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Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots

Cockroaches offer inspiration for running robots

Electronics / Robotics

created Dec 28, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

The sight of a cockroach scurrying for cover may be nauseating, but the insect is also a biological and engineering marvel, and is providing researchers at Oregon State University with what they call "bioinspiration" ...


Student sleuths using DNA reveal zoo of 95 species in NYC homes -- and new evidence of food fraud

Student sleuths using DNA reveal zoo of 95 species in NYC homes -- and new evidence of food fraud

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Dec 28, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (13) | comments 5

Two New York City high school students exploring their homes using the latest high-tech DNA analysis techniques were astonished to discover a veritable zoo of 95 animal species surrounding them, in everything ...


New tool in the fight against mosquito-borne disease: A microbial 'mosquito net'

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Dec 24, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Earlier this year, researchers showed that they could cut the lives of disease-carrying mosquitoes in half by infecting them with a bacterium they took from fruit flies. Now, a new report in the December 24th issue of Cell, ...


The sun sets behind the Manhattan skyline on December 11 in New York

New Yorkers beware! New cockroach hits the Big Apple

Biology / Evolution

created Dec 24, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (18) | comments 3

New Yorkers are used to fighting each other for space, but there may be a new contender in town according to a Rockefeller study that appears to have uncovered a new species of cockroach.


Transplant guide highlights daily infection risks from factors like pets and food

Medicine & Health / Other

created Dec 18, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Keeping pets healthy can reduce infection risks for people who have received solid organ transplants and veterinarians should be seen as an integral part of the healthcare team. That's just one of the key pieces of advice ...


fruit fly

The how and why of freezing the common fruit fly

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 18, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Using a microscope the size of a football field, researchers from The University of Western Ontario are studying why some insects can survive freezing, while others cannot.


New research explains orchids' sexual trickery

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 17, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

A new study reveals the reason why orchids use sexual trickery to lure insect pollinators. The study, published in the January issue of The American Naturalist, finds that sexual deception in orchids leads to a more effici ...


Sorter Detects and Removes Damaged Popcorn Kernels

Sorter Detects and Removes Damaged Popcorn Kernels

Biology / Other

created Dec 16, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- A device developed by an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist to sort wheat has been successfully used to detect and remove popcorn kernels that have been damaged by fungi.


Nearly 100 new species described by California Academy of Sciences in 2009

Nearly 100 new species described by California Academy of Sciences in 2009

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

In 2009, researchers at the California Academy of Sciences added 94 new relatives to our family tree. The new species include 65 arthropods, 14 plants, eight fishes, five sea slugs, one coral, and one fossil ...


Global warming could significantly impact US wine and corn production, scientists say

Space & Earth / Environment

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity 3.1 / 5 (9) | comments 11

When it comes to nature, timing is everything. Spring flowers depend on birds and insects for pollination. But if spring-like weather arrives earlier than usual, and flowers bloom and wither before the pollinators appear, ...


Scientists isolate new antifreeze molecule in Alaska beetle

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (14) | comments 4

Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in a freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain ...


ARS Scientists Help Fight Damaging Moth in Africa

ARS Scientists Help Fight Damaging Moth in Africa

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 11, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have launched a preemptive strike to combat the false codling moth, a major pest in its native Africa.


The future of organic ornamental plants

The future of organic ornamental plants

Biology / Other

created Dec 11, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Whether plants are grown for food or ornamental use, conventional agricultural production methods have the same environmental impact. Pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers can find their way into ...


Experts: Disease-resistant plants enhance profits, client satisfaction

Experts: Disease-resistant plants enhance profits, client satisfaction

Biology / Ecology

created Dec 11, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New varieties of plants marketed as "disease-resistant" or "insect-resistant" are becoming more accessible to consumers. Available through local garden centers and catalogues, these attractive ornamentals ...


Sucking Up To Survive

Sucking Up To Survive

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Dec 10, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Shrink a human being down to the size of an insect, and you would no longer be able to sip lemonade from a straw. The forces that hold liquid together would simply be too great to overcome at that tiny scale.