Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Mosquito parasite may help fight dengue fever
Dengue fever is a terrible viral disease blighting many of the world's tropical regions. Carried by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, 40% of the world's population is believed to be...
Fruits and Vegetables: Older People Are Not Getting Their Five-a-day
Older people are not eating enough fruit and vegetables, according to a study conducted in Ireland.
Study: DNA damage does not kill bacteria
CHAMPAIGN, Ill., April 28 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've determined immune cells don't kill bacteria by damaging their DNA, reversing a widespread assumption in the scientific community.
Swine Flu Is Evolution in Action
Swine flu evolved by stealing genetic code from other viruses.
Diminuendo -- New mouse model for understanding cause of progressive hearing loss
The respective microRNA seed region influences the production of sensory hair cells in the inner ear, both in the mouse and in humans. The findings have been published ahead of...
Infection study may lead to new drugs
UPTON, N.Y., April 27 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists say they have decoded the structure of a protein complex secretion system that is essential for infection.
Virus has bird, pig, human components: Farm trade watchdog
The world's paramount agency for health in farm animals on Monday said the deadly flu virus that has erupted in Mexico had origins among birds and humans as well as...
Genome projects launched for three extreme-environment animals
BGI-Shenzhen, in association with several other research institutes, announced today the launch of three new genome projects that focus on animals living in extreme environments. The three selected genomes are...
'Autoantibodies' may be created in response to bacterial DNA
Autoimmune diseases have long been regarded as illnesses in which the immune system creates autoantibodies to attack the body itself. But, researchers at the California non-profit Autoimmunity Research Foundation (ARF)...
SUMO protein guides chromatin remodeler to suppress genes
BOSTON (April 27, 2009) --In an in vitro study, led by Grace Gill, PhD, Tufts University School of Medicine, researchers discovered how a protein called SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier) guides...
Epigenetics: A Revolutionary Look at How Humans Work
Scientists are pinpointing how life experiences — from toxin exposure to receiving affection — can alter genome expression.
Uncooperative voltage sensors: Study advances conclusions about the Shaker Kv channel
The May 2009 issue of the Journal of General Physiology features an article and accompanying commentary on new experimental evidence that advances previous conclusions about the essential features of the...
New Hope For Advances In Treating Malaria
Researchers in England have developed chemicals which kill the most deadly malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium falciparum -- including those resistant to existing drugs.
Is the UK prepared for Sudden Oak Death?
Britain's ability to stop the spread of so-called 'Sudden Oak Death,' a disease threatening the country's trees, woods and heathland, will be assessed in a new review by Imperial College...
Researchers Use Lasers to Induce Gamma Brain Waves in Mice
Scientists have studied high-frequency brain waves, known as gamma oscillations, for more than 50 years, believing them crucial to consciousness, attention, learning and memory. Now, for the first time, MIT...
Building The Lymphatic Drainage System
Our bodies' tissues need continuous irrigation and drainage. Blood vessels feeding the tissues bring in the fluids, and drainage occurs via the lymphatic system. While much is known about how...
Experts lay to rest long-held misconceptions about high fructose corn syrup at ILSI-USDA workshop
WASHINGTON, DC - A supplement to be published in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition encourages the scientific community and the general public to stop demonizing high fructose...
Glowing protein in ‘animal photosynthesis’
Green fluorescent marker protein found in exotic marine animals can convert light into chemical energy
Now Where Did I Leave My Car? How The Brain Translates Memory Into Action
When we emerge from a supermarket laden down with bags and faced with a sea of vehicles, how do we remember where we've parked our car and translate the memory...
Autopilot Guides Proteins In Brain
Proteins go everywhere in the cell and do all sorts of work, but a fundamental question has eluded biologists: how do the proteins know where to go? A new study...
Neuronal Growth Factor Receptor -- Long Implicated In Alzheimer's Disease -- May Actually Protect The Neuron
New research casts the role of a neuronal growth factor receptor -- long suspected to facilitate the toxic effects of beta amyloid in Alzheimer's disease -- in a new light,...
Computational Biology Illuminates How Cells Change Gears
Bioinformatics researchers just moved closer to unlocking the mystery of how human cells switch from "proliferation mode" to "specialization mode." This computational biology work could lead to new ideas for...
Researcher produces egg-laying male fish
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 26 (UPI) -- A researcher at Ohio State University says he is working on producing larger bluegill by breeding super males with two Y chromosomes.
Stem Cells For The Damaged Heart: Key Factors In Heart Cell Creation Identified
Scientists have identified for the first time key genetic factors that drive the process of generating new heart cells. The discovery provides important new directions on how stem cells may...
Fish That Live In The Dark Have The Best Ears
All fish have ears buried inside their heads. But fish that live in the deepest, darkest waters of the ocean may have particularly sensitive ears. Researchers have gathered the first...
Closing In On Goat Scrapie
Goats are tough, spirited animals, but they're no match for scrapie, a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Now, with a "helping hand" from science, the animals' plight could take a...
Brain works best when cells keep right rhythms, new Stanford studies suggest
STANFORD, Calif. -- It is said that each of us marches to the beat of a different drum, but new Stanford University research suggests that brain cells need to follow...
Satellites to save species
Australian scientists are developing a revolutionary way to monitor changes in biodiversity across vast tracts of the continent using satellites.