Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Water plans ignore fish decline
River managers are making plans without considering the decline of freshwater fish and the effect this has had, a study has found.
Researchers Examine Mechanisms That Help Cancer Cells Proliferate
A process that limits the number of times a cell divides works much differently than had been thought, opening the door to potential new anticancer therapies, researchers report.
Cosmic Log: Which genes make us human?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Scientists have found three genes that appear to have been activated in humans alone. But are these the genes that make us human?
Over Time, An Invasive Plant Loses Its Toxic Edge
Like most invasive plants introduced to the U.S. from Europe and other places, garlic mustard first found it easy to dominate the natives. A new study indicates that eventually, however,...
Researchers Induce HIV-neutralizing Antibodies That Recognize HIV-1 Envelope Protein, Lipids
For the first time, researchers have experimentally induced antibodies that neutralize HIV-1 and simultaneously recognize both HIV-1 envelope protein and lipids.
Bighorn Sheep: Is 'Personality Type' Linked To Longevity, Offspring?
A Canadian researcher wrestles with bighorn mountain sheep to gauge their personalities. He is part of a team that traps the animals in a plywood enclosure on a mountaintop in...
Europe milk drinking began 7,500 years ago
LONDON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- British researchers have determined the ability to digest the milk sugar lactose evolved in central European dairy farming communities about 7,500 years ago.
Tiny pump means pain relief for big cats
Veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo and the University of Tennessee have found a solution to the challenge of providing effective pain relief to some of their most...
Is Tetris good for the brain?
Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes. A research...
Dynamic Changes In DNA Linked To Human Diabetes
New research may give new meaning to the adage "You are what you eat." The DNA isolated from the muscles of people with diabetes bears chemical marks not found in...
Graffiti-free historic buildings: New polymer coating to help
(PhysOrg.com) -- Many a historic landmark is defaced with graffiti, but the spray paint can only be removed - if at all - using caustic solutions which risk damaging the...
Researchers Develop New Glue from Corn
After the oil is extracted from corn germ meal, the corn germ is typically fed to poultry and other livestock animals. But a new, value-added use could be on tap...
Why Obama's Dog Has Curly Hair; Utah Aids NIH Gene Study
University of Utah researchers used data from Portuguese water dogs – the breed of President Barack Obama’s dog Bo – to help find a gene that gives some dogs curly...
Turning back the clock: Fasting prolongs reproductive life span
Scientific dogma has long asserted that females are born with their entire lifetime’s supply of eggs, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. New findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer...
Researchers Identify New, Cancer-Causing Role for Protein
The mainstay immune system protein TRAF6 plays an unexpected, key role activating a cell signaling molecule that in mutant form is associated with cancer growth, researchers at The University of...
DNA Damaged Cells Communicate with Neighbors to Let Them Know They're in Trouble
When cells experiencing DNA damage fail to repair themselves, they send a signal to their neighbors letting them know they're in trouble. The discovery, made at the Buck Institute for...
Experts Can Discuss JAMA Studies on Brain Cancer Linked to Altered Genes
The authors of a JAMA editorial critiquing new brain-cancer studies published in the same issue say the work represents the vanguard of a still-changing field of DNA analysis. They agree...
Researchers Find Adult Brain Changes with Unsuspected Speed
The human brain can adapt to changing demands even in adulthood, but MIT neuroscientists have now found evidence of it changing with unsuspected speed. Their findings suggest that the brain...
Secret whaling caused collapse
A recent study has linked illegal Soviet whaling with a whale population crash off the Australian coast in the 1960s.
We Are All Mutants: Measurement Of Mutation Rate In Humans By Direct Sequencing
Researchers have calculated a general rate of one mutation in each 15 to 30 million DNA letters in humans. Using next-generation sequencing, researchers sequenced part of the Y chromosome from...
Aussie lizards share nests
A researcher has found that reptiles share nests more often than previously thought – possibly because digging them is so hard.
Plant fights mouth bacteria
A researcher has found that a native Australian plant makes a cheap, effective anti-bacterial mouthwash.
Scientists extend circadian clock cycle
TOKYO, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Japanese and U.S. scientists say they've identified an enzyme that can be inhibited to extend the circadian 24-hour metabolic cycle to more than 48...
Obituary: Chris Lamb
Astute and creative biochemist who showed how plants defend themselves
Using Thread-like Fungi To Help High Elevation Pines Grow
Thread-like fungi that grow in soils at high elevations may play an important role in restoring whitebark and limber pine forests in Canada. Researchers are looking for ways to use...
Faster, Cheaper Way To Find Disease Genes In Human Genome Passes Initial Test
Researchers have successfully developed a novel genomic analysis strategy for faster, cheaper discovery of gene-disease links. The strategy was tested on the genomes of unrelated individuals with the same inherited...
Neural Nanoblockers Pinpointed In Carbon Nanotubes
Scientists have pinpointed why carbon nanotubes tend to block a critical signaling pathway in neurons. It's not the tubes, the researchers find, but the metal catalysts used to form the...
Non-coding RNA Called Evf2 Is Important For Gene Regulation
Can mental disorders result from altered non-coding RNA-dependent gene regulation during embryonic development? Researchers have found for the first time that a non-coding RNA called Evf2 is important for gene...