Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists Devise Efficient Way Of Learning About Complex Corn Traits
There's no "silver bullet" gene or gene region that controls so-called complex traits in maize, commonly known as corn. Instead, crop scientists show that lots of small changes in a...
From Nerve Roots To Plant Roots: Research On Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Yields Surprises
Sprouting. Branching. Pruning. Neuroscientists have borrowed heavily from botanists to describe the way that neurons grow, but analogies between the growth of neurons and plants may be more than superficial....
Mary Had A Lot Of Lambs: Researchers Identify Way To Accelerate Sheep Breeding
Mary had a little lamb, but only once a year. However, researchers have discovered an unusual form of a gene that prompts ewes to breed out of season as well...
Distinctive Gene Expression In Brains Of Relapsing Heroin-addicted Rats
A group of genes whose expression is significantly altered following exposure to drug paraphernalia after an enforced "cold-turkey" period have been identified. Researchers studied gene expression in the brains of...
Innovative Method To Detect Genetic Causes Of Complex Diseases Identified
Computational biologists have developed an analytical technique to detect the multiple genetic variations that contribute to complex disease syndromes such as diabetes, asthma and cancer, which are characterized by multiple...
What Makes Stem Cells Tick?
Investigators have made the first comparative, large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated derivatives.
Itch-specific Neurons Identified In Mice Offers Hope For Better Treatments
Researchers have discovered that itch-specific neurons exist in mice, and their studies suggest that itch and pain signals are transmitted along different pathways in the spinal cord. The researchers say...
Yale researchers find key to keeping cells in shape
Yale University researchers have discovered how a protein within most cell membranes helps maintain normal cell size, a breakthrough in basic biology that has implications for a variety of diseases...
New orchid deception found: wearing the scent of hornet's prey
Orchids are famous for their deceptions. Most of those with nothing of value to offer their pollinators lure them instead with the scents of more rewarding flowers or potential mates....
Johns Hopkins researchers make stem cells from developing sperm
The promise of stem cell therapy may lie in uncovering how adult cells revert back into a primordial, stem cell state, whose fate is yet to be determined. Now, cell...
Novel mechanism revealed for increasing recombinant protein yield in tobacco
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) cause plants to store GM proteins in special 'protein bodies,' insulating them from normal cellular degradation processes and increasing the overall protein yield. Researchers writing in the...
Scientists Find Early Evolution Maximized The 'Spellchecking' Of Protein Sequences
As letters of the alphabet spell out words, when amino acids are linked to one another in a particular order they "spell out" proteins. But sometimes the cell machinery for...
Mammal Mystery Spurs Calif. Rescue Mission
Hundreds of Sea Lions are Turning Up Sick and Starving on the Coast - and Scientists Aren't Sure Why
Repellent keeps sharks away ... from humans
A half-dollar-sized metal alloy clamped onto fishing gear protects sharks from getting inadvertently caught in fishing nets by creating a mild electrical current.
A plant's arsenal of crystalline darts and sand
Pet owners have heard the warnings to keep certain poisonous houseplants away from their pets, such as Dieffenbachia (dumbcane), Philodendron, peace lily, and pothos. For houseplants like these and...
Carnegie donates landmark clones to biology
With the information explosion, it's remarkable that so little is known about the interactions that proteins have with each other and the protective membrane that surrounds a cell. These interactive,...
Observatory: An Aesop’s Fable Might Just Be True
Aesop was quite the fable-teller, but a study suggests he might have been a student of bird behavior as well.
Observatory: Scientists Use Curvy DNA to Build Molecular Parts
Researchers have taken a step toward creating parts for molecular machines, out of DNA.
Researchers uncover potential mechanisms to protect against genetic alterations, diseases
Peering into the DNA of tiny yeast, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego and the San Diego Branch of the Ludwig Institute for...
Berlin polar bear Knut to get live-in Latin lover
Berlin's celebrity polar bear Knut is to get an Italian girlfriend from Munich's Hellabrunn zoo, German media reported on Thursday.
Gene banks essential in fight against climate change
Gene banks have a key role to play in the development of climate-proof crops, says agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan.
Masters of disguise
Whether to avoid predators, lure prey or attract pollinators, natural selection has crafted some remarkable lookalikes
Opinion: Part two - are humans still evolving?
Zoology graduate Fiona MacDonald presents part two of her opinion piece on the continuing evolution of humans.
Live recordings of cell communication
Neurons communicate with each other with the help of nano-sized vesicles. Disruption of this communication process is responsible for many diseases and mental disorders like e.g. depression. Nerve signals travel...
Genes mapped for better pearls
Researchers have finished the most comprehensive sequencing the pearl oyster genome, with the aim of breeding for better pearls.
High-fat, High-sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors
Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to new animal research. The results have implications for understanding bulimia and other binge eating disorders.
Squirrel Psychology: How Squirrels Learn From Others How To Steal Food
The ability of gray squirrels to learn from observing others is highlighted in a new study. The research shows how squirrels can quickly learn from watching their peers, particularly if...
Grey squirrel threat to Highlands
Concerns are raised about the increasing progress of grey squirrels into the north of Scotland as a cull continues.