Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Fly gene may aid human brain tumor studies
SINGAPORE, June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. and Singaporean scientists say a protein found in a fruit fly's brain, with a counterpart in mammals, can apparently prevent brain tumors...
Visualizing Formation Of A New Synapse
A protein called neuroligin that is implicated in some forms of autism is critical to the construction of a working synapse, locking neurons together like "molecular Velcro," a new study...
Human Neurodegenerative Disorder Observed In Fruit Flies
Scientists have created a genetically modified fruit fly that mimics key features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a common neurodegenerative disorder that strikes about one out of every 2,500 people in the...
Primitive Primate's Brain Built
Scientists have constructed a virtual model of an early primate brain using an ancient skull.
Cellular forces studied in tissue creation
PHILADELPHIA, June 23 (UPI) -- A University of Pennsylvania-led study has measured the cellular physical forces generated by individual cells during tissue development.
Pitcher plant doubles as toilet for tree shrews
When you gotta go you gotta go, and for small tropical mammals called tree shrews, a pitcher plant serves as a handy toilet, new video research finds.
Toxic molecule may help birds 'see' north and south
Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role in bird migration. The molecule, superoxide,...
Gpx5: Sperm shouldn't leave the testes without this protein
Joel Drevet and colleagues, at Clermont Universite, France, have identified a protein that helps protect immature mouse sperm after they have been released into a region of the testis known...
Brain represents tools as temporary body parts, study confirms
Researchers have what they say is the first direct proof of a very old idea: that when we use a tool - even for just a few minutes - it...
Midget plant gets makeover
A tiny plant with a long name (Arabidopsis thaliana) helps researchers from over 120 countries learn how to design new crops to help meet increasing demands for food, biofuels, industrial...
Zero in on ozone with fluorescent solution that detects harmful molecule in air and body
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when exposed to even minute amounts of ozone in the air and in biological samples...
Larvae shun the light
Drosophila larvae avoid light during the foraging stage of their development. Research published in the open access journal BMC Neuroscience shows that both 5-HT (serotonergic) and corazonergic neurones have a...
Social Competition May Be Reason For Bigger Brain
For the past 2 million years, the size of the human brain has tripled, growing much faster than other mammals. Examining the reasons for human brain expansion, researchers studied three...
Owls cough up clues about Prairie wildlife
Scientists in Saskatchewan say a project examining owl vomit is yielding tremendous information about Prairie wildlife.
Going, going green
Steve and Beth Griffith and their family thought they were well on their way to living an energy-saving green lifestyle.
Researchers discover how old memories are re-saved and changed
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at McGill University have discovered a series of molecular mechanisms that regulate how our brains call up, restore and even change old memories.
Observatory: Male Mice Sing to Woo, but the Females Answer Just a First Call
Researchers report that male mice songs definitely elicit interest from the opposite sex.
Basics: When an Ear Witness Decides the Case
In ways that researchers are just beginning to appreciate, we humans are beholden to our ears.
Well: How the Food Makers Captured Our Brains
A recipe for indulging: salt, sugar and fat, mixed many ways. But we can fight it.
Fighting TB might be a matter of 'flipping a switch' in immune response
Scientists are focusing on a new concept in fighting airborne pathogens by manipulating what is called the "switching time," the point at which a highly regulated immune response gives way...
New algorithm charts evolution of genetic networks during fruit fly life cycle
A new algorithm developed by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientists has revealed for the first time how genetic networks in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, evolve during the insect's life...
Dog, cat bites could spread MRSA
Antibiotic-resistant staph infections can be passed back and forth between people and their pets, doctors say.
How Botulism Paralyzes Nerve Cells: New Details Revealed
(PhysOrg.com) -- New structures of a botulism toxin interacting with a mimic of the nerve-cell protein it destroys suggest new ways to block this often-fatal interaction. Indeed, the mimic molecules...
The Power of Positive Thinking
As we learn more about the power of the human brain it is more common to hear about ideas regarding our ability to guide our future, intuition, and premonition. Given...
Big federal study will test vitamin D, fish oil
The U.S. government will sponsor a big study of fish oil and vitamin D pills to see if either supplement can keep healthy people from developing cancer, heart disease or...
Video: Fox cubs make public debut
June 22: Families gather to watch zookeepers feed three fennec fox cubs at a Tokyo zoo. Msnbc.com’s Becca Field reports. (msnbc.com)
California Stem Cell Agency Awards $3.4M Grant to the Jackson Laboratory
The Jackson Laboratory has received a $3.4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state's stem cell agency, to to develop new mouse models of...
Humans related to orangutans, not chimps
PITTSBURGH, June 22 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests humans are more likely related to orangutans and not chimpanzees, as is commonly proposed.