Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Horse Genome Sequence and Analysis Published in Science
An international team of researchers has decoded the genome of the domestic horse Equus caballus, revealing a genome structure with remarkable similarities to humans and more than one million genetic...
Newly discovered gene helps set body clock
LONDON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- British scientists say they have identified a gene that's critical in the fruit fly for synchronizing its temperature cycle with that of its environment.
Pecan trees benefit from thinning technique
TIFTON, GA -- Pecan trees, like many fruit trees, have a tendency to bear fruit in cycles, producing a large crop in one or two years, followed by one or...
New Activity Found For A Potential Anti-cancer Agent From Marine Sponges
Pateamine A, a natural product first isolated from marine sponges, has attracted considerable attention as a potential anti-cancer agent, and now a new activity has been found for it, which...
Drought tolerant cowpea can improve crop yield in arid West Africa
Even the highly drought-resistant cowpea (a long type of legume) now has an increasingly difficult time surviving in the Sahel countries where climate change has resulted in shorter and less...
New insights into Australia's unique platypus
New insights into the biology of the platypus and echidna have been published, providing a collection of unique research data about the world's only monotremes...
Why do animals, especially males, have so many different colours?
Why do so many animal species - including fish, birds and insects - display such rich diversity in coloration and other traits? In new research, Gregory Grether, UCLA professor of...
Pig DNA mapped: may help with vaccines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An international team of researchers said Monday it had mapped the DNA of a domestic pig, work they say could help lead to better breeding techniques as...
Bacteria 'invest' wisely to survive uncertain times, UT Southwestern 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...
E. Coli Kills 2; Focus Is on Beef
Two people, one from New Hampshire and another from upstate New York, have died after eating ground beef that may be responsible for an E. coli outbreak.
Wolves, Moose And Biodiversity: An Unexpected Connection
Moose eat plants; wolves kill moose. What difference does this classic predator-prey interaction make to biodiversity? A large and unexpected one, say wildlife biologists.
Data Point To Some Improvements In China's Environment
A recent assessment finds some positive trends among indicators of biodiversity loss in China -- notably, growth in forest coverage and improvements in marine ecosystems. However, other indicators, such as...
Rice research gets a leg up on understanding plant reactions to environment
One might say plants don't have a leg to stand on, but that may actually give them a leg up on the animal kingdom when it comes to environmental adaptability.
Pig DNA Is Decoded, a Boon for Research
Success in Genetic Sequencing May Help in Combating Human Ailments, Including Obesity, Heart Disease
Cut-And-Paste GFP
Protein Engineering: Method opens green fluorescent protein to better scrutiny, design.
Lupus Drug Shows Promise in New Trial
Human Genome Sciences said early Monday that its experimental drug to treat lupus was effective in its second big clinical trial.
Sneaky Spider Skips Long Sex Dance
Some male spiders must court females for more than an hour to avoid a premature death.
The sex life of seahorses
The mating habits of these bizarrely beautiful creatures are fascinating – they are the only species in which males truly become pregnant. We reveal the secrets of the sea bed, plus how to keep seahorses as...
Acidity regulation in microfluidic channels
Controlling pH in microfluidics could allow the activity of single enzymes to be measured, say Dutch scientists.
How light gave life a helping hand
A theory for how single-handed organic molecules came to be the building blocks of life
Pharmaceutical Manufacture: Biochemical 'On-switch' Could Solve Protein Purification Challenge
Drugs based on engineered proteins represent a new frontier for pharmaceutical makers. However, even after finding a protein that could become the next wonder drug, the problem of how to produce large quantities...
Dysfunctional Protein Dynamics Behind Neurological Disease?
Researchers have taken a snapshot of proteins changing shape, sticking together and creating structures that are believed to trigger deadly processes in the nervous system. The discovery opens the possibility...
Neurocomplexity: A Challenge For Science Bloggers.
John Evans, a mathematician friend of mine in Cambridge England, came up with a formula that specifically allows one to estimate the relative complexity of nervous systems in the animal kingdom, from C....
--
#twitter-link {font:normal 11px verdana;clear:both;line-height:16px;} #twitter-link a{color:#999999;text-decoration:none;} #twitter-link a:hover{color:#5b5b5b;}
Debate Flares on Limits of Nature and Commerce in Parks
A battle centered around a spot on the Point Reyes National Seashore has environmental groups squaring off against an oyster farmer.
Spying on Corn Rootworm Predators Nightlife
(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist Jonathan G. Lundgren, while exploring corn fields at night, has found a very different group of predators than the ones that feed during...
For the tiger, a year closer to extinction
Next year, according to the Chinese calendar, is the Year of the Tiger but conservationists say the omens are inauspicious for an animal on the brink of extinction.
New DNA Method Makes It Easier To Trace Criminals
DNA samples often convict criminals. But many of today's forensic tests are so polluted by soil, tobacco and food remains, for example, that they can not be used. Now researchers...