Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Carbon nanoparticles not necessarily toxic
PROVIDENCE, R.I., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. biologists say they've found certain types of carbon nanoparticles are environmentally toxic to adult fruit flies, but benign when added to larvae...
Unraveling How Cells Respond To Low Oxygen
Scientists have elucidated how the stability of the REDD1 protein is regulated. The REDD1 protein is a critical inhibitor of the mTOR signaling pathway, which controls cell growth and proliferation.
SD Zoo's online Panda Cam crashes due to overload
(AP) -- The San Diego Zoo's pandas have become such cyber-stars that their Panda Cam got caught in a popularity crunch.
Tagged bird found 8000 miles from home
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists studying shorebirds in western Arctic Alaska recently made a serendipitous discovery when they spotted a bar-tailed godwit with a small orange flag and aluminium band...
Researchers Fully Decode HIV Genome For the First Time
Using special techniques developed to sequence RNA, researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, have published the first complete genome of HIV. Laying bare the complete genetic make up of...
Venomous snake proves that two heads are better than one
The yellow-lipped sea krait has evolved an ingenious way to scare off predators while its head is otherwise engaged Having a head full of venomous fangs is great for scaring off predators. Better...
Indian vulture births are hailed
Conservationists say they are delighted that one of the world's most endangered birds have twice been successfully bred in India.
Cyber exploring the 'ecosystems' of influenzas
Predicting the infection patterns of influenzas requires tracking both the ecology and the evolution of the fast-morphing viruses that cause them, said a Duke University researcher who enlists computers to...
On the move
Rather than sticking to a single DNA script, human brain cells harbour astonishing genomic variability, according to scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The findings, published in the...
Understanding how weeds are resistant to herbicides
In a little over seven hours, University of Illinois weed scientist Patrick Tranel got more genetic information about waterhemp than in two years time in a lab. The genetic information...
Raindrops drive flower evolution
The humble raindrop may have played an important role in the evolution of flowers, scientists in China have discovered.
Decoding leukaemia patient genome leads scientists to mutations in other patients
Decoding the complete DNA of cancer patients is giving scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis a clearer picture of the complexity of the disease and allowing...
Skin Deep: The Secret Is Out: We Can See Your Feet
Are you having sex with your socks on? If so, it may be time to make peace with your feet.
Do Chicago’s Suburbs Hold The Key To Understanding West Nile Virus?
When Tony Goldberg is not whacking through the brush of central Africa, one of the world's great cauldrons of emerging human and animal disease, he is scouring another disease hot...
Minute DNA change could lead to evolution
CAMBRIDGE, England, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- One tiny change in DNA could lead to the evolution of a new species, an English researcher reported.
Catalyst and Casimir cavity property sets should be merged
A team at Cornell University has now filled in an important blank by pinpointing unique sites where the reactions take place on SWCNTs. The scientists showed that the reactions do...
New DNA and RNA aptamers offer unique therapeutic advantages
New Rochelle, NY, August 5, 2009—A novel class of drugs composed of single strands of DNA or RNA, called aptamers, can bind protein targets with a high strength and specificity...
Beautiful plumage: Feather color and sex start the species revolution
Faculty of 1000, the leading scientific evaluation service, has highlighted research providing evidence for the evolution of a new species.
Pinhead-size worms + robot = new antibiotics
In an advance that could help ease the antibiotic drought, scientists in Massachusetts are describing successful use of a test that enlists pinhead-sized worms in efforts to discover badly needed...
Methods for gene transfer in stem cells featured in Cold Spring Harbor Protocols
COLD SPRING HARBOR, N.Y. (Wed., Aug. 5, 2009) -- Vectors derived from retroviruses are useful tools for long-term gene transfer because they allow stable integration of transgenes and propagation...
Pterosaur features defy comparison
A well-preserved pterosaur with soft tissues reveals this dinosaur-age flying reptile had hair, claws and wings that were unlike anything seen on today's living animals, suggests a new paper.
Smuggling wildlife: From eggs in a bra to geckos in underwear
John Sellar is no comic book super hero, but judging by the criminals he deals with as the only policeman at the UN agency against illegal wildlife trade, he could...
Bug Plays Dead, Sacrifices Neighbor
Some beetles play possum, and for the same reason that possums do: to avoid attention from predators.
It's Not Easy Being Gene Suppressed
Frogs around the world are dying from a fungal pathogen perhaps because they don't realize they are sick. In a study conducted at the University of Idaho, scientists found that...
Protein 'Tweek' Rare But Critical In Synaptic Process
Recycling is a critical component in the process of transmitting information from one neuron to the next, and a large protein called Tweek plays a critical role, according to new...
WHO launches scheme to improve African diagnostic labs
The WHO has begun an accreditation scheme for laboratories to ensure that diagnosis on the continent improves.
NEW FROG PICTURE: Species Changes Color With Age, Sex
A new dink frog discovered in southern Costa Rica sports different colors depending on its age and sex—a rare trait among frogs, a new study says.