http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/biology/ Biology news. Full-text biology news, articles and photos from research institutes around the world. Updated daily. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/biology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143105.htm Computer engineers may have just provided the medical community a new way of figuring out exactly how one of the three building blocks of life forms and functions. They have used a complex computer program to analyze RNA motifs – the subunits that make up RNA. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215143105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215142817.htm Scientists have tested nearly 700 wild yeast strains isolated from diverse environments for the presence of known and unknown prion elements, finding them in one third of all strains. All the prions appear capable of creating diverse new traits, nearly half of which are beneficial. These unexpected findings stand as strong evidence against the common argument that prions are merely yeast "diseases" or rare artifacts of laboratory culture. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215142817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123949.htm Scientists have discovered that the elastic part of myomesin, a protein that links muscle filaments, can stretch to two and a half times its original length, unfolding in a way that was hitherto unknown. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123702.htm Scientists have found a fundamentally new mechanism how our defense system is ramped up when facing a viral intruder. Exploitation of this mechanism in vaccines sparks new hope for better prevention and therapy of infectious diseases and cancer. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215123702.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083023.htm Four new species of miniaturized lizards have been identified in Madagascar. These lizards, just tens of millimeters from head to tail and in some cases small enough to stand on the head of a match, rank among the smallest reptiles in the world. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215083023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214145337.htm The models used to understand how Earth's climate works include thousands of different variables from many scientific including atmospherics, oceanography, seismology, geology, physics and chemistry, but few take into consideration the vast effect that microbes have on climate. Now, a new report offers a plan for integrating the latest understanding of the science of microbiology into climate models. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214145337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214145333.htm Scientists have shown for the first time how two long intergenic noncoding RNAs in brewer's yeast contribute to a location-dependent switch for the yeast FLO11 gene to toggle between active and inactive states. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214145333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134944.htm Tissue in monkeys infected with a close relative of HIV can ramp up production of a type of T cell that actually weakens the body's attack against the invading virus. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134942.htm Chemists have created a molecule that's so good at tangling itself inside the double helix of a DNA sequence that it can stay there for up to 16 days before the DNA liberates itself, much longer than any other molecule reported. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134940.htm Over their 3.8 billion years of evolution, living organisms have developed countless strategies for monitoring their surroundings. Chemists have adapted some of these strategies to improve the performance of DNA detectors. Their findings may aid efforts to build better medical diagnostics, such as improved HIV or cancer tests. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121854.htm Bumblebees can use cues from their rivals the honeybees to learn where the best food resources are, according to new research. In a new study, researchers trained a colony of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to use cues provided by a different species, the honeybee (Apis mellifera), as well as cues provided by fellow bumblebees to locate food resources on artificial flowers. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121844.htm A novel approach in the study of the development of mammalian embryos has just been developed. The research enables scientists to view critical aspects of embryonic development which was previously unobservable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214121844.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100940.htm New research shows how the malaria parasite changes into a banana shape before sexual reproduction, a finding that could provide targets for vaccine or drug development and may explain how the parasite evades the human immune system. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:09:09 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100940.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100554.htm Curcumin, a substance extracted from turmeric, prolongs life and enhances activity of fruit flies with a nervous disorder similar to Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. The study indicates that it is the initial stages of fibril formation and fragments of the amyloid fibrils that are most toxic to neurons. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:05:05 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214100554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185654.htm In a study of the molecular underpinnings of plants' pest resistance, biologists have shown that plants use circadian rhythms to both anticipate raids by hungry insects and to time the production of defensive hormones that protect against insect attack. The researchers demonstrated that when the plants' timing was shifted, the plants were defenseless against daytime-feeding caterpillars. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185645.htm Researchers have revealed, for the first time, one of the molecular mechanisms that regulates the beating of heart cells by controlling the movement of sodium in out of the cells -- and what calcium has to do with it. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185643.htm Cancer cells can undergo unchecked proliferation, producing self-antigens that are tolerated by the immune system, rather than being targeted for destruction. At the opposite extreme, autoimmune disorders can result when healthy cells in the body are misidentified as hazards. Researchers now examine how CD8 T cells -- critical weapons in the body's defensive arsenal -- are regulated when they transition from this tolerant state to an activated state and back. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185115.htm Breast cancer stem cells are thought to be the sole source of tumor recurrence and are known to be resistant to radiation therapy and don’t respond well to chemotherapy. Researchers report for the first time that radiation treatment -- despite killing half of all tumor cells during every treatment -- transforms other cancer cells into treatment-resistant breast cancer stem cells. Researchers stressed that breast cancer patients should not be alarmed by the study findings and should continue to undergo radiation if recommended by their oncologists. