Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Fish Really Is 'Brain Food': Vitamin D May Lessen Age-related Cognitive Decline
Eating fish -- long considered 'brain food' -- may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.
Unusually Large Family Of Green Fluorescent Proteins Discovered In Marine Creature
Scientists have discovered a family of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) in a primitive sea animal, along with new clues about the role of the proteins that has nothing to do...
New Species of Yeast Discovered in Amazon Jungle
A new species of yeast has been discovered deep in the Amazon jungle. Biologist have identified novel characteristics of Candida carvajalis sp. nov.
LSUHSC research describes function of key protein in cancer spread
Research led by David Worthylake, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSU Health Sciences Centre New Orleans, may help lay the groundwork for the development of a...
At Least 3 Endangered Whales Found Off Tip of Greenland
Underwater microphones locate endangered whales in region where were thought extinct.
Beneficial Plant 'Spillover' Effect Seen From Landscape Corridors
Biologists show that using landscape corridors, the "superhighways" that connect isolated patches of habitat, to protect certain plants has a large "spillover" effect that increases the number of plant species...
Biologists Call For Network Of Protected Rivers
Scientists have used the Guadiana River basin, in which 92% of the species are under threat, as a reference point to measure the loss of aquatic biodiversity and its conservation...
Bird songs change with the landscape
DURHAM, N.C., May 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. biologist says she has discovered bird songs can change as a bird's habitat changes.
Some Nutro-brand dry cat food is recalled
WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of various Nutro-brand dry cat foods due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium.
Researchers solve another mystery in B lymphocyte development
A new study published online in Nature Immunology ahead of the June 2009 print issue has found that homologous immunoglobulin (lg) alleles pair up in the nucleus at stages that...
Genital Stimulation Opens Door For Cryptic Female Choice In Tsetse Flies
Manipulation of male and/or female genitalia results in a suite of changes in female reproductive behavior in tsetse flies, carriers of African sleeping sickness.
Marine Mammals' Brains Exposed To Hazardous Cocktail Of Pesticides Including DDT, PCBs, Brominated Flame Retardants
The most extensive study of pollutants in marine mammals' brains reveals that these animals are exposed to a hazardous cocktail of pesticides such as DDT and PCBs, as well as...
How An Enzyme Tells Stem Cells Which Way To Divide
Driving Miranda, a protein in fruit flies crucial to switch a stem cell's fate, is not as complex as biologists thought, according to biochemists. They've found that one enzyme stands...
Team tracks nanotube cancer killers in live tissue
Nanotechnology scientists at two Arkansas research institutions have developed a method of detecting, tracking, and killing cancer cells in real time with carbon nanotubes...
Novel approach estimates nanoparticles in environment
Without knowing how much of an industrial chemical is being produced, it is almost impossible for scientists to determine if it poses any threat to the environment or human health...
Lack of penalties, animal protection laws earn N.B. unwanted distinction
The Animal Legal Defense Fund is handing New Brunswick a distinction that it would rather do without.
Snail venoms reflect reduced competition
A study of venomous snails on remote Pacific islands reveals genetic underpinnings of an ecological phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Darwin...
Research team finds important role for junk DNA
Scientists have called it 'junk DNA.' They have long been perplexed by these extensive strands of genetic material that dominate the genome but seem to lack specific functions. Why would...
Arsenic In Irrigation Water Is Transferred To Crops
Researchers have shown that potatoes irrigated with arsenic-rich water contain this element at levels up to 35 times higher than crops on which this water was not used. The scientists...
Non-wovens As Scaffolds For Artificial Tissue
In future, cartilage, tendon and blood vessel tissue will be produced in the laboratory, with cells being grown on a porous frame, such as non-wovens. A new software program helps...
Navy grant to fund probe of squid and octopus camouflage
Octopuses and squid are big brained species that use much of their mental powers to adjust their own appearances. This remarkable ability to camouflage on the fly has inspired the...
DNA molecules can detect pathogens, deliver drugs
(PhysOrg.com) -- First, Cornell researchers created DNA "bar codes" -- strands of the genetic material that quickly identify the presence of different molecules by fluorescing. Now, they have created new...
Sea otter hunt planned by Vancouver Island First Nations
A Vancouver Island First Nations group plans to hunt sea otters once again, after reaching a tentative deal with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Sub-Saharan Africa news in brief: 7–20 May
Looking at HIV in fishermen, biodiversity can be preserved on agricultural land, Mozambique to improve researchers' skills, and more.
Rare white seal caught on camera
A white elephant seal has been spotted on a beach in the sub-Antarctic, the first confirmed sighting of such an animal.
Invention Awards: A Real-Life Babel Fish For the Speaking Impaired
Today's featured Invention Awards winner is the Audeo, a voice synthesizer that gives back the ability to speak to those with vocal cord or neurological damage. Be sure to check...
New Evolutionary Computing Developments Optimize Complex Problem Solving
Scientists have been working on the design and implementation of an evolutionary computing platform capable of integrating classical and new techniques to together optimize complex problem solving.
Instant insight: Agents of destruction
Ivan Parkin and Michael Wilson from University College London, UK, look at how to make hospital-acquired infections a thing of the past