Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Marine microbes may lead to better drugs
EDINBURGH, Scotland, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Scottish and British scientists say a new way to analyze marine microbes might lead to better methods to manufacturer drugs for epilepsy, diabetes...
Navigating In The Ocean Of Molecules: Computer Program Points The Way To New Disease Treatments
Tracking down new active agents for cancer or malaria treatment could soon become easier. A new computer program acts as a tool for navigating chemical space. It generates maps of...
Blueberry leaves may kill hepatitis C
MIYAZAKI, Japan, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Japanese scientists say they've discovered a chemical found in blueberry leaves can help block the replication of the hepatitis C virus.
The science of salmonella
The deadly bacterium, responsible for recent pistachio and peanut recalls, can live in many wild animals and in almost any climate. And it's thriving in our modern lifestyle. ...
Scientists uncover function of potential cancer-causing gene product
The Stowers Institute's Conaway Lab has uncovered a previously unknown function of a gene product called Amplified in Liver Cancer 1 (Alc1), which may play a role in the onset...
Growth spurts
The veil is being lifted from the once unseen world of molecular activity. Not so long ago only the final products were visible and scientists were forced to gauge the...
Study confirms limits on stem cell research
Only a handful of available embryonic stem cell lines have been used by scientists, an analysis finds, attributing the figures in part to Bush-era policies. Scientists have long complained that the Bush administration's...
NOAA and partners to survey marine life at USS Monitor wreck site
NOAA will participate in a private research expedition to study marine life living on and around the wreck of the USS Monitor. The August 2-8 expedition is the first in...
Dogs, Cats Get Acupuncture
In the Washington, D.C., area, acupuncture is becoming a more popular option for treating a variety of animal ailments, from arthritis and nerve damage to constipation. Video.
Carbon Nanomaterials: Fine for Fly Food, Bad for Fly Coating
A fruit fly walked into a test tube, got coated in carbon black, and lost its ability to climb. Sound like the set up for some bad science-based joke? Nope, it's the...
Model suggests how life`s code emerged from primordial soup
(PhysOrg.com) -- In 1953, Stanley Miller filled two flasks with chemicals assumed to be present on the primitive Earth, connected the flasks with rubber tubes and introduced some electrical sparks...
Probing Question: Why is the census important?
Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau undertakes a mammoth task: counting all of the people living in the United States and recording basic information such as age, sex, and...
Some California Amphibians May Need a Lift to Survive Climate Change
As temperatures rise over the next century, three California amphibian species could be pushed to the cusp of extinction because the warming climate will effectively block their migration to more suitable habitats. Interventions...
Scientists explain why birds get sex on the brain in the Spring
(PhysOrg.com) -- Oxford University researchers have discovered how birds sense the lengthening days of early Spring and time when they breed, solving a 70-year mystery.
Tiny Bacteria Secret to Cicada’s Success
Researchers learn that cicadas survive on meager nutrition thanks to bacteria inside their cells.
Instant insight: Alzheimer’s: untangling the facts
Cures for Alzheimer’s may come from understanding its chemistry. Arvi Rauk examines the disease at the molecular level
HP under fire for failing to phase out harmful chemicals
Greenpeace launches worldwide protest as HP backpedals on commitment to eliminate PVC plastic and BFRs from its products
Malaria disaster risk
Studies question insect repellent safety and suggest the malaria parasite is gaining resistance to a first-line drug
Birds' Problem-Solving Validates Aesop
Experiments with Rooks Show Birds' Ability to Use Tools in Strategic Fashion to Access Food
Configure your own operating software
Remote maintenance systems that monitor the status of facilities and machines have always had to be configured manually, a laborious task. But now a new system can be easily adapted...
Mutant Mice Are Bred to Order
Some are fat, others tiny. And one is just having a bad hair day Head Tilt Mouse Ever since Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies created the first knockout mouse in...
Prey Tell: How Fish Track Their Quarry, Even When They Can't See It
Fish are adept trackers of prey, able to detect the trace of another fish more than a minute after it has swum past. [More]
Rare sighting of humpbacks off P.E.I. shore
Locals and tourists going deep-sea fishing off P.E.I.'s North Shore have been getting an extra treat recently: at least two humpback whales have been joining in the fishing.
The dead end of animal research
Despite persistent lobbying for animal testing, the evidence
Tumour mutations can predict chemo success
New work by MIT cancer biologists shows that the interplay between two key genes that are often defective in tumours determines how cancer cells respond to chemotherapy...
Rarest croc returned to the wild
Conservationists release 50 of the world's most endangered crocodiles into the wild in a massive step toward saving the species.
Nanoscale tools from DNA origami
Gaining fine control over DNA structure could lead the way to tiny tools and devices
Great Diversity Of Marine Plankton Drive Oceanic Photosynthesis
Marine biologists have demonstrated that there is considerable diversity amongst the smallest microalgae belonging to the group of so-called haptophytes. Scientists have shown that these photosynthetic microorganisms, highly diversified and...