Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Largest liver protein database created
BEIJING, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Chinese researchers say they have created the largest collection of data about proteins produced by genes in a single human organ -- the liver.
Longevity tied to genes that preserve tips of chromosomes
Scientists have found a clear link between living to 100 and inheriting a hyperactive version of an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres -- the tip ends of chromosomes.
Scientists Solve Structure Of NMDA Receptor Unit That Could Be Drug Target For Neurological Diseases
Scientists report success in solving the molecular structure of a key portion of a cellular receptor implicated in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other serious illnesses.
Sweet as can be: How E. coli gets ahead
Scientists at the University of York have discovered how certain bacteria such as Escherichia coli have evolved to capture rare sugars from their environment giving them an evolutionary advantage in...
Weak Link In Cancer Cell Armor Identified
The seeming invincibility of cancerous tumors may be crumbling, thanks to a promising new gene therapy that eliminates the ability of certain cells to repair themselves. Researchers have discovered that...
New explanation for nature's hardiest life form
Got food poisoning? The cause might be bacterial spores, en extremely hardy survival form of bacteria, a nightmare for health care and the food industry and an enigma for scientists....
New microscope used to biopsy brain tumors
PHOENIX, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have developed a miniature, hand-held microscope that may allow more precise removal of brain tumors.
New method created for cell analyzing
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- George Washington University scientists say they've developed a new way of exploring the insides of living cells.
National Briefing | Environment: Pelican Removed from Endangered List
Interior Department officials are taking the brown pelican off the endangered species list, after a nearly four-decade struggle to keep the bird’s population afloat.
Bird "Sings" Through Feathers
Solving a longstanding puzzle among bird experts, scientists have found that the sharp, violin-like sounds of a South American songbird come not from the beak but from a suite of...
Evolution of a single gene linked to language
Mutations in the gene could help explain why humans can speak but chimps can't.
High fat diet increases inflammation in the mouse colon
(PhysOrg.com) -- In mice fed a diet high in fat and low in fiber, vitamin D and calcium -- the so-called Western diet -- expression of a series of genes...
Explained: RNA interference
Every high school biology student learns the basics of how genes are expressed: DNA, the cell`s master information keeper, is copied into messenger RNA, which carries protein-building instructions to the...
Frenzied bees enter deadly combat
Male Dawson's bees kill each other en mass in a bid to mate with females, a bloody battle filmed by a BBC natural history team.
Iowa State engineers develop 3-D software to give doctors, students a view inside the body
James Oliver picked up an Xbox game controller, looked up to a video screen and used the device's buttons and joystick to fly through a patient's chest cavity for an...
Amphibians as environmental omen disputed
Amphibians, for years considered a leading indicator of environmental degradation, are not uniquely susceptible to pollution, according to a meta-analysis to be published in Ecology Letters...
Vibrations key to efficiency of green fluorescent protein
University of California, Berkeley, chemists have discovered the secret to the success of a jellyfish protein whose green glow has made it the darling of biologists and the subject of...
Africa's rarest monkey had an intriguing sexual past, DNA study confirms
The most extensive DNA study to-date of Africa's rarest monkey reveals that the species had an intriguing sexual past. Of the last two remaining populations of the recently discovered kipunji,...
Can a plant be altruistic?
The concept of altruism has long been debated in philosophical circles, and more recently, evolutionary biologists have joined the debate. From the perspective of natural selection, altruism may have...
*outdated"new"scientific discoveries and what they did and helped me to discover in my mind*
i can understand what i am taught or shown that has already been explained in most cases,but somethings i cannot find the answer to!
Microbial menagerie: Junk food binge alters community of microbes in the gut in less than a day
(PhysOrg.com) -- Switching from a low-fat, plant-based diet to one high in fat and sugar alters the collection of microbes living in the gut in less than a day, with...
Mucosal immune mechanism identified
YOKOHAMA, Japan, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Japanese scientists say they've discovered how specialized mucosal cells in the intestine identify, capture and destroy germs that make people sick.
Bug wears armor made of poo
A beetle apparently protects itself by constructing armor made from excrement, researchers now reveal. Volkswagen - Beetle - Recreation - Makes and Models - Autos
New mechanism explains how the body prevents formation of blood vessels
Researchers at Uppsala University, in collaboration with colleagues in Sweden and abroad, have identified an entirely new mechanism by which a specific protein in the body inhibits formation of new
Antarctic lake home to diverse community of viruses
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study of the genetic structure of viruses in an Antarctic lake has revealed an astonishing genetic richness in the large number of viral families discovered.
DNA repair could lessen autism
A new study will look at whether kids with autism have more DNA damage – if so, certain vitamin supplements may help.
Cornell releases predator beetle to battle hemlock pest
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cornell researchers released a well-studied beetle predator to test its ability to ward off a hemlock-killing aphid-like insect.
Robots to Swarm the Seas
Swarms of soup-can-sized robots will soon plunge into the ocean seeking data on poorly understood phenomena from currents to biology.