Posts Tagged ‘biology’
Science & Technology - Nov 30, 2011 14:26 - 1 Comment
Chemical in spider silk repels ant attack
U. MELBOURNE (AUS) — Researchers have shown for the first time how Golden orb web spiders (Nephila antipodiana) add a chemical to their web silk to repel invading ants. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 29, 2011 11:40 - 0 Comments
Cancer drug sticks to RNA like glue
U. OREGON (US) — A common cancer drug binds quickly and firmly to RNA, a finding that has the potential to open new targets for drug delivery with fewer toxic side effects, a new study shows.
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Science & Technology - Nov 28, 2011 12:45 - 1 Comment
How to probe mechanics of living cells
PURDUE (US) — Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 23, 2011 12:53 - 0 Comments
How ‘sensitive’ body parts cope with change
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Some body parts are more sensitive to environmental change than others, a finding that may lead to better ways of treating a variety of diseases, including type 2 diabetes. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 22, 2011 11:57 - 0 Comments
Worms stop and go with human-like circuits
U. MICHIGAN (US) — The strategies used by the tiny C. elegans roundworm to control its motions are remarkably similar to those used by the human brain to command movement of eyes, arms, and legs. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 22, 2011 9:51 - 0 Comments
Schizophrenia pops up in memory genes
CARDIFF (US) — Genetic mutations that cause schizophrenia could be linked to systems in the brain responsible for learning and memory, a study suggests. (more…)
Top Stories - Nov 18, 2011 10:49 - 3 Comments
PCB exposure tough on turtles
U. MISSOURI (US) — Exposure to the chemical pollutant PCB takes a toll on turtles, stunting growth and lowering bone density, according to a new study that could offer insight on how PCBs affect humans. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 16, 2011 12:13 - 0 Comments
Enzyme lets mice eat more, gain less
BROWN (US) — Mice that were engineered to express an enzyme in their fat tissue were able to eat more but gain less weight, according to a new study that clarifies how obesity and inflammation affect insulin resistance. (more…)
Top Stories - Nov 14, 2011 11:52 - 4 Comments
Why obese bodies resist leptin
MONASH (AUS) — Researchers have discovered how a key causal component of obesity—resistance to the hormone leptin—develops. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 9, 2011 11:46 - 0 Comments
New DNA letter may have distinct function
EMORY (US) — Scientists have mapped the patterns formed by a sixth nucleotide—a new DNA letter discovered in 2009—in the brains of mice, observing how its pattern of distribution changes during development and aging. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 7, 2011 11:16 - 1 Comment
No single cause for Ice Age extinctions
TEXAS A&M (US) —Neither climate change nor humans alone can account for the Ice Age mass extinctions, according to a new international study. (more…)
Top Stories - Nov 7, 2011 11:01 - 2 Comments
Skin’s eye-like receptors ‘see’ UV light
BROWN (US) — Skin is able to detect ultraviolet light by using a receptor previously thought to only exist in the eye. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Nov 4, 2011 8:36 - 0 Comments
Steer clear: Bats 3x less active by roads
U. LEEDS (UK) — Bat activity is as much as three times lower near major roadsides, according to a new study that could have legal consequences for road builders. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 4, 2011 8:28 - 0 Comments
Bacteria flip on/off switch when stressed
CALTECH (US) — Instead of shifting from one steady state to another in response to stress, cells use a pulsating mechanism—a simple series of actions that may also drive other cellular processes. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 3, 2011 14:11 - 0 Comments
Fatty acids give pythons big, strong hearts
U. COLORADO-BOULDER (US) — Fatty acids in the blood of feeding pythons promote heart growth, a finding that may have implications for human heart disease. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 3, 2011 11:13 - 2 Comments
Aging leeches catch prey with ‘wave sense’
CALTECH (US) — Leeches have two distinct ways to sense prey, however, their preferred detection method changes as they age, a new study shows. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Nov 1, 2011 9:33 - 1 Comment
Build a better antibody to neutralize HIV
CALTECH (US) — Biologists have built a better antibody in an effort to neutralize the many subtypes of HIV. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 31, 2011 13:05 - 0 Comments
Junk DNA: Why humans, chimps are different?
GEORGIA TECH (US) — While the DNA sequence of genes between humans and chimpanzees is nearly identical, a new study finds the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes are highly variable. (more…)
