Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Bacterium aids in formation of gold
ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- An Australian-led team of international scientists says it's found the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans catalyses toxic gold compounds into metallic form.
IBM enter race for $1000 genome
Electronics giant announces plan to build nanoscale DNA sequencer using silicon chips
MicroRNA drives cells' adaptation to low-oxygen living
Researchers have fresh insight into an evolutionarily ancient way that cells cope when oxygen levels decline, according to a new study in the October 7th issue of Cell Metabolism, a...
Homebound termites answer 150-year-old evolution question
Staying at home may have given the very first termite youngsters the best opportunity to rule the colony when their parents were killed by their neighbors. This is according to...
Major discovery opens door to leishmania treatment
Leishmania is a deadly parasitic disease that affects over 12 million people worldwide, with more than 2 million new cases reported every year. Until recently, scientists were unsure exactly how...
Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine
Using computer simulations, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has identified some of the pathways through which single complementary strands of DNA interact and combine to form the double...
Prion study reveals first direct information about the protein's molecular structure
A collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University and the University of California, San Francisco has led to the first direct information about the molecular structure of prions. In addition, the...
Come on in: Nuclear barrier less restrictive than expected in new cells
When it comes to the two basic types of cells, prokaryotes and eukaryotes, compartmentalisation is everything. Prokaryotes are evolutionarily ancient cells that only have a membrane surrounding their outer boundary,...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
IBM developing nanoscale DNA sequencer … Rescue rate sets better hospitals apart … Scientists develop a 'soil dipstick' … Gene linked with infertility in mice ... Health/Science news from UPI.
Enhanced stem cells promote tissue regeneration
MIT engineers have boosted stem cells' ability to regenerate vascular tissue (such as blood vessels) by equipping them with genes that produce extra growth factors (naturally occurring compounds that stimulate...
Body's circadian rhythm tightly entwined with blood sugar control
Scientists have long struggled to understand the body's biological clock. Its tick-tock wakes us up, reminds us to eat and tells us when to go to bed. But what sets...
Mediterranean diet associated with reduced risk of depression
Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern - rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish - appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report in the...
New Findings About Brain Proteins Suggest Possible Way To Fight Alzheimer's
The action of a small protein that is a major villain in Alzheimer's disease can be counterbalanced with another brain protein, researchers have found in an animal study.
Gene controls number of brain cells
CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say they have identified the gene that determines how many neutrons end up as brain cells.
Instant insight: Making synthetic cells
Cell and organelle mimics typically perform one simple function. Frank Caruso and colleagues contemplate more complicated systems
Research Points To Potential Chink In Cancer's Armor
Scientists in the UK have successfully silenced the JNK2 gene that appears essential to cancer cell survival. The researchers used a process called RNA interference to target the JNK2 gene...
Scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated
During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will develop into new stem cells (self-renewal) or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation. These...
Stags locked in 'mortal combat'
A fight to the death between two stags is witnessed by a BBC Autumnwatch crew filming on the island of Rum.
DNA sequencing in a holey new way
IBM researchers announce an effort to trap DNA molecules in tiny holes in an effort to decode their genetic instructions.
Reservoir of deforming tropical disease sought
Knowing what causes a disease may not make it easier to control and contain infection, but understanding how humans become infected and where the pathogens live may improve control. A...
Black Rat Does Not Bother Mediterranean Seabirds
Human activities have meant invasive species have been able to populate parts of the world to which they are not native and alter biodiversity there over thousands of years. Now,...
Secrets of the Cell: Self-Destructive Behavior in Cells May Hold Key to a Longer Life
To the surprise of scientists, links are emerging between our inner recycling and protection from disease.
I.B.M. Joins Pursuit of $1,000 Personal Genome
One of the oldest names in computing is vying for a high-tech piece of the personalized medicine puzzle.
Mediterranean diet associated with reduced risk of depression
Individuals who follow the Mediterranean dietary pattern -- rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and fish -- appear less likely to develop depression, according to a report in the...
'Anti-Atkins' Low Protein Diet Extends Lifespan in Flies
(PhysOrg.com) -- Flies fed an "anti-Atkins" low protein diet live longer because their mitochondria function better. The research, done at the Buck Institute for Age Research, shows that the...
Study finds how bacteria combat mercury
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've found how bacteria convert methylmercury into a less-toxic form, allowing the bacteria to survive in mercury-rich environments.
Scientists discover what makes muscles age
BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. and Danish scientists say they've identified critical biochemical pathways that are linked to the aging of human muscle.
Method distinguishes wild, farmed salmon
SOUTHAMPTON, England, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- British scientists have developed a new technology that can distinguish between farmed and wild salmon by examining the chemistry of their scales.