Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Nervy research: Researchers take initial look at ion channels in a model system
New research has allowed scientists to observe nerve ion channels within the cell surface membrane for the first time, potentially offering insights for future drug development.
Glowing Prairie Rodents Teach Us the Genetics Of Monogamy
Man, those scientists just love their glowing lab subjects. First came mice, and then recently the first primates got some jellyfish genes implanted into their DNA. Now, scientists at Emory University have implanted...
UCSB, UCL scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells
An international team of scientists has rescued visual function in laboratory rats with eye disease by using cells similar to stem cells. The research shows the potential for stem cell-based...
Glial cells can cross from the central to the peripheral nervous system
Glial cells, which help neurons communicate with each other, can leave the central nervous system and cross into the peripheral nervous system to compensate for missing cells, according to new...
No Asian carp found yet in Ill. fish kill
(AP) -- No Asian carp have been spotted so far in a Chicago canal during a massive fish kill aimed at trying to keep the giant fish out of...
Shark Fins Traced to Home Waters Using DNA -- A First
Many of the hammerhead sharks butchered to feed Asian demand for shark-fin soup come from endangered populations in American waters, a new forensic study shows.
Why females live longer than males: is it due to the father's sperm?
Researchers in Japan have found that female mice produced by using genetic material from two mothers but no father live significantly longer than mice with the normal mix of maternal...
Rhino poaching surges in Asia and Africa
GLAND, Switzerland, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- A report by two Switzerland-headquartered conservation groups says worldwide rhinoceros poaching is increasing, especially in Asia and Africa.
Bacterial gut symbionts are tightly linked with the evolution of herbivory in ants
Broadly speaking, ants have two different feeding strategies. A large proportion of all species are 'carnivorous,' meaning that they are generalist predators feeding on other small animals or scavenging on...
Marine aquaculture could feed growing world population
The oceans could become the source of more of humanity's food if steps are taken to expand and improve marine aquaculture, according to a study published in the December 2009...
To keep muscles strong, the 'garbage' has to go
In order to maintain muscle strength with age, cells must rid themselves of the garbage that accumulates in them over time, just as it does in any household, according to...
ERK's got rhythm: Protein that controls cell growth found to cycle in and out of cell nucleus
Time-lapsed video of individual breast tissue cells reveals a never-before-seen event in the life of a cell: a protein that cycles between two major compartments: the nucleus, where genes are...
Intensive fungicide use may lead to azole resistance in humans
(PhysOrg.com) -- A team of scientists from the Netherlands, including Gert Kema of Plant Research International, published an article in the Lancet Infectious Diseases about the relationship between fungicide use...
ARS Survey Helps Growers Track Two Key Cotton Pests
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cotton growers will be better able to keep an eye out for two common pests because of a comprehensive survey by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at College...
Acidic Oceans May Be a Boon for Some Marine Dwellers
Falling ocean pH might help some marine animals build stronger skeletons and shells [Read more]
Poached hammerhead fins traced to endangered populations
Mapping populations with DNA comparisons offers possible tool for conservation
PICTURES: Best Microscopic-Life Images of 2009 Named
See algae sex, a flea's "crown of thorns," and what gives a venomous sea creature its sting in the best light microscope images of 2009.
Resonating feathers produce courtship song in rare bird
Four years ago, a researcher reported a bizarre example of sexual selection in a rare South American bird: The male attracts the female by rubbing specialized wing feathers -- more...
Overfishing linked to algal blooms
Depletion of large predatory fish disrupts food chain.
A modernized methodology for obtaining new varieties of potato
Research into the potato tuber at the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development and at the NEIKER-Tecnalia Technology Centre has, in recent years, focused on the development of new...
Bacteria prefer prime real estate
Microbes that reside in and on the human body are picky about where they live. Bacteria - Human anatomy - United States - Real Estate -...
Video: Giant jellyfish invade Japanese waters
Swarms of giant jellyfish are threatening Japan's fishing industry as the huge seaborne creatures are ruining fishermen's nets and catches
Clever ravens cooperatively hunt
Brown-necked ravens team up to hunt lizards, revealing an unexpected level of intelligence, say scientists.
Getting on 'the GABA receptor shuttle' to treat anxiety disorders
There are increasingly precise molecular insights into ways that stress exposure leads to fear and through which fear extinction resolves these fear states. Extinction is generally regarded as new inhibitory...
Protein engineering advancing Alzheimer’s research
No one has yet found a cure or a way to prevent people from developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are breaking new ground in biotechnology to find new tools that can...
Evolutionary arms race between bacteria and their viruses in soil
Viruses of soil bacteria (phages) evolve to improve their ability to infect the bacterial hosts that surround them. This is shown in a new study. Phages appear to be better...
Bacteria 'invest' wisely to survive uncertain times, scientists report
Like savvy Wall Street money managers, bacteria hedge their bets to increase their chances of survival in uncertain times, strategically investing their biological resources to weather unpredictable environments. In a...
Grant to help zoo visitors learn more about science with their cell phones
Zoo visitors may soon use their cell phones to "Call the Wild" as part of a project led by University of Florida researchers to help the public learn more about...