Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Opinion: The passing of the ‘father of the green revolution’
The death of Dr Norman Borlaug, the 'father of the green revolution', is a great loss in the fight again starvation, writes Dr Tony Fischer.
Molecular Evidence Supports Key Tenet Of Darwin's Evolution Theory
An international team of researchers has discovered evidence at the molecular level in support of one of the key tenets of Darwin's theory of evolution. As a model system, the...
When Proteins Change Partners: Competition Between Proteins Maintains Cellular Balance
Researchers have illuminated how competition between proteins enhances combinatorial diversity during ubiquitination -- the process that marks proteins for destruction.
Visual detection: new neural circuits identified in the retina
The detection of approaching objects, such as looming predators, is necessary for survival. Which neurons and nerve circuits mediate this function? A new type of nerve cell, sensitive to approaching...
Mysterious Fiji petrel sighting raises hopes
The first ever positive identification at sea of one of the world's most mysterious and endangered seabirds has raised hopes for the survival of the Fijian petrel, conservationists said Monday.
Video: Candy Flavors Of The Future
Frank Bruni, author of "Born Round" joins Mo Rocca on a tour of future candy flavors.
Novel Drug Screening Method: Informative Swellings
A screening method for bioactive small molecules to treat vascular diseases and an in vivo functional test in a whole animal at the same time: researchers achieved this feat with...
Listeria L-forms: Discovery Of An Unusual Form Of Bacterial Life
Researchers have discovered a new life form of Listeria, an opportunistic pathogen responsible for serious food poisoning. These bacteria can reproduce and proliferate as so-called L-forms. The methods to detect...
Dangerous staph germs found at West Coast beaches
(AP) -- Dangerous staph bacteria have been found in sand and water for the first time at five public beaches along the coast of Washington, and scientists think the...
Star-shaped Cells In Brain Help With Learning
Every movement and every thought requires the passing of specific information between networks of nerve cells. To improve a skill or to learn something new entails more efficient or a...
RNA: Protein Regulators Are Themselves Regulated
Scientists in Switzerland have shown that short strands of ribonucleic acid (RNA) which regulate protein production are themselves also regulated. This additional layer of regulation opens up new perspectives for...
Are Tigers 'Brainier' Than Lions?
A wide-ranging study of big cat skulls has shown that tigers have bigger brains, relative to their body size, than lions, leopards or jaguars.
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Scientists urge isolation of wheat rust ... Single road changes life in national park ... Seeds being saved ahead of ash borer ... Pesticide restrictions to protect salmon ... Health/Science...
Flowering lantana draws butterflies -- but little water
Big color, little water, lots of butterflies. How does that sound? That's the story of lantana in a nutshell. But I'm famous for verbosely pontificating on the attributes of plants...
Scientists urge isolation of wheat rust
ALEPPO, Syria, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Wind-borne wheat diseases threaten food security in at least 26 countries and genetic diversity worldwide, scientists in Syria said.
Migrating birds chill to conserve energy
A new study helps explain how even small birds manage impressive migrations twice a year: When they stop to refuel, some birds drop their nighttime body temperatures to store energy.
Seeds being saved ahead of ash borer
AMES, Iowa, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Thousands of ash tree seeds must be saved before the emerald ash borer completes its destructive drive across North America, biologists said.
Key Brain Receptors Linked To Learning and Memory Decrease with Age
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists studying cognitive decline that accompanies aging have been interested in nicotinic receptors, part of a key neural pathway that not only enhances learning and memory skills but...
Novel 'On-Off Switch' Mechanism Stops Cancer in Its Tracks
(PhysOrg.com) -- A tiny bit of genetic material with no previously known function may hold the key to stopping the spread of cancer, researchers at Yale School of Medicine and...
The first tailors? Researchers find ancient fiber
More than 30,000 years ago someone in a cave in the Caucasus Mountains twisted wild flax together and dyed it, producing the earliest known fibers made by humans, scientists report.
Safe Seed: Researchers Yielding Good Results On Food Cotton In Field
Field trials of a new cotton are verifying previous lab and greenhouse studies indicating the crop could become a source of protein for millions of malnourished people in the world....
'How-to' guide shows entrepreneurs how to protect their big ideas
Successful entrepreneurs turn big ideas into successful business opportunities, but how should they protect those ideas? A new paper from North Carolina State University offers a "how-to" guide on intellectual...
Genome sequencing reveals genetic diversity of the bacteria that cause Buruli ulcer
A new study lays the groundwork for development of a cost-effective tool for studying the population structure and spread of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. Researchers at...
Engineered pea seeds protect against parasites
A breed of pea seeds has been created that contains antibodies against coccidiosis, a disease caused by a parasite that attacks chickens. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC...
Protected fear memories
(PhysOrg.com) -- In the latest issue of Science, researchers from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Switzerland, show how a class of proteins surrounding nerve cells allows fear memories...
Simon Thirgood
Ecologist, biologist, field researcher and expert on mammals and birds of prey
Songbirds sing cross-species duet
Two species of songbird in Peru have evolved almost identical songs to keep each other out of their territory, say scientists.
Earlier Model of Human Brain's Energy Usage Underestimated Its Efficiency
The human brain is an incredible energy drain. Taking up only about 2 percent of the body's mass, the organ uses more than a fifth of bodily energy . Ever more accurate...