http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/life_sciences/ Life Science News. Updated daily with science research articles in all the life sciences. Images. en-us Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:01 EST Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/life_sciences/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161432.htm Researchers are seeking to refine cancer treatment with an anti-inflammatory plant derivative long used in Chinese medicine. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211930.htm The recent trend towards earlier UK springs and summers has been accelerating, according to a new study. The research is the most comprehensive and rigorous assessment so far of long-term changes in the seasonal timing of biological events across marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments in the UK. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208144627.htm Scientists in Spain report on the formation of the small-diameter respiratory tubes of the fly Drosophila -- a process that resembles the development of the finest blood vessels, the capillaries, in mammals. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208144627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171639.htm The traditional view is that ecology shapes evolution. Some research has suggested, however, that evolutionary processes reciprocate by influencing ecology in turn. Now biologists present evidence that ecology and evolution are indeed reciprocally interacting processes, presenting a fundamental shift in our understanding of the relationship between evolution and ecology. The results represent a first significant step in showing that evolution cannot be ignored when studying ecological interactions. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209152221.htm It is widely known that genetic mutations cause disease. What are largely unknown are the mechanisms by which these mutations wreak havoc at the molecular level, giving rise to clinically observable symptoms in patients. Now a new study using bioinformatics reports the ability to predict the molecular cause of many inherited genetic diseases. These predictions have led to the creation of a web-based tool available to academic researchers who study disease. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209152221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209124605.htm Gene variation is the reason that some great tit populations are more curious than others. In humans and animals alike, individuals differ in sets of traits that we usually refer to as personality. An important part of the individual difference in personality is due to variation in the underlying genes. One gene, the dopamine receptor D4 gene, however, is known to influence novelty seeking and exploration behavior in a range of species, including humans and birds. Researchers now show that the gene’s influence on birds’ behavior differs markedly between wild populations of great tits. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209124605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209124503.htm New research into how the brain controls the movements of limbs could prompt major advances in understanding the human brain and the development of prosthetic limbs. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209124503.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100207214126.htm Rugged, hilly landscapes with a range of different habitat types can help maintain more stable butterfly populations and thus aid their conservation, according to new findings. This has implications for how we might design landscapes better to help conserve species. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100207214126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128142130.htm They haven't had sex in some 30 million years, but some very small invertebrates named bdelloid rotifers are still shocking biologists -- they should have gone extinct long ago. Researchers have discovered the secret to their evolutionary longevity: these rotifers are microscopic escape artists. When facing pathogens, they dry up and are promptly gone with the wind. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128142130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144545.htm Scientists are tapping into the DNA of a wild oat, considered by some to be a noxious weed, to see if it can help combat crown rust, the most damaging fungal disease of oats worldwide. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171752.htm Scientists believe they may have figured out how genetic snippets called microRNAs are able to shut down the production of some proteins. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201093035.htm Understanding how aged and damaged mother cells manage to form new and undamaged daughter cells is one of the toughest riddles of aging, but scientists now know how yeast cells do it. In a groundbreaking study, researchers in Sweden show how the daughter cell uses a mechanical "conveyor belt" to dump damaged proteins in the mother cell. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201093035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102556.htm The complex chain of metabolic events in bacteria that lead to fatal diseases such as tuberculosis may be better understood using mathematical models, according to a new article. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102556.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129111753.htm Scientists have analyzed rust fungi from more than 160 sugarcane samples from 25 countries to provide a valuable resource for plant breeders and pathologists who are searching for genetic resistance to the deadly orange and brown rusts. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129111753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102620.htm For the first time, scientists have directly measured the energy associated with the expulsion of viral DNA, a pivotal discovery toward fully understanding the physical mechanisms that control viral infection and designing drugs to interfere with the process. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144815.htm In a finding that overturns conventional wisdom, scientists are reporting the first discovery of the female sex hormone progesterone in a plant. Until now, scientists thought that only animals could make progesterone. A steroid hormone secreted by the ovaries, progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and maintains pregnancy. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144815.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203131409.htm Scientists studying RNA activity, the so-called dark matter of the biological world, may have found the first event in reprogramming a differentiated oocyte into pluripotent blastomeres of the embryo. