Biology news

Ants are friendly to some trees, but not others

Biology / Plants & Animals

15 hours ago | 4.6 / 5 (5) | 0

Tree-dwelling ants generally live in harmony with their arboreal hosts. But new research suggests that when they run out of space in their trees of choice, the ants can get destructive to neighboring trees.

Can biodiversity persist in the face of climate change?

Biology / Ecology

23 hours ago | 2.7 / 5 (7) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Predictions made over the last decade about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity may be exaggerated, according to a paper published in the journal Science.

Pathogen protection and virulence: Dark side of fungal membrane protein revealed

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

20 hours ago | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Researchers at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) at Virginia Tech and Montana State University have discovered a fungal protein that plays a key role in causing disease in plants and animals and which also shields ...

Caught in the act: Scientists find butterflies splitting into two species

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (8) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- Breaking up may actually not be hard to do, say scientists who've found a population of tropical butterflies that may be on its way to a split into two distinct species.

Mom was right: Why nice guys usually get the girls

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (9) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Female water striders often reject their most persistent and aggressive suitors and prefer the males who aren't so grabby, according to new research. Water striders are insects commonly seen ...

Male sabertoothed cats were pussycats compared to macho lions

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.2 / 5 (6) | 0

Despite their fearsome fangs, male sabertoothed cats may have been less aggressive than many of their feline cousins, says a new study of male-female size differences in extinct big cats.

Humans, Other Mammals Similarly Voice Frustrations

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 05, 2009 | 3 / 5 (2) | 1

Pet owners and scientists who spend a lot of time in the wild say that they can tell when an animal is upset by the sound of its voice. Now new analyses of animal calls may offer an explanation; humans seem ...

Genomes of biofuel yeasts reveal clues that could boost fuel ethanol production

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

Nov 05, 2009 | 1 / 5 (3) | 1

As global temperatures and energy costs continue to soar, renewable sources of energy will be key to a sustainable future. An attractive replacement for gasoline is biofuel, and in two studies published online in Genome Re ...

Study reveals how plants and bacteria 'talk' to thwart disease

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

Nov 05, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 1

When it comes to plants' innate immunity, like many of the dances of life, it takes two to tango. A receptor molecule in the plant pairs up with a specific molecule on the invading bacteria and, presto, the immune system ...

Genome sequence for the domestic horse unveiled

Biology / Biotechnology

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (2) | 0

The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the genome-sequencing center of The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in collaboration with an international team of researchers that ...

Scientists reveal how induced pluripotent stem cells differ from embryonic stem cells

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (4) | 0

The same genes that are chemically altered during normal cell differentiation, as well as when normal cells become cancer cells, are also changed in stem cells that scientists derive from adult cells, according to new research ...

Complete Genomics reports low-cost sequencing of 3 human genomes

Biology / Biotechnology

Nov 05, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Complete Genomics, a third-generation human genome sequencing company, today announced publication of a report in the journal Science describing its proprietary DNA sequencing platform, including analysis of seq ...

Spread of Western Juniper Seeds Studied

Biology / Ecology

Nov 05, 2009 | 2.5 / 5 (2) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Aromatic, evergreen foliage and plump, dusty-blue to nearly purple berries make western juniper appealing, whether it's a small shrub or a lofty tree. The trouble is, during the past 100 years ...

Water-conserving irrigation strategies minimize overwatering, runoff

Biology / Other

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (2) | 0

Conserving water and reducing the environmental impact of runoff are two of the most important issues confronting container nursery operations. Current regulations and laws in five states limit water consumption ...

Polycystins : proteins that regulate the cellular barometer

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

Nov 05, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

What is the role of proteins called polycystins in patients with polycystic kidney disease? A team of researchers from CNRS and INSERM, led by Eric Honoré from the Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire ...

Frequent flower buyers seek product variety

Biology / Other

Nov 05, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

Florists and other retailers who sell flowers and plants can now add another tool to their marketing kit. A recent study of "consumption values" may help them understand what influences consumers' choices in regard to floral ...

Hormone that affects finger length key to social behavior

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 04, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (9) | 2

The hormones, called androgens, are important in the development of masculine characteristics such as aggression and strength. It is also thought that prenatal androgens affect finger length during development in the womb. ...

Orphan army ants join nearby colonies

Biology / Plants & Animals

Nov 04, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (7) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Colonies of army ants, whose long columns and marauding habits are the stuff of natural-history legend, are usually antagonistic to each other, attacking soldiers from rival colonies in border ...