Latest science news in Biology & Nature
New nanoparticles fight infections
SINGAPORE, July 1 (UPI) -- Singaporean scientists say they have developed nanoparticles that might lead to new treatments for meningitis, fungal infections and drug-resistant bacteria.
Chromosomal Problems Affect Nearly All Human Embryos: Discovery May Explain Low Fertility Rates In Humans
For the first time, scientists have shown that chromosomal abnormalities are present in more than 90 percent of IVF embryos, even those produced by young, fertile couples.
High Pressure Offers an Improved Method to Prepare Samples for the Detection of Food-borne Pathogens
Since the Jack-in-the-Box outbreak in 1993, food contamination continues to dominate the headlines. New sample preparation technologies continue to be developed, enabling scientists to extract biomolecules related to food-borne pathogens...
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News
New algorithm charts fruit fly genetics … Gastrin's role in stomach cancer defined … NASA plans electronic von Braun collection … Ebola infection blocked in cell experiment ... Health/Science news...
Working to conserve endangered 'Playboy' bunnies
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's legacy will live on with a new University of Central Florida study aimed at saving the endangered bunnies named after him.
Super-sleepers could help super-sizers!
Many species of animals go through a period of torpor to conserve energy when resources are scarce. But when it comes to switching to energy-saving mode, the champion by far among vertebrates is...
Preimplantation Genetic Screening: Polar Body Screening Study Launched
The efficacy of preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) has been one of the most hotly disputed subjects in assisted reproduction over the past few years. None of the trials carried out...
Rainwater collecting a go in Colorado
DURANGO, Colo., June 29 (UPI) -- Residents of Colorado who have private wells can begin collecting rainwater amid the state's ongoing water supply problems, state lawmakers say.
Intestinal Cells Surprisingly Active In Pursuit Of Nutrition And Defense
Every cell lining the small intestine bristles with thousands of tightly packed microvilli that project into the gut lumen, forming a brush border that absorbs nutrients and protects the body...
Keeping Fish in Home Aquariums: Two Is Not Company, As Far As Fish Are Concerned
New research has shown that fish kept alone or in small groups are more aggressive and exhibit fewer natural behaviors such as shoaling.
Yeast: Highest Resolution Three-dimensional Structure Yet Of A Membrane Protein
Scientists can now describe the highest resolution three-dimensional structure yet of a membrane protein, in this case of a protein channel known as an aquaporin that regulates water flow into...
Patterns Of Genetic Changes In Mental Retardation Uncovered
Researchers have uncovered some of the central characteristics of genes underlying mental retardation. The research shortens the list of genes whose changes lead to this disorder from thousands to several...
Real-time Control Of Wheelchair With Brain Waves
Japan's BSI-TOYOTA Collaboration Center has successfully developed a system that controls a wheelchair using brain waves in as little as 125 milliseconds.
Electrodes placed on the brain, not in it
SALT LAKE CITY, June 29 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say brain signals controlling arm movement can be detected by using microelectrodes that are positioned on the brain, but...
Natural-born Divers And The Molecular Traces Of Evolution
When the ancestors of present marine mammals returned to the oceans, their physiology had to adapt radically. Scientists have been studying how myoglobin, the molecule responsible for delivering oxygen to...
Closed pore could trap malaria
A recent study has found a vulnerability in the life cycle of malaria – closing certain pores could trap it inside red blood cells.
C-section Births Cause Genetic Changes That May Increase Odds For Developing Diseases In Later Life
Babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery. It...
Ovarian Transplantation: New Technique Gives Greatly Improved Results In This Delicate Operation
Ultra-fast freezing of ovarian tissue from women who have lost their fertility as a result of cancer treatment can lead to it being used in transplants with the same success...
Crop plants get genomics centre
A UK research centre to decode the DNA of plants and animals used in agriculture will open this week in the east of England.
New control system of the body discovered
Researchers in Berlin, Germany have ameliorated inflammation of the brain in mice caused by immune cells. A receptor they discovered on the surface of T cells in the central nervous...
Plant protein 'doorkeepers' block invading microbes, study finds
A group of plant proteins that 'shut the door' on bacteria that would otherwise infect the plant's leaves has been identified for the first time by a team of researchers...
Lion prides form to win turf wars
Lions form prides to defend territory against other lions, not to improve their hunting success, new research reveals.
Mice run faster on high-grade oil
Between the 1932 and 2008 Olympic Games, world record times of the men's 100m sprint improved by 0.6 seconds. Scientists at the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology in Austria have...
Evolution of a Contraceptive for Sea Lamprey
In addition to providing fundamental insights into the early evolution of the estrogen receptor, research by a team at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine may lead...
Fly Larvae Shun The Light
Drosophila larvae avoid light during the foraging stage of their development. New research shows that both 5-HT (serotonergic) and corazonergic neurons have a role in regulating this behavior.
Synthetic Biology: Gene Therapy Gets Under The Skin
Vaseline, a known molecule from apples and a gene network encapsulated in algal gelatin are the components of a possible gene therapy which literally gets under the skin. An important...
Research could save rare lizard
New research has found that reintroducing reptiles to the wild works best 50 at a time, and could help the endangered lizards survive.
Bacteria cleans industry's smell
Australian researchers have developed an eco-friendly way to clean up industrial odour using bacteria.