Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Sea bacteria may lead to new therapies
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. marine biomedicine scientists say they have discovered a promising ocean-based compound that might yield new ways to fight human disease.
Scientists Identify Gene for Resistance to Parasitic 'Witchweed'
Scientists at the University of Virginia have identified a gene in cowpea (black-eyed pea) that confers resistance to attack from witchweed, a parasitic plant. This discovery will help researchers better...
Risks involved with transgenic fish
Fast growing transgenic fish can revolutionise commercial fish farming and relieve the pressure on overexploited fish stocks. But what happens in the natural environment if transgenic fish escape? Researchers at...
MRI: Brain Imaging Gets More Functional
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique widely used tdoay in studying the human brain but its actual value in correlation is unclear. No one knows exactly how...
Roos: deadliest animals on road
Kangaroos and wallabies are the animals most likely to be involved in Australian road accidents, researchers have found.
Plant Essential Oil Eyed As Mosquito, Ant Repellent
Scientists are investigating the chemical makeup of a mosquito- and ant-repellent essential oil from a native Samoan plant.
'Fatostatin' Is A Turnoff For Fat Genes
A small molecule earlier found to have both anti-fat and anti-cancer abilities works as a literal turnoff for fat-making genes, according to a new report.
Fishy Sixth Sense: Mathematical Keys To Fascinating Sense Organ
Biophysicists in Germany are leading an effort to develop and apply models of the so-called lateral-line system found in fish and some amphibians. This sensory organ enables an animal, even...
The nutritional value of Andalusian lupins is revealed
A group of researchers from the Fat Institute (CSIC) and the University of Seville have confirmed that some wild plants have a high nutritional value. The scientists have found that...
Mutation Rate In Humans Gets Measured By Direct Sequencing
In 1935 one of the founders of modern genetics, J. B. S. Haldane, studied men in London with the blood disease hemophilia and estimated that there would be a one...
Life Expectancy
Finally an article that blasts the preposterous mythology suggesting that human longevity is a relatively recent phenomenon and primarily due to advances in medical technology. http://www.livescience.com/health/090821-human-lifespans.html In reviewing some of the comments...
'Chemical nose' sensor sniffs blood protein profile
New sensor system uses gold nanoparticles to detect proteins indicative of disease in human blood serum
Microbe Metabolism Harnessed to Produce Fuel
Genetic engineering used to manipulate microbes to produce biofuels.
Dangers in the Deep: 10 Scariest Sea Creatures
Just when you though it was safe to go in the water, these predators lurk below.
Tiny fish warn reef at risk
The Great Barrier Reef's smallest fish have disappeared in huge numbers, indicating that humans may have damaged the Reef beyond repair.
Modified cells glow helpfully
Researchers have modified stem cells to glow when they turn into red blood cells, making it easier to see what stage the cells are up to.
Termite chewing gives warning
Recent research has discovered that a termite species can identify another species by the sound of chewing – and then avoid contact.
Global priority regions for carnivore conservation
Finding economical and practical solutions for conserving endangered carnivores is a continuous challenge for conservationists. In a study published by the peer reviewed open access journal, PLoS ONE, on 27...
Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup
Researchers have established the conditions that foster formation of potentially dangerous levels of a toxic substance in the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often fed to honey bees. Their study, which...
Why Obama's dog has curly hair
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...
Researchers pinpoint neural nanoblockers in carbon nanotubes
Carbon nanotubes hold many exciting possibilities, some of them in the realm of the human nervous system. Recent research has shown that carbon nanotubes may help regrow nerve tissue or...
The anti-diabetic effects of sodium tungstate revealed
The molecular mechanisms of tungstate activity in diabetes have been uncovered. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Genomics have identified the pathways through which sodium tungstate improves pancreatic...
Observatory: On Dives, Hungry Whales Go Slow and Open Wide
Researchers studied the feeding habits of bowhead whales off West Greenland.
Research Trove: Patients’ Online Data
Collective experiences of living with an illness can form a database for scientific use.
Scientist at Work: Eric Schadt: Enlisting Computers to Unravel the True Complexity of Disease
Eric Schadt is one of a handful of scientists blending mathematics, biology and supercomputers to pursue a new understanding of human biology.
Glyptodonts Were Savvy Batters
Ancient mammals used their tails like baseball bats, hitting with the sweet spot
Video: The Dangerous 'Lionfish'
Scientists are tracking an exotic fish called a 'lionfish' that has become a bully in the ocean. As Kelly Cobiella reports, no fish will go near the lionfish, let alone...
Abnormal Heartbeats Caused By Changes In Ion Channel Density
Two independent studies have determined how changes in the density of different ion channels in the surface membrane of heart muscle cells can lead to life-threatening abnormal heartbeats.