Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Researchers discover biological basis of 'bacterial immune system'
(PhysOrg.com) -- Bacteria don`t have easy lives. In addition to mammalian immune systems that besiege the bugs, they have natural enemies called bacteriophages, viruses that kill half the bacteria on...
Mexico's GM maize a bad idea, say scientists
Scientists warn that Mexico is not prepared to protect its maize from transgenic varieties, and have called for trials to be blocked.
Scientists identify two molecules that affect brain plasticity in mice
Researchers have identified a set of molecular brakes that stabilize the developing brain's circuitry. Moreover, experimentally removing those brakes in mice enhanced the animals' performance in a test of visual...
Cells defend themselves from viruses, bacteria with armor of protein errors
When cells are confronted with an invading virus or bacteria or exposed to an irritating chemical, they protect themselves by going off their DNA recipe and inserting the wrong amino...
Study sheds light on brain's fear processing centre
Breathing carbon dioxide can trigger panic attacks, but the biological reason for this effect has not been understood. A new study by University of Iowa researchers shows that carbon dioxide...
Feeding the clock
When you eat may be just as vital to your health as what you eat, found researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Their experiments in mice revealed that...
Caltech scientists find emotion-like behaviours, regulated by dopamine, in fruit flies
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have uncovered evidence of a primitive emotion-like behaviour in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Their findings, which may be relevant to the...
Proteins in lung cancer cells that may provide potential drug targets identified
Researchers have identified a number of proteins whose activation allows them to distinguish between cancer and normal cells with almost 97 percent accuracy.
Crosstalk between critical cell-signaling pathways holds clues to tumor invasion and metastasis
Two signaling pathways essential to normal human development -- the Wnt/Wingless and epidermal growth factor receptor pathways -- interact in ways that can promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis, researchers...
First 'genetic map' of Han Chinese may aid search for disease susceptibility genes
The first genetic historical map of the Han Chinese, the largest ethnic population in the world, as they migrated from south to north over evolutionary time.
Startled flies may provide insight into ADHD
It seems obvious that naturally waking up from sleep and being startled by something in the environment are two very different emotional states. However, the neuroscience that underlies these different...
Opposites attract: Monkeys choose mating partners with different genes
The world's largest species of monkey "chooses" mates with genes that are different from their own to guarantee healthy and strong offspring, according to a new research study.
A cup of mint tea 'can kill pain', according to a study
A cup of Brazilian mint tea has pain relieving qualities to match those of commercially available analgesics, a study suggests.
Invasive Asian carp spread in Great Lakes
LONDON, Ontario, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Canadian environmental officials are concerned with the spread of invasive Asian carp in the Great Lakes where control measures don't seem to be...
Virus shells traps multiple proteins
Researchers boost the number of proteins that can be held inside the empty shell of a virus, bringing nanoreactors a step closer
Highly diverse DNA found in corn strains
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Nov. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say their discovery of genetic variations in two common types of corn could help biologists create strains of corn with specific...
Body ignores brain’s hunger
A recent study blocked the body’s ability to receive hunger signals in mice – making the mice lose fat, keep muscle, and eat normally.
Implant helps quit heroin
In a recent study, addicts who were trying to quit were given an implant that lowers cravings and blocks the effects of heroin.
Venomous Aussie redback spiders invading Japan
Australia's venomous redback spiders are on the march in Japan, where they are believed to have arrived years ago as stowaways on cargo ships, a wildlife expert warned Wednesday.
In Pictures: Bringing up baby
Intimate images captured for a BBC documentary show the struggle that animals go through to raise their offspring.
Insights Into The Molecular Basis Of Tumor Cell Behavior
A new study sheds light on the molecular basis by which tumor cells modulate their surroundings to favor cancer progression.
Meiosis: Chromosomes Dance And Pair Up On The Nuclear Membrane
Meiosis -- the pairing and recombination of chromosomes, followed by segregation of half to each egg or sperm cell -- is a major crossroads in all organisms reproducing sexually. Yet,...
Researchers begin to decipher metabolism of sexual assault drug
It's a naturally occurring brain chemical with an unwieldy name: 4-hydroxybutyrate (4-HB). Taken by mouth, it can be abused or used as a date-rape drug. Now, scientists have determined new...
Origin of life: Generating RNA molecules in water
A key question in the origin of biological molecules like RNA and DNA is how they first came together billions of years ago from simple precursors. Now, researchers have reconstructed...
One for the Ages: Bristlecone Pines Break 4,650-Year Growth Record
Bristlecone pine trees dot the White Mountains in eastern California, giving the stark and rocky landscape one of its few highly visible signs of life. These gnarly-barked trees can survive...
Gene protects brain-eaters from mad cow-type disease
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Villagers in the highlands of Papua New Guinea who ritualistically ate human brains but did not die of a brain disease called kuru have a genetic mutation...
When is a stem cell really a stem cell?
(PhysOrg.com) -- Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells -- adult cells reprogrammed to look and function like versatile embryonic stem cells -- are of growing interest in medicine. They may provide...
Fecal architecture is beetle armor
Predators have a hard time getting through the layers of excrement some beetle moms give their young