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203131409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205213102.htm How two butterfly species have evolved exactly the same striking wing color and pattern has intrigued biologists since Darwin's day. Now, scientists have found "hot spots" in the butterflies' genes that they believe will explain one of the most extraordinary examples of mimicry in the natural world. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205213102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102607.htm Groundbreaking research could lead to the development of more potent drugs or a vaccine for malaria. Scientists have scored a world first in successfully using transcriptional profiling to uncover hitherto unknown gene expression (activity) patterns in malaria. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144420.htm Prions are a special class of proteins best known as the source for mad cow and other neurodegenerative diseases. Despite this negative reputation, a prion may also have important and very positive roles in brain function. The researchers suggest that a prion-like protein may participate in memory in higher eukaryotes, from sea slugs on up. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144422.htm Deciphering microscopic clues hidden within fossils, scientists have uncovered the vibrant colors that adorned a feathered dinosaur extinct for 150 million years. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144549.htm Sure, some delicacies might taste just like chicken, but they usually feel and look much different. Soy meat alternatives, such as the soy burger, have become more popular recently, with increased sales of eight percent from 2007 to 2008. Now, scientists have created a soy substitute for chicken that is much like the real thing. The new soy chicken also has health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and maintaining healthy bones. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128101857.htm A study of animals visible to the naked eye and living in and on the seabed -- the "macrobenthos" -- of the Straits of Magellan and Drake Passage will help scientists understand the biodiversity, biogeography and ecology of the Magellanic region. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128101857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129112023.htm Some natural latexes are the main ingredient in the extraction of natural rubber, an indispensable raw material for all kinds of industries and essential for the manufacture of surgical gloves, condoms or tyres. All the latex used in Europe is imported, extracted fundamentally from the the Hevea brasiliensis tree. The largest producers in the world are Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, three Asian countries that have practically the worldwide monopoly of this resource. In order to find alternatives to this commercial dependence and promote the cultivation of latex-producing plant species in the European Union, a research project is being undertaken in which 12 technological centres, universities and companies related to this matter are taking part. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129112023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144426.htm Researchers have discovered that the protein MRG15, which previously had been known to affect cell growth and aging, also directs the gene-splicing machinery. As people or animals age, this machinery can go awry, producing nonsense proteins. The finding thus has potential implications for therapies to treat both cancer and aging. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208185349.htm The first head-to-head comparison of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies produced from plants versus the same antibodies produced from mammalian cells has shown that plant-produced antibodies can fight infection equally well. Scientists conducted the comparison as a test of the potential for treating disease in developing nations with the significantly less expensive plant-based production technique. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208185349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115944.htm The fatal brain disease Creutzfeldt-Jakob in humans, BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in cattle and scrapie in sheep are so-called prion diseases, whereby one of the body's normal proteins, the prion protein PrPc misfolds into a pathogenic form: PrPSc. In spite of several years of extensive research, little is still known about what actually happens in this process. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205115944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102558.htm Scientists have developed a barley protein concentrate that could be fed to trout and other commercially produced fish. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100205102558.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203101124.htm Apparently, the mysterious "3/4 law of metabolism" -- proposed by Max Kleiber in 1932, printed in biology textbooks for decades, and described as "extended to all life forms" from bacteria to whales -- is just plain wrong. "Actually, it's two-thirds," says University of Vermont mathematician Peter Dodds. A new paper of his helps overturn almost 80 years of near-mystical belief in a 3/4 exponent used to describe the relationship between the size of animals and their resting metabolism. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203101124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203131403.htm Some cells are natural rule-breakers. Neural crest cells for example, not only migrate throughout the body during development (most cells are more selective in their wandering), they are also more developmentally flexible than their predecessors (a no-no for nearly all cell types). Now researchers have shown that a protein that controls DNA accessibility is responsible for the cells' unruly ways. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203131403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125094518.htm Shark pups born to virgin mothers can survive over the long-term, according to new research. The study shows for the first time that some virgin births can result in viable offspring. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100125094518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161428.htm Viagra (sildenafil citrate), which is used to treat male erectile dysfunction, enhanced blood flow in pregnant female sheep, helping send vital amino acids and other nutrients needed in fetal development, a new study has found. The study's results not only will assist with solving fetal development problems in other livestock, but possibly in humans. