Latest science news in Biology & Nature
PET imaging useful in lung cancer cases
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say a rapid decline in metabolic activity on a PET scan after radiation for non-small cell lung cancer suggests good local tumor...
Book by UC Riverside biologist explains Darwin's 'Origin of Species'
Many people have tried to read Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species," whose publication celebrates its 150th anniversary this month, but gave up.
Scientists to track leopard's prey
Australian scientists will soon be tracking the endangered snow leopards main prey in the hopes of improving its survival odds.
Pathogen protection and virulence: Dark side of fungal membrane protein revealed
Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and...
DNA molecules in moss open door to new biotechnology
Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden have now demonstrated that plasmid-based...
DNA barcodes: Creative new uses span health, fraud, smuggling, history, more
The scientific ability to quickly and accurately identify species through DNA "barcoding" is being embraced and applied by a growing legion of global authorities -- from medical and agricultural...
US and European experts applaud new transatlantic task force on antibiotic resistance threat
Thursday, Nov.
Australian agency denies gagging researchers
Furore over decision to pull scientist's carbon trading critique from journal.
The Skeleton: Size Matters; New Role For Master Patterning Genes In Defining Number Of Vertebrae In Spine
It has long been known that the identity of each vertebra is due to the activation of a class of genes called "Hox." Now, researchers in Portugal show that besides...
Experts Criticize Nanoparticle Study
Paper that hints at dangers of nanoscopic particles has no relevance to human disease, they say [Read more]
We spend more on products with detailed nutritional information
People would be willing to pay more for products that carry detailed nutritional information than for the so-called light items.
Possible Help In Fight Against Muscle-wasting Disease
A compound already used to treat pneumonia could become a new therapy for an inherited muscular wasting disease. Researchers report that pentamidine might be adapted to counter genetic splicing defects...
Hormones give lantern sharks the glow
Study is first to find chemicals, rather than nerve cells, controlling bioluminescence
Cosmic Log: DNA barcodes make their mark
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The "barcodes of life" are being used to crack down on smugglers, track down disease carriers and trace the effects of evolution and climate change.
Australian researchers first in the world to solve the genetic code of canola
(PhysOrg.com) -- Until recently, the genetic code of canola was a mystery. Australian researcher Dr David Edwards, in collaboration with Bayer CropScience and Keygene N.V., is the first in the...
Researcher finds forest birds 'commuting' to attract mates
(PhysOrg.com) -- An ecologist at the University of Rhode Island studying habitat use by a forest-dwelling game bird found that the birds unexpectedly exhibited what he described as "the bar...
Wikipedia: How Accurate Is It?
Students and doctors alike rely heavily on Wikipedia for information, but it's far from perfect. LiveScience gives you a breakdown on how to best use results from that next Wiki...
Saber-toothed cats practiced equality
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Despite their long fangs, male saber-toothed tigers may have been less aggressive than other big cats of their time, researchers in California said.
Chemistry Behind The Wall
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, chemists who lived in former East Germany reflect on science then and now.
Following the Adventurous Ant Trail
Biologist John Longino and his group study ant biodiversity in Central America
Scientists Reproduce a Building Block of Life in Laboratory
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA scientists studying the origin of life have reproduced uracil, a key component of our hereditary material, in the laboratory.
Nanoparticles for gene therapy improve
(PhysOrg.com) -- About five years ago, Professor Janet Sawicki at the Lankenau Institute in Pennsylvania read an article about nanoparticles developed by MIT's Robert Langer for gene therapy, the insertion...
Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat
Whether it's magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) giving an army of 'therapeutically armed' white blood cells direction to invade a deadly tumour's territory, or the use of mNPs to target specific nerve...
Chocolate rich in flavanols may protect the skin from UV
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has discovered for the first time that dark chocolate rich in flavanols may provide significant protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
The quest to save world's rarest duck - the Madagascar pochard
Conservationists have taken the first step in their mission to save the critically endangered Madagascar pochard.
Florida grapples slippery giant snake invasion
Florida homes and swamps more used to dealing with dangerous critters like alligators now face a more foreign invader -- giant pet snakes escaped into the wild whose numbers are...
Heavy Metals Accumulate More In Some Mushrooms Than In Others
Researchers in Spain have analyzed the presence of heavy metals in 12 species of mushroom collected from non-contaminated natural areas, and has found that the levels vary depending on the...
New Technique For Specifying Location Of Sugars On Proteins Paves Way For Medical Discoveries
Researchers have previously been able to analyse which sugar structures are to be found on certain proteins, but not exactly where on the protein they are positioned.