Latest science news in Biology & Nature
All Octopuses Are Venomous, Study Says
Although the blue-ringed octopus has long been the only species with a venomous reputation, a new study finds that all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squid also have venom proteins.
Separating the good from the bad
Scientists at MIT and Brown University studying how marine bacteria move recently discovered that a sharp variation in water current segregates right-handed bacteria from their left-handed brethren, impelling the microbes...
New research reveals extraordinary habits of rare Aussie dolphin
A preliminary study on Australia's mysterious snubfin dolphin has given researchers new insight into the mammal's habits and behaviour, including that it uses an extraordinary spitting technique to catch prey...
15M hits later, YouTube Symphony makes live debut
(AP) -- Even before they played their first note together, they were listed as one of the world's most inspiring orchestras.
Brown researchers create novel technique to sequence human genome
Since the human genome was sequenced six years ago, the cost of producing a high-quality genome sequence has dropped precipitously. More recently, the National Institutes of Health called for cutting...
Researchers Study Signaling Networks That Set Up Genetic Code
In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois have identified and visualized the signaling pathways in protein-RNA complexes that help set the genetic code in all organisms. The...
Climate Change Makes Migrations Longer For Birds
Bird migrations are likely to get longer according to the first ever study of the potential impacts of climate change on the breeding and winter ranges of migrant birds.
Farmers Relying On Herbicide Roundup Lose Some Of Its Benefit
Roundup Ready crops have made weed control much easier for farmers, but a new study shows their reliance on the technology may be weakening the herbicide's ability to control weeds.
HIV dearms protective protein in cells
The AIDS-causing HIV specifically counteracts the mechanisms of human cells that protect these against viral infections – a special viral protein marks protective cellular proteins for their rapid destruction and...
Feather color is more than skin deep
Carotenoids have important physiological functions, including antioxidant, immunomodulating, and photoprotectant properties. Carotenoid pigments are also used by many bird species as colorants, and are responsible for most of their red,...
Minimizing the spread of deadly Hendra virus
Groundbreaking CSIRO research into how the deadly Hendra virus spreads promises to save the lives of both horses and humans in the future.
Why Leaves Turn Red
Scientists have long wondered if the red color of fall leaves was more than just a sign of death.
A new method for bone-marrow-derived liver stem cells isolation and proliferation
Great interest has been aroused in the identification and isolation of liver stem cells from bone marrow cells. Several subsets of bone marrow cells have been found to have the...
Apples' autumn colour change clue
Domesticated apple trees' green leaves have re-ignited the debate surrounding autumn leaf colour change.
Midwestern ethanol plants use much less water than western plants
Ethanol production in Minnesota and Iowa uses far less water overall than similar processes in states where water is less plentiful, a new University of Minnesota study shows...
Meet your cousin, the garden snail
Stanford researchers harness nanoparticles to track cancer-cell changes
The more dots there are, the more accurate a picture you get when you connect them. A new imaging technology could give scientists the ability to simultaneously measure as many...
GM crops and the Gene Giants: Bad news for farmers
Unproven and patented GM fixes will not help farmers in the South adapt to climate change, say Kathy Jo Wetter and Hope Shand.
Study: Spammers scourge to inbox and environment
(AP) -- There are plenty of reasons to hate spammers. Add this to the list: They're environmentally unfriendly.
Blue whales reappear off western Canada
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 14 (UPI) -- Blue whales, the largest animals ever to have lived on Earth and now one of the rarest, have reappeared off the...
Ants inhabit 'world without sex'
A species of ant in the Amazon has abandoned sex and become female-only, say researchers - the first such species discovered.
Brain's Cognitive System Processes Vowels And Consonants At Different Speeds
The brain distinguishes between vowels and consonants differently, according to new research. Neuronal mechanisms change when they are processed and, when it comes to lexical access; both have a different...
Corn, soy yields gain little from genetic engineering: study
The use of genetically engineered corn and soybeans in the United States for more than a decade has had little impact on crop yields despite claims that they could ease...
Study reveals we seek new targets during visual search, not during other visual behaviors
When we look at a scene in front of us, we need to focus on the important items and be able to ignore distracting elements.
Male fruit flies change to gain reproductive edge
(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to wooing females, males of all species -- even fruit flies -- try to gain a competitive edge.
One-third of P.E.I.'s salmon rivers lost
A new survey of P.E.I.'s salmon rivers finds that 11 of the 33 rivers bearing salmon in the 1990s no longer have any of the fish.
Chicago bear brought to Detroit to mate
ROYAL OAK, Mich., April 14 (UPI) -- A male polar bear has been brought from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago to mate with two females at the...