Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Fruit bats use oral sex to prolong the deed
When they do their thing, female Chinese fruit bats add oral sex to get the males to prolong the act, scientists now find, suggesting the behavior confers evolutionary benefits.
Venomous Shrew And Lizard: Harmless Digestive Enzyme Evolved Twice Into Dangerous Toxin In Two Unrelated Species
Biologists have shown that independent but similar molecular changes turned a harmless digestive enzyme into a toxin in two unrelated species -- a shrew and a lizard -- giving each...
'Green' metal coating developed
Australian scientists have developed an eco-friendly coating that keeps galvanised products shiny without the toxic footprint.
Caltech researchers show efficacy of gene therapy in mouse models of Huntington's disease
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling...
Heavy metals accumulate more in some mushrooms than in others
A research team from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) has analysed the presence of heavy metals in 12 species of mushroom collected from non-contaminated natural areas, and has found...
Inconspicuous leaf beetles reveal environment's role in formation of new species
Unnoticed by the nearby residents of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, tiny leaf beetles that flit among the maple and willow trees in the area have just provided some of the clearest...
Stress-induced changes in brain circuitry linked to cocaine relapse
Stress-evoked changes in circuits that regulate serotonin in certain parts of the brain can precipitate a low mood and a relapse in cocaine-seeking, based on mouse studies published online this...
Unlocking mysteries of the brain with PET
Inflammatory response of brain cells - as indicated by a molecular imaging technique - could tell researchers more about why certain neurologic disorders, such as migraine headaches and psychosis in...
ANIMAL ROBOTS: Marine Machines Made in Nature's Image
From AquaPenguin to Charlie the Robo-Tuna, underwater robots are going wild as scientists find nature has often already conquered their engineering challenges.
'Three Rivers' handles organ transplant issues with care
Former addicts are allowed to qualify for a new heart after getting clean -- and cocaine use can indeed harm the ticker. ...
RARE PHOTOS: Giant Squid Eaten by Sperm Whale
"Absolutely sensational" new pictures are rare proof that the world's largest toothed whales feed on elusive giant squid. And if researchers are right, the photos may also show a baby whale's hunting lessons.
A Little Fellatio Goes a Long Way
Fruit bats found to engage in oral sex--a behavior that may have important consequences [Read more]
Disappearing Frogs
Disease, pollution, and loss of habitat are killing off hundreds of species of amphibians. One of the biggest threats right now is an aquatic fungus called chytrid that infects the...
Insecticide 'wallpaper' lethal to malaria mosquitoes
Using sheeting impregnated with insecticide may be easier, and less toxic, than wall-spraying.
USU scientists report major advance in human antibody therapy against deadly Nipah virus
Rockville, Md. (Oct.
HIV Tamed By Designer 'Leash'
Researchers have shown how an antiviral protein produced by the immune system, dubbed tetherin, tames HIV and other viruses by literally putting them on a leash, to prevent their escape...
Writings of Persian scientist studied anew
TEHRAN, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A Persian scientist who lived more than 600 years ago left information on respiratory ailments that are valid today, researchers said.
HALLOWEEN PICTURES: Spooky Species Discovered This Year
Get spooked by a ghostshark, a "Dracula" fish, a carnivorous sea squirt, and more of 2009's freakiest finds.
7 ghoulish archaeological discoveries
Remember the haunted house in grade-school where your hand was guided into a bowlful of "brains"? Those skinned grapes have nothing on what scientists have dug up over the years.
Exploring the final frontier: Disease proposed as major barrier to Mars and beyond
A new report appearing in The Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) argues that human missions to Mars, as well as all other long-term space flights might be compromised by microbial...
'Moonlighting' molecules discovered
Since the completion of the human genome sequence, a question has baffled researchers studying gene control: How is it that humans, being far more complex than the lowly yeast, do...
2-pronged protein attack could be source of SARS virulence
Ever since the previously unknown SARS virus emerged from southern China in 2003, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston virologists have focused on finding the source of the pathogen's...
Frog embryos 'smell' predators
Frogs learn the smell of their future predators while they are still embryos, according to researchers.
Red, White Wine, Fish And Science
The long-standing rule of matching wine and food -- red wine with red meat and white wine with fish -- actually has a scientific explanation, according to two scientists working...
A Material Based on Sharkskin Stops Bacterial Breakouts
A whale’s skin is easily glommed up with barnacles, algae, bacteria and other sea creatures, but sharks stay squeaky-clean. Although these parasites can pile onto a shark’s rippled skin too, they can’t take...
Scientists examine how common pesticide mixes may affect bee die-offs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Since reports of widespread bee die-offs began to surface in October 2006, researchers have investigated possible reasons ranging from hive-infecting mites to cell phone-tower radiation. They have yet...
New tactics in Guam rhino beetle invasion
Canines and a bio-control organism come to the rescue of Guam's coconut trees in efforts to control an invasive species plaguing the island.
Video: Artificial Sperm and Eggs Grown
Maggie Rodriguez spoke with Dr. Jennifer Ashton about scientists that successfully grew artificial sperm and eggs from stem cells.