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203161428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128165127.htm Revegetation seems like a beneficial strategy for conserving and restoring damaged ecosystems, and using a variety of species can help increase biodiversity in these systems. But what risks are involved with introducing seeds from other locations to plants located near the damaged site? When new, foreign genes are introduced to a damaged site, neighboring populations may experience initial negative effects; however, over time, the negative effects may diminish and the maladapted foreign genes will decrease. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100128165127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144809.htm Clues to how the first land plants managed to avoid drying out might be provided by bryophytes, a group that includes the mosses, many of which retain remarkable drought tolerance. Some mosses can become so dry they crumble in the hand, but, if remoistened, will begin making proteins within minutes. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144424.htm Nuclear pore complexes are best known as the communication channels that regulate the passage of all molecules to and from a cell's nucleus. Researchers, however, have shown that some of the pores' constituent proteins, called nucleoporins, pull double duty as transcription factors regulating the activity of genes active during early development. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100204144424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111748.htm Genetic circuits control the activity of genes and thereby the function of cells and organisms. Scientists have shown how various genetic circuits in bacterial cells are influenced by growth conditions. According to their findings, even genes that are not regulated can display different activities -- depending on whether they are translated into proteins in slow- or fast-growing cells. The results provide researchers with new insights into gene regulation and will help them in the design of synthetic genetic circuits in the future. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202111748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202174743.htm A natural material derived from crustacean shell and algae supports the growth of human embryonic stem cells. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202174743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202120808.htm Researchers have shown that tension on DNA molecules can affect gene expression -- the process at the heart of biological function that tells a cell what to do. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202120808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171643.htm A new therapeutic made from tobacco plants has been shown to arrest West Nile virus infection, according to a new study. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203085914.htm Trails found in rocks dating back 565 million years are thought to be the earliest evidence of animal locomotion ever found. The newly-discovered fossils, from rocks in Newfoundland in Canada, were analysed by an international team. They identified over 70 fossilised trails indicating that some ancient creatures moved, in a similar way to modern sea anemones, across the seafloors of the Ediacaran Period. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203085914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202144204.htm Groundbreaking research led by a leading horse genomics scientist in Ireland has resulted in the identification of the 'speed gene' in thoroughbred horses. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100202144204.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127104902.htm Scientists describe that the plant hormone auxin together with an increased cell cycle activity leads to a boost in root branching in the common thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, they showed that two proteins that are crucial for embryo development also play a critical role in root branching. These results could be used to raise plants that are fast-growing even in dry and nutrient-poor soils. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127104902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127104859.htm Pistachios, almonds and other popular tree nuts might someday be routinely sprayed with a yeast called Pichia anomala to help protect against aflatoxin contamination, according to a plant physiologist. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127104859.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203111626.htm Invasive plants could become even more prevalent and destructive as climate change continues, according to a new analysis of data stretching back more than 150 years. The scientists who conducted the study say that non-native plants, and especially invasive species, appear to thrive during times of climate change because they're better able to adjust the timing of annual activities like flowering and fruiting. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203111626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201101905.htm The last ancestor we shared with worms, which roamed the seas around 600 million years ago, may already have had a sophisticated brain. Fossils cannot give us this information, but scientists have obtained it by studying small molecules called microRNAs. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201101905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145432.htm The loss of wetlands in the prairie pothole region of central North America due to a warmer and drier climate will negatively affect millions of waterfowl that depend on the region for food, shelter and raising young, according to new research. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145428.htm Wildlife researchers argue that advances in animal control techniques mean it should be feasible and acceptable to introduce small, managed populations of wolves into a variety of parks and other sites for the purpose of ecosystem restoration. This practice could also increase the public's appreciation of wolves and boost ecotourism. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201145428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201102026.htm Researchers in Sweden and Finland have found several genes that lead to increased risk for a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-like autoimmune disorder in dogs. This is the first time scientists have found genes behind such a complex disease. The study indicates that the homogeneity of strong genetic risk factors within dog breeds make dogs an excellent model in which to identify pathways involved in human complex diseases. The results of the study also open the door for further studies of specific T-cell activation pathways in human populations. Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201102026.htm