Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Nanomagnets Guide Stem Cells To Damaged Tissue
Microscopic magnetic particles have been used to bring stem cells to sites of cardiovascular injury in a new method designed to increase the capacity of cells to repair damaged tissue,...
Scientists watch 40,000 generations evolve
EAST LANSING, Mich., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- An on-going Michigan State University project is allowing scientists to observe the evolution of 40,000 generations of bacteria.
Small mechanical forces have big impact on embryonic stem cells
Applying a small mechanical force to embryonic stem cells could be a new way of coaxing them into a specific direction of differentiation, researchers at the University of Illinois report....
Fate Therapeutics announces creation of small molecule platform for commercial-scale reprogramming
La Jolla, CA -- October 18, 2009 -- Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced today the generation of human induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using a combination of small molecules that...
Sating the Ravenous Brain: Researchers Quell Hunger Neurons in Fruit Flies
Two decades ago, the discovery of neuropeptide Y ( NPY ), a peptide in the mammalian brain involved in food-seeking behavior, sparked a search for a weight-loss remedy that could interfere with its...
New findings on the formation of body pigment
The skin's pigment cells can be formed from completely different cells than has hitherto been thought, a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet shows. The results, which...
Scientists demonstrate link between genetic defect and brain changes in schizophrenia
For decades, scientists have thought the faulty neural wiring that predisposes individuals to behavioural disorders like autism and psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia must occur during development. Even so, no one...
'Spaghetti' scaffolding could help grow skin in labs
Scientists are developing new scaffolding technology which could be used to grow tissues such as skin, nerves and cartilage using 3D spaghetti-like structures. Their research is highlighted in the latest...
TraDIS technique tackles typhoid
For the first time, researchers are able to look at the need for every gene in a bacterial cell in a single experiment. The new method will transform the study...
No Such Thing As 'Junk RNA,' Say Researchers
Tiny fragments of RNA previously dismissed as cellular junk are actually stable molecules that play a significant role in gene regulation, say researchers. The findings represent the first examination of...
Norwegian Wood For The Ages: 'Mummified' Pine Trees Found
Norwegian scientists have found "mummified" pine trees, dead for nearly 500 years yet without decomposition.
Fish vision discovery makes waves in natural selection
Emory University researchers have identified the first fish known to have switched from ultraviolet vision to violet vision, or the ability to see blue light. The discovery is also the...
Dr. Mahlon Hoagland dies at 87; scientist helped discover how cells build proteins
Dr. Mahlon Hoagland, who helped unravel the mystery of how cells build proteins by discovering a molecule that brings individual amino acids to growing protein chains and who spent the...
Three Pigs May Be the First in the U.S. With Swine Flu
The Minnesota pigs tested positive for the virus, said the Agriculture Department, though it cautioned that the results were preliminary.
Brace the muscles along spine with stretching exercises
This is a safe and effective way to strengthen the muscles in your back that run parallel to your spine. Start with just a small range of motion and make...
Tougher Protections Sought for Polar Bear
U.S. Seeking to Ban International Trade in Bears' Fur and Other Parts
For online bargains, working together yields deals
(AP) -- From karaoke to kickball, some things just don't work without a group of people. A startup wants to add one more to that list: Online bargain hunting.
Green spaces can mean improved health
People living close to green spaces have less chance of being mentally ill, say Dutch researchers.
Alligators surprisingly monogamous
A 10-year study of alligators at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana revealed that up to 70 percent of females chose to remain with their partner, often for many years.
Hare coursers 'flout Hunting Act'
A BBC investigation suggests illegal hare coursing is on the rise despite its ban under the 2004 Hunting Act.
Mauritana locust infestation spreading to Morocco: UN
An invasion of crickets in Mauritania has spread to Morocco and the western Sahara, and could worsen if there is strong rainfall in coming weeks, the United Nations warned Friday.
Bacterium with grabber arms stops intruders
Bacteria in drinks such as Vifit stop pathogens by using grabber-like arms to cling onto intestinal walls. This discovery is made by a group of Finnish, Belgium and Dutch researchers,...
Biologist finds way to slow death process
SEATTLE, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- A Seattle scientist says he found that hydrogen sulfide can take the place of oxygen and slow the death process in animals.
Shaggy microbes aid immune system
NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Shaggy microbes found in mice could help determine how intestinal bacteria protects against harmful pathogens, a scientist in New York said.
Fruit fly invades Northwest
CORVALLIS, Ore., Oct. 16 (UPI) -- An invasive fruit fly spotted last year in California has now been found in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, researchers said.
Strategic screening for drugs
US scientists are targeting an enzyme essential to bacterial metabolism in the search for new antibiotics
Why Have Sex? To Fend Off Parasites
New research shows one way sexual reproduction is advantageous over asexual reproduction: it protects against parasites
The Heart: So Elegant, Yet So Complex
The human heart, a tireless organ that beats within our chests continuously for decades, continues to amaze me, in spite of my having studied it for several years now. My...