Posts Tagged ‘biology’
Science & Technology - Sep 12, 2011 17:09 - 1 Comment
Illusion explains how we view motion
STANFORD (US) — Flies like watching computer screens as much as the next animal. Set them on a trackball in front of a monitor, and they’ll follow the action. (more…)
Science & Technology - Sep 2, 2011 13:11 - 0 Comments
Computers uncover how plants survive
MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Plant and computer scientists have teamed up to figure out how certain genes in a plant turn on and off to deal with environmental extremes. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Sep 1, 2011 11:56 - 0 Comments
Free radical catch-22: Eat less, age more
YALE (US) — The good news: Elevating free radical levels in the hypothalamus suppresses appetite in obese mice. The bad news: Free radicals likely drive the aging process. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Aug 31, 2011 10:11 - 2 Comments
Biologists burn mountains to rescue lizards
WASHINGTON U.-ST. LOUIS (US) — A 30-year study of collared lizards in the Ozark glades finds burning entire mountains and valleys has helped bring back lizard populations. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Aug 29, 2011 10:57 - 0 Comments
How gene linked to cancer moves cells
CORNELL (US) — Mutations to the p53 gene have been linked to half of all cancers, and now researchers have identified how the gene controls cell movement and invasion into other areas of the body. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 24, 2011 14:15 - 0 Comments
How embryos escape the chaos monster
PRINCETON (US) — Newly fertilized cells only narrowly avoid degenerating into fatal chaos, a new study shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 22, 2011 11:57 - 1 Comment
Cat urine is a ‘turn-on’ for some rats
STANFORD (US) —The same brain region that triggers a mating response in male rats also lights up when rats smell cat urine—if those rats are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Aug 19, 2011 12:05 - 6 Comments
To cure HIV, attack the reservoir
CALTECH (US) — Chronic infectious diseases like HIV survive by forming reservoirs. These small populations of a bacterium or virus persist despite attacks from the immune system or drug treatment. (more…)
Top Stories - Aug 16, 2011 12:33 - 0 Comments
‘Boring’ fungus finally gets a name
U. MICHIGAN (US) — A fungus that’s been lurking underground for millions of years—known only through its DNA—has been cultured, photographed, named, and assigned a place on the tree of life. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 16, 2011 10:33 - 0 Comments
Optics used to track single cell’s growth
U. ILLINOIS (US) — Researchers are using optics to measure a basic biological process: the growth of single cells. It’s a process that has been difficult to quantify using other methods. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 15, 2011 14:53 - 0 Comments
Abalone plume draws in sperm
U. WASHINGTON (US) — A molecule notorious for making us sleepy at Thanksgiving also makes it easier for red abalone sperm to hit their target. (more…)
Health & Medicine - Aug 3, 2011 16:08 - 0 Comments
Memory decline may be reversible
YALE (US) — Researchers have figured out why we tend to be more forgetful as we age. Interestingly, they say, the findings suggest the condition is reversible. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 29, 2011 12:05 - 0 Comments
Bat brain hears target loud and clear
BROWN (US) — Bats can distinguish a target from background clutter by detecting changes in amplitude between different parts of each echo that returns from their sonar blasts. (more…)
Top Stories - Jul 29, 2011 11:22 - 0 Comments
Plant killers may be easy to outsmart
UNC-CHAPEL HILL (US) — Pathogens pack a diverse arsenal of weapons in their war against plants, but a new study shows they strike a surprisingly limited number of cellular targets when they go for the kill. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 28, 2011 11:53 - 0 Comments
Imaging hat trick: Faster, sharper, deeper
CALTECH (US) — New technology could enhance in triplicate optical imaging of live biological samples by simultaneously improving resolution, penetration depth, and speed. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Jul 27, 2011 11:52 - 1 Comment
Forest trees remember their roots
U. TORONTO (CAN) — When it comes to how they respond to the environment, trees may not be that different from humans. (more…)
Top Stories - Jul 27, 2011 11:01 - 0 Comments
Vanishing predators: Cascade of loss
UC DAVIS (US) — The declining number of animals at the top of the food chain is creating a downward spiral throughout the world’s ecosystems, largely due to the one predator they are vulnerable to: humans. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 22, 2011 12:15 - 0 Comments
The ‘new’ rules all parasites follow
UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — By studying parasites within an ecosystem, scientists have uncovered simple ecological rules that apply to all animals and predict how common they are. (more…)
