Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Scientists find common trigger in cancer and normal stem cell reproduction
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered, for the first time, a common molecular pathway that is used by both normal stem cells and cancer stem cells when...
Shipwrecks Wrecking Coral Reefs? A Case Study At Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
For the first time, researchers have definitively shown that shipwrecks and other man-made structures increase the potential for large invasions of unwanted species into coral reefs, even comparatively pristine ones....
New Strain of H.I.V. Is Discovered
The main strain of the virus is believed to have come from chimpanzees, but a new strain traces back to gorillas.
Scientists Create New Mouse Tooth From Stem Cells
Just the sound of a dentist's drill is enough to send most people into a panic. Add to that the awful inconvenience of walking around for a day with half your face...
Protecting cells from their neighbours
Almost all organisms evolve from a single cell, a fertilised egg. In the first hours after fertilisation, the fate of its future development is determined. It is dictated by the...
Unlocking the key to human fertility
Scientists at Leeds and Bradford have discovered a unique 'DNA signature' in human sperm, which may act as a key that unlocks an egg's fertility and triggers new life...
Giant extinct snake may -- or may not -- shed light on ancient climate
(PhysOrg.com) -- Snakes coil up when they sense danger. Some snakes curl up in order to spring into action and strike. Snakes may also coil to preserve body heat, and...
World's Smallest Computers Made of DNA and Other Biological Molecules Made to 'Think' Logically
The world's smallest computers, made of DNA and other biological molecules, just got more "user friendly."
Computational chemistry predicts flu mutations
Researchers have used computational chemistry to try to predict which mutations could lead to dangerous new flu strains
Queen bees control with scent
Queen bees control the hive by releasing a pheromone that stops their offspring learning aversive behaviour, research has found.
Synthetic Biology: Opportunities And Risks
The new research field of synthetic biology will, in the medium term, open up a great deal of potential for combining novel genetic methods with engineering principles. This will facilitate...
Crocodile genome mapped
The world's first reptile genome has been mapped by a Sydney scientist, which could boost Australia's export industry.
'Feather-eating bugs' dull birds
Evidence is mounting that a birds are locked in an evolutionary battle with bacteria that eat their feathers.
The secrets of the cell
We trace the route from the discovery of cells by a Dutch textile merchant to the present day, where cells are engineered and built to order
New York's Ash Trees Threatened By Newly Found Beetle
For the first time, researchers have reported the sighting of the emerald ash borer -- an ash-destroying beetle -- in New York state.
Yeast Cancer Model For Mapping Cancer Genes
Researchers have devised a scheme for identifying genes in yeast that could lead to the identification of new cancer genes in humans.
Human Language And Dolphin Movement Patterns Show Similarities In Brevity
Two researchers have shown for the first time that the law of brevity in human language, according to which the most frequently-used words tend to be the shortest, also extends...
Threats To California's Cordell Bank Marine Sanctuary
A new report on the health of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary indicates that the overall condition of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats is fair to good, but identifies...
Humans 2.0: Replacing the Mind and Body
Recent breakthroughs in bionics and artificially lab-grown body parts already help people live bearable and more productive lives.
Balance key to beating recession
Providing work and life balance and more flexibility will be crucial to Australia's recession recovery, a study has found.
Census of Marine Life maps an ocean of species
Due to be completed next year, it has already made key discoveries: thousands of new species, a shrimp long believed extinct, and manhole-sized starfish. The first comprehensive effort to identify and catalog every species...
Radio Telemetry Used To Track Movement And Habitat Of Roadrunners
Wile E. Coyote might not have been able to catch up with the roadrunner on the Saturday morning cartoons, but one scientist has had no problems. A wildlife ecologist has...
'Ebola Cousin' Marburg Virus Isolated From African Fruit Bats
Infection with Marburg virus and the related Ebola virus can produce severe disease in people, with fever and bleeding. During outbreaks, as many as 90 percent of those infected have...
Invasive fruit flies found in Calif.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A Southeast Asian fruit fly has been detected in the Americas for the first time and threatens fruit farms in Southern California.
Dementia Induced And Blocked In Parkinson's Fly Model
Researchers have modeled Parkinson's-associated dementia for the first time. Scientists showed that a single night of sleep loss in genetically altered fruit flies caused long-lasting disruptions in the flies' cognitive...
New Theory On Why Male, Female Lemurs Same Size: 'Passive' Mate Guarding Influenced Evolution Of Lemur Size
Biologists are offering a new theory for the long-standing mystery of why male lemurs are no larger than females. The theory posits that male lemurs guard their mates just like...
Darwin’s grandson proved right over fishy physics
Marine animals responsible for mixing the world’s oceans, claim researchers
Opposing groups agree on fishery cures
SEATTLE, July 31 (UPI) -- Overfishing threatens many species but a combination of steps could turn that around, two groups long at odds with each other said.