology says that diverse habitats foster greater biodiversity: The Amazon has far more species than Greenland. But how do habitat and biodiversity relate...
Blue whale songs get even bluer
Blue whales' songs are hauntingly deep, filled with extraterrestrial vibratos, and utterly mysterious. Despite many attempts to interpret them, scientists still don't know what the world's largest animals are saying. ...
New Bigfoot Image Cut Down by Occam's Razor
If an image resembles a human in size and shape, is it more likely that the figure is actually a person, or that it's Bigfoot?
Researchers discover novel method for detecting MIRCERA
Austrian researchers have successfully developed a new electrophoretic method for detecting MIRCERA(R) and other erythropoietins (EPO) in the blood. The technique, using SARCOSYL-PAGE, has specifically enhanced sensitivity for MIRCERA, but...
New bacterial behaviour observed
Bacteria dance the electric slide, officially named electrokinesis by the USC geobiologists who discovered the phenomenon...
Elusive Tree Kangaroos Fitted With Video Cameras
These hard-to-reach "plush toys" on Papua New Guineau have been outfitted with "Crittercams" for the first time. The breathtaking treetop footage is already solving tree kangaroo mysteries, researchers say. Video.
Quick test names grass type
Researchers are working on a genetic test that can quickly identify twenty thousand grass species, including key pasture species.
EU agrees on 2010 fishing limits
EU ministers agree on reduced quotas of cod, haddock and sole for next year, but a ban on anchovy fishing is lifted.
Climate Wizard makes large databases of climate information visual, accessible
A Web tool that generates colour maps of projected temperature and precipitation changes using 16 of the world's most prominent climate-change models is being used to consider such things as...
Scotland's deer 'changing shape'
Scotland's wild red deer are changing shape due to breeding with a foreign species, a new study finds.
Opinion: Desert knowledge – key to surviving the 21st Century
In order to survive the uncertain times ahead, Australia should look to the people, plants and animals that live in the harshest and most unpredictable habitat - the desert.
PHOTOS: Ten Environmental Losses of 2009
The environment—and the environmental movement—suffered significant setbacks in 2009, experts say. Among the lowlights: Lemurs became food, a lot of ice became water, and in the Caribbean some sharks became...
Cloning plants from seeds
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wageningen geneticists (The Netherlands) are developing a method to replicate the parents of a chosen plant. Known as 'reverse breeding', this will have a big impact for the...
Virus makes plants lie to insects
Deceptively delicious smell of infected squash plants tricks aphids into spreading disease
Helping hands
(PhysOrg.com) -- In capstone project, mechanical engineering students apply innovative and collaborative skills to create a rehab glove that stroke patients can use at home
Neuron grafts help rats regain lost memory
BANGALORE, India, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Scientists in India say an injection of nerve cells into damaged areas of the brains of rats restores the animals' spatial memory and...
When Blue Waters aren't wet.
See webinar Dec. 17. Blue Waters is a supercomputer that will be used to tackle research challenges in proteomics, genomics, modeling of macromolecular complex structures and others that simply cannot...
Biologist Shows Female Birds of a Feather Compete Together
(PhysOrg.com) -- With its flamboyantly decorated plumage, the peacock is a classic example of how males among many bird species are more visually eye-catching than their female partners. But new...
MS vein theory creates 'huge hope': MD
Trials in Italy and the U.S. investigating the effectiveness of an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis has some Canadians reaching for their passports.