Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New imaging studies reveal mechanics of neuron migration
(PhysOrg.com) -- The development of the brain proceeds a little like the European settlement of North America. The earliest pioneers settled on the east coast with subsequent waves of settlers...
Lupus Drug Shows Promise
Human Genome Sciences' stock soars on clinical trial results for Benlysta.
Schistosomiasis worms sequenced
New drugs to fight schistosomiasis could be on the way now the genomes of two worms that cause the disease have been sequenced.
Gene Variations Can Be Barometer Of Behavior, Choices
Researchers have determined that variations of three different genes in the brain (called single-nucleotide polymorphisms) may help predict a person’s tendency to make certain choices.
How Evolution Can Allow For Large Developmental Leaps
Most evolutionary changes happen in tiny increments. But when it comes to traits like the number of wings on an insect, or limbs on a primate, there is no middle...
Studies Shed Light On Preserving Fertility Among Cancer Patients
Successes in cancer treatment have created a challenge for young cancer patients since the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that save lives threaten fertility. Researchers are now reporting on how they...
Overfishing And Evolution: Fish Fear Their Census-takers
Using snorkelers and SCUBA divers is not the best way to monitor fish populations, if we want to know the evolutionary effects of overfishing. The fish population in coral reef...
Vital Signs: Hazards: At the Beach, Watch Out for Dirty Sand, Too
A study found that sand can also contain high levels of fecal bacteria, and that people who dig in it can get sick.
Not 'Genomic Junk' After All: LincRNAs Have Global Role In Genome Regulation
A scientific team shows that lincRNAs -- once dismissed as "genomic junk" -- have a global role in genome regulation.
Discovery of genetic toggle switch inches closer to possible diabetes cure
Scientists have identified a master regulator gene for early embryonic development of the pancreas and other organs, putting researchers closer to coaxing stem cells into pancreatic cells as a possible...
Reveal the enemy
Bacterial diseases are usually detected by first enriching samples, then separating, identifying, and counting the bacteria. This type of procedure usually takes at least two days after arrival of the...
Our brain looks at eyes first to identify a face
A study by the University of Barcelona (UB) has analysed which facial features our brain examines to identify faces. Our brain adapts in order to obtain the maximum amount of...
Research sheds light on cause of Down syndrome and other genetic disorders
Scientists have a better understanding of what causes an abnormal number of chromosomes in offspring, a condition called aneuploidy that encompasses the most common genetic disorders in humans, such as...
Male sex chromosome losing genes by rapid evolution, study reveals
Scientists have long suspected that the sex chromosome that only males carry is deteriorating and could disappear entirely within a few million years, but until now, no one has understood the evolutionary processes...
Researchers develop process for 'surgical' genetic changes
Research led by scientists at Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute has resulted in a process that will make genetic changes in plant genes much more efficient, practical and safe.
Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter And Umami: Variants Of 'Umami' Taste Receptor Contribute To Our Individualized Flavor Worlds
Using a combination of sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste. They further report that...
Venus flytrap origins uncovered
It is a plant that traps and eats animals, and now scientists have worked out where this voracious plant came from.
Zoo keeper wears abandoned baby kangaroo
Christina Cooper has been wearing a kangaroo lately — a foundling named Skippy, who was rejected by his mother at a wildlife park in eastern Louisiana.
Genetic Circuit That Regulates Behavior Of Stem Cells Discovered
This circuit explains the fact that stem cells are always prepared to change into any type of cell. The discovery will greatly increase the ability of researchers to maintain embryonic...
Little bacteria at Island slaughterhouses
A survey of P.E.I. provincially inspected slaughterhouses shows they are keeping potential food-poisoning bacteria in check, but five of the 13 processors decided not to participate in the survey.
Edible Coating Makes Fish Fillets Longer-lasting, Healthier
Consumers may soon be able to eat longer-lasting, potentially healthier fish filets. Scientists have extended the shelf life of lingcod fillets and made them more nutritious by dipping them into...
Gliomas Exploit Immune Cells Of The Brain For Rapid Expansion
Gliomas are among the most common and most malignant brain tumors. These tumors infiltrate normal brain tissue and grow very rapidly. As a result, surgery can never completely remove the...
New Information About DNA Repair Mechanism Could Lead To Better Cancer Drugs
Researchers have shed new light on a process that fixes breaks in the genetic material of the body's cells. Their findings could lead to ways of enhancing chemotherapy drugs that...
Secrets Of A Life-giving Amino Acid Revealed
Selenium is a trace element crucial to life -- too little or too much of it is fatal. Scientists now detail the molecular mechanisms that govern its metabolism in the...
Early-life Experience Linked To Chronic Diseases Later In Life
People's early-life experience sticks with them into adulthood and may render them more susceptible to many of the chronic diseases of aging, according to a new study.
Controlling Red Imported Fire Ants Two Ways
Two separate strategies for reducing the spread of red imported fire ants (RIFA) are being combined by scientists as part of a strategy that could potentially add to the arsenal...
Controlling Kudzu With Naturally Occurring Fungus
Kudzu, "The Vine that Ate the South," could meet its match in a naturally occurring fungus that scientists have formulated as a biologically based herbicide.
Why North America Black Cherry Tree Is Invasive In Europe
Black cherry trees, native to the United States, are an invasive species in Europe and thrive in that part of the world. Experiments show why: A soil-borne pathogen keeps these...