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154055.htm Fossil record of graptoloids challenges the theory that immediately after a mass extinction, species develop new physical traits at a rapid pace. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154053.htm A study of the evolutionary history of Antarctic fish and their "anti-freeze" proteins illustrates how tens of millions of years ago a lineage of fish adapted to newly formed polar conditions -- and how today they are endangered by a rapid rise in ocean temperatures. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133704.htm One of the frustrations for scientists working on HIV/AIDS treatments has been the human immunodeficiency virus' ability to evade the body's immune system. Now a researcher has discovered a compound that could help put the immune system back in the hunt. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133453.htm Since Charles Darwin first put forth the theory of evolution, scientists have been trying to unlock the mysteries of genetics. But research on the genome -- the organism's entire hereditary package encoded in DNA and RNA -- has been less extensive. There is a tendency to think of the genome as a static and passive container of information. A critical new paradigm now redefines the genome as a dynamic structure that can impact genes themselves. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:34:34 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213133453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192737.htm A protein that protects some of our immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV works by starving the virus of the molecular building blocks that it needs to replicate. While researchers hope the work will one day lead to a way to make anti-HIV drugs more effective by increasing their potency against the virus, they're also excited about its implications for our knowledge of other pathogens, such as herpes viruses. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192737.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192733.htm For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, a compound derived from this extract's bioactive ingredient, could be used to treat many autoimmune disorders as well. Now, researchers have discovered the molecular secrets behind this herbal extract's power. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192555.htm A novel discovery reveals a mechanism by which the immune system tries to halt the spread of HIV. Harnessing this mechanism may open up new paths for therapeutic research aimed at slowing the virus’ progression to AIDS. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192552.htm Although the process of mitotic cell division has been studied intensely for more than 50 years, researchers have only now solved the mystery of how cells correctly align their chromosomes during symmetric mitosis. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120212192552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095049.htm Advances in studying genes mean that scientists in evolutionary developmental biology or “evo-devo” can now explain more clearly than ever before how bats got wings, the turtle got its shell and blind cave fish lost their eyes, says an evolutionary biologist. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095047.htm The underrepresentation of women in science has received significant attention. However, there have been few studies in which longitudinal data were used to assess changes over time. Now researchers find that women in the field of ecological studies have experienced dramatic improvements, but persistent challenges remain. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120211095047.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133356.htm Researchers have developed a new method for creating scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, providing an alternative that is more flexible and less time-intensive than current technology. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133354.htm One undergraduate student will depart university with not only a degree but also a possible patent for his invention of an efficient way to create protein libraries, an important component of biomolecular research. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133348.htm Researchers have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass with promise as a source of ethanol and bioenergy. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111302.htm A new study has shown that boosting the estrogen levels of male garter snakes causes them to secrete the same pheromones that females use to attract suitors, and turned the males into just about the sexiest snake in the neighborhood -- attracting dozens of other males eager to mate. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111256.htm Invasive species which have the potential to destroy biodiversity and influence global change could be tracked and controlled in the same way as wanted criminals, according to new research. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210111256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110036.htm Researchers have identified four plant extracts that might help in preventing and fighting obesity. The researchers identified the most effective plant extracts through in vitro assays; subsequently, extracts were tested on rats. While the results obtained are promising, further studies on animals are required to evaluate and confirm the anti-obesity effects of these extracts. Once their anti-obesity effects are confirmed on animals, the extracts will be tested on humans. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210110036.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210105859.htm Curcumin, an active component of the Indian curry spice turmeric, may help slow down tumor growth in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients on androgen deprivation therapy, a new study suggests. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210105859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104748.htm A new method to map nanostructures within materials may lead to biological imaging of the internal organization of cells. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104745.htm Drug researchers hunting for alternative ways to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections may soon have a novel target -- its camouflage coat. HIV hides inside a cloak unusually rich in a sugar called mannose, which it uses to slip past the immune system before infecting its host's cells. Recently, however, biochemists discovered a family of chemical compounds that stick strongly to mannose. Understanding how this mechanism works could reveal a way to make drugs adhere to and kill HIV. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210104745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172918.htm Cell biologists have uncovered a new insight into colon cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The team analyzed human colon cancer specimens and found that in nearly 80 percent of them the variants of a gene (HNF4A) are out of balance. This imbalance appears to be the result of a complex, multi-step process by an enzyme (Src kinase). Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172820.htm Lying around in the sun all day is hazardous not just for humans but also for plants. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage proteins and DNA inside cells, leading to poor growth and even death. But plants have evolved some powerful adaptive defenses, including a complex array of protective responses orchestrated by a UV-sensing protein molecule known as UVR8. Now, scientists have put together a detailed picture of UVR8's structure and inner workings. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172812.htm A neuropeptide called Substance P is the cause of seizures in patients with brains infected by the pork tapeworm. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172805.htm New research suggests that unrelated individuals may be mistakenly identified as genetic family members due to inaccurate genetic assumptions. This is particularly relevant when considering familial searching: a new technique which extends forensic identification to family members of individuals with profiles in offender/arrestee DNA databases. In a new study, researchers show that false familial identification may be more likely for individuals with particular genetic backgrounds; for example, in the USA, those of Asian or Native American descent. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152814.htm Scientists have identified a single prion protein that causes neuronal death similar to that seen in "mad cow" disease, but is at least 10 times more lethal than larger prion species. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209152814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144005.htm Neuroscientists have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The use of a drug appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer's in mice. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144003.htm As oceans warm due to climate change, water layers will mix less and affect the microbes and plankton that pump carbon out of the atmosphere – but researchers say it's still unclear whether these processes will further increase global warming or decrease it. It could be either, they say. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209144003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135840.htm Over-reliance on glyphosate-type herbicides for weed control on US farms has created a dramatic increase in the number of genetically-resistant weeds, according to agricultural researchers, who say the solution lies in an integrated weed management program. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209135840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101841.htm It's a matchup worthy of a late-night cable movie: put a school of starving piranha and a 300-pound fish together, and who comes out the winner? The surprising answer -- given the notorious guillotine-like bite of the piranha -- is Brazil's massive Arapaima fish. The secret to Arapaima's success lie in its intricately detailed scales, which could provide "bioinspiration" for engineers looking to develop flexible ceramics. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101607.htm Scientists have discovered the molecular mechanism of a G protein family. G proteins play a central role in cellular signal processing. They are described as molecular switches that oscillate between 'on' and 'off', regulated by effectors. Biochemists have now gained fundamental insights into the mechanics of these switches. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm A species of mosquito has been discovered breeding in the UK that has not been seen in the country since 1945. Populations of the mosquito, found across mainland Europe and known only by its Latin name Culex modestus, were recorded at a number of sites in the marshes of north Kent and south Essex in 2010 and 2011. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208180245.htm The egg sac silk of the cocoon stalk of the cave spider Meta menardi is the most stretchable egg sac silk yet tested, according to a new study. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208180245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152342.htm DNA sequences from tumor cells can be used to direct the immune system to attack cancer, according to scientists. The immune system relies on an intricate network of alarm bells, targets and safety brakes to determine when and what to attack. The new results suggest that scientists may now be able to combine DNA sequencing data with their knowledge of the triggers and targets that set off immune alarms to more precisely develop vaccines and other immunotherapies for cancer. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152340.htm Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal’s genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208152340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208133029.htm Biologists have found new evidence of why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs -- even though some of those genes make vertebrate animals susceptible to infections and to autoimmune diseases. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208133029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132846.htm A research engineer combined a glass slide, plastic sheets and double-sided tape to build a "diffusion-based gradient generator", a tool to rapidly assess how changing concentrations of specific chemicals affect living cells. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132723.htm Individual cells modified to act as sensors using fluorescence are already useful tools in biochemistry, but now they can add good timing to their resume. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132555.htm Obstacles in an organism's path can help it to move faster, not slower, researchers have found through a series of experiments and computer simulations. Their findings have implications for a better understanding of basic locomotion strategies found in biology, and the survival and propagation of the parasite that causes malaria. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132549.htm A new study has shown, for the first time, that growing up on a farm directly affects the regulation of the immune system and causes a reduction in the immunological responses to food proteins. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132309.htm It's been more than 50 years since James Watson and Francis Crick showed that DNA is a double helix of two strands that complement each other. But how does a short piece of DNA find its match, out of the millions of 'letters' in even a small genome? New work shows how it's done. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208132309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208090146.htm A large-scale study analyzing metabolic compounds in rice grains has identified 131 rice metabolites and clarified the genetic and environmental factors that influence their production. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208090146.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202813.htm The molecular pathway that carries time-of-day signals from the body's internal clock to ultimately guide daily behavior is like a black box, says a researcher. Now, new research is taking a peek inside, describing a molecular pathway and its inner parts that connect the well-known clock neurons to cells governing rhythms of rest and activity in fruit flies. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202803.htm Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207202803.htm