Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Beyond genomics, biologists and engineers decode the next frontier
A team of Princeton biologists and engineers has dramatically improved the speed and accuracy of measuring an enigmatic set of proteins that influences almost every aspect of how cells and...
Why Israeli rodents are more cautious than Jordanian ones
A series of studies carried out at the University of Haifa have found that rodent, reptile and ant lion species behave differently on either side of the Israel-Jordan border. 'The...
Engineer designs micro-endoscope to seek out early signs of cancer
Traditional endoscopes provide a peek inside patients' bodies. Now, a University of Florida engineering researcher is designing ones capable of a full inspection...
Search engines are source of learning
Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to Penn State researchers...
Why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to new research.
FIRST PICTURES: "Predator" Corals Eat Jellyfish
Using stinging tentacles and wide mouths, large coral polyps in the Red Sea have, for the first time, been discovered eating jellyfish nearly as big as they are.
We're off then: The evolution of bat migration
(PhysOrg.com) -- Not just birds, but also a few species of bats face a long journey every year. Researchers at Princeton University in the U.S. and at the Max Planck...
Brain disease 'resistance gene' evolves in Papua New Guinea community; could offer insights into CJD
A community in Papua New Guinea that suffered a major epidemic of a CJD-like fatal brain disease called kuru has developed strong genetic resistance to the disease, according to new...
Czech zoo lions kill rare tiger
Two lions at a zoo have killed a rare white tigress.
How crops survive drought
Breakthrough research done earlier this year by a plant cell biologist has greatly accelerated scientists' knowledge on how plants and crops can survive difficult environmental conditions like drought. In drought...
The benefits of stress ... in plants
Certain wild flax plants growing in poor soils have succeeded in balancing the stress in their lives -- these plants are less likely to experience infection from a fungal pathogen....
WPI researchers take aim at hard-to-treat fungal infections
WORCESTER, Mass. -- A team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park has developed a new model system to study...
New antioxidant compounds have been identified in foods such as olive oil, honey and nuts
Scientists have used two new techniques, capillary electrophoresis and high resolution liquid chromatography, to enable them to identify and quantify a great part of the phenolic compounds in such foods....
Let them eat snail: Nutritional giant snails could address malnutrition
A nutritionist in Nigeria says that malnutrition and iron deficiency in schoolchildren could be reduced in her country by baking up snail pie. She explains snail is not only cheaper...
Lupus Foundation of America Releases Video Series on the Latest Lupus Research
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) joined more than 11,000 rheumatologists and allied health professionals at the American College of Rheumatology's (ACR) 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in...
Dr. Paul Zamecnik dies at 96; scientist made two major discoveries
He discovered transfer RNA, a crucial molecule in the synthesis of proteins in the cell, and antisense therapy, in which strands of DNA or RNA are used to block the...
Lab worms are stunned by 'phaser'
Scientists show off an effect not unlike that of "phasers" in Star Trek - but it only works on tiny worms called nematodes.
First aquarium in US to breed dwarf cuttlefish
Scientists have established a successful captive breeding program for dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis. The program is the first of its kind in a US aquarium, and offers the academy and...
Predator beetle to battle hemlock pest
Hemlock woolly adelgids (HWA) -- aphidlike insects that have destroyed stands of hemlocks throughout the East Coast -- were first identified in hemlocks in the central Finger Lakes in summer...
Blindness causes structural brain changes, implying brain can re-organize itself to adapt
Scientists have confirmed that blindness causes structural changes in the brain, implying that the brain may re-organize itself functionally in order to adapt to a loss in sensory inputs.
Feature: Radio mice and poisonous snakes
An ANU researcher is tracking the hazardous life of endangered Australian native mice.
Austria says farewell to Fu Long the panda
A 2-year-old panda who charmed his way into the hearts of Austrians is headed to China. Fu Long has been the star attraction at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo since he was...
Pearls Cultured from Conchs
Scientists have invented the first successful method for culturing pearls from the queen conch
Hospital ID's patients by vein structure
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 18 (UPI) -- A California hospital says it has started identifying new patients using a biometric registration system that scans their palms.
Efforts to sustain biodiversity fall short
But the issue is gaining attention as nations prepare for next year's summit.
Biodiversity: On the origin of bar codes
Genetic sequences in a cell's mitochondria can be used to accurately determine species. Could this be because they are responsible for creating what they identify? Nick Lane investigates.
Biodiversity: Biodiversity's bright spot
While species losses mount worldwide, conservationists in Brazil have made great strides towards saving the golden lion tamarin and its forest habitat from destruction. Gene Russo reports.
Plant genetics database at risk as funds run dry
National Science Foundation to cut support for resource.