Latest science news in Biology & Nature
It's not Frankenstein, But It's a Start
Craig Venter says that in a few months, his team will have created the first genuine artificial life form within a few months. As you may recall, Venter's team did...
'Housekeeping' Genes Play Important Role In Developmental Pathways Of Cells
A gene called HPRT plays an important role in setting the program by which primitive or precursor cells decide to become normal nerve cells in the human brain. This unconventional...
Aphids Saved From Gruesome Death By Virus-infected Bacteria
The term "beneficial virus" sounds like an oxymoron. But pea aphids whose symbiotic bacteria have viral infections gain protection against parasitic wasps. Aphids without the infected bacteria were eaten alive...
Lemurs Hunted, Eaten Amid Civil Unrest, Group Says
Amid chaos stemming from a March coup d'etat, hunting gangs are killing Madagascar's rare primates as bush meat for upscale restaurants, conservationists say.
Newly Found Worm Sheds Glowing Green Parts
Scientists Name Worm "The Green Bomber" for Its Unique Ability
Switching on the power of stem cells
Scientists have uncovered a vital link in the chain of events that gives stem cells their remarkable properties...
Princeton team learns why some drugs pack such a punch
By studying the intricate mechanisms at work in protein production, a Princeton-led team has discovered why certain kinds of antibiotics are so effective. In doing so, they also have discovered...
The blossoms of maturity
Why do some plants blossom even when days are short and grey? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology have found the answer to this question: An endogenous...
Young Arctic muskoxen better at keeping warm than scientists thought
A new study finds that young muskoxen conserve heat almost as well as adults, a finding that runs contrary to a longstanding assumption among scientists that young animals should be...
Why sleep? UCLA scientist delves into one of science's great mysteries
Bats, birds, box turtles, humans and many other animals share at least one thing in common: They sleep. Humans, in fact, spend roughly one-third of their lives asleep, but sleep...
Nostrils alternate to process competing odours
When the nose encounters two different scents simultaneously, the brain processes them separately through each nostril in an alternating fashion...
A new 'bent' on fusion
Success in soccer sometimes comes with 'bending it like Beckham.' Success in cellular fusion - as occurs at the moment of conception and when nerve cells exchange neurotransmitters - requires...
The ends of mRNAs may prevent the beginnings of cancer
The tail ends of cellular protein templates, regions often thought relatively inconsequential, may actually play a role in preventing normal cells from becoming cancerous...
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Mangroves are a vital but endangered natural resource in many coastal regions. A JPL researcher has completed the first full assessment of Africa's mangrove forests.
Study: Plastic decomposes quickly at sea
Plastic in the oceans can decompose in as little as a year, leaching chemical compounds into the water that may harm the health of animals and possibly even people, a...
New fly offers hope for termite control
Researchers hope that a newly-identified parasitic fly may one day help curb the high cost of termite damage in Southeast Asia.
Life And Death In The Living Brain: Recruitment Of New Neurons Slows When Old Brain Cells Kept From Dying
Like clockwork, brain regions in many songbird species expand and shrink seasonally in response to hormones. Now, for the first time, neurobiologists have interrupted this natural "annual remodeling" of the...
Grass spray relieves stress
Researchers have developed a spray that reduces the effect of stress on the nervous system – largely by smelling like cut grass.
Nomad stock helps landscape
A researcher has found that Australian pastoralists are using nomad tactics to deal with drought – taking pressure off stricken land.
Malaysian scientist finds new fly species
MINDEN, Malaysia, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Malaysian scientists say they've discovered a new scuttle fly species that may have the potential to be a biological agent in controlling termite...
France worried by 'invasion' of bee-eating hornets
France is in the grip of an invasion by Chinese hornets which could hasten a mysterious decline in honeybee numbers, experts say.
Disease Risks When Moving Wildlife To New Areas: Endangered Laysan Duck Cautionary Tale
Laysan ducks, one of the world's most endangered waterfowl, are native to only the Hawaiian archipelago. For 150 years, Laysan ducks were restricted to an estimated 4 square kilometers of...
Specialists Are Better At Avoiding Predators
Insect herbivore species often specialize on the host plants that they eat, evolving adaptations to use a plant's unique set of resources. However, specialization doesn't come without costs.
Pinhead-size Worms + Robot = New Antibiotics
In an advance that could help ease the antibiotic drought, scientists are describing successful use of a test that enlists pinhead-sized worms in efforts to discover badly needed new antibiotics.
Logitech Unveils Mice That Work Where Others Fail -- Glass Surface (w/ Video)
Today, Logitech took the computer mouse where no mouse has gone before. With Logitech Darkfield Laser Tracking, you can use your mouse virtually anywhere you want - including clear glass...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
Study reveals insight into life on Earth … New nano-bio therapy fights brain cancer … NASA: Discovery to launch Tuesday … CDC: U.S. life expectancy at 77.9 years ... Health/Science...
Biodiversity: Rack and field
Ecologists have struggled to reconcile what they see in the lab and in the wild. But both views are needed to understand the effects of extinction, finds Virginia Gewin.
Back off, extinct moa
Leaf color and shape may defend a New Zealand tree species from a long-gone giant bird