Nature : Science World Report

May 14, 2012 11:09 AM EDT

Cellular Secrets of Plant Fatty Acid Production Understood

A curious twist in a family of plant proteins called chalcone-isomerase recently was discovered by Salk Institute for Biological Studies scientist Joseph Noel and colleagues at Iowa State University led by Eve Wurtele.

May 14, 2012 10:59 AM EDT

Researchers from UC3M Monitor a Chicken's Brain

This is one of the principle conclusions of a study that has been published in the scientific journal Current Biology. Participants in the study included Evan Balaban (McGill University, Montreal), Manuel Desco (Gregorio MaraÃ±Ã³n General University Hospital of Madrid and UC3M) and Juan JosÃ© ...

May 14, 2012 09:57 AM EDT

Discovery of Plant Proteins May Boost Agricultural Yields and Biofuel Production

Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Iowa State University discovered a family of plant proteins that play a role in the production of seed oils, substances important for animal and human nutrition, biorenewable chemicals and biofuels.

May 11, 2012 04:02 PM EDT

Eastern Rattlesnake Slithers Closer to U.S. Endangered List

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake, North America's largest venomous snake, may need its own antidote.

May 11, 2012 03:53 PM EDT

Scientists Find Differences in Naked Mole Rat's Protein Disposers

The naked mole rat, a curiously strange, hairless rodent, lives many years longer than any other mouse or rat. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's Barshop Institute of Longevity and Aging Studies continue to explore this mystery.

May 11, 2012 02:34 PM EDT

Successful Stem Cell Differentiation Requires DNA Compaction, Study Finds

New research findings show that embryonic stem cells unable to fully compact the DNA inside them cannot complete their primary task: differentiation into specific cell types that give rise to the various types of tissues and structures in the body.

May 11, 2012 12:43 PM EDT

The Absence of Elephants and Rhinoceroses Reduces Biodiversity in Tropical Forests

The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. With the help of Spanish researchers, an international team of experts has confirmed that not even herbivores lik...

May 11, 2012 11:44 AM EDT

First Satellite Tag Study for Manta Rays Reveals Habits and Hidden Journeys of Ocean Giants

Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Exeter (UK), and the Government of Mexico have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: the manta ray.

May 11, 2012 11:37 AM EDT

New Research on Seaweeds Shows it Takes More than Being Flexible to Survive Crashing Waves

Seaweeds are important foundational species that are vital both as food and habitat to many aquatic and terrestrial shore organisms. Yet seaweeds that cling to rocky shores are continually at risk of being broken or dislodged from their holds by crashing waves with large hydrodynamic forces. So how ...

May 11, 2012 11:26 AM EDT

UF Study Finds Logging of Tropical Forests Needn't Devastate Environment

Harvesting tropical forests for timber may not be the arch-enemy of conservation that it was once assumed to be, according to a new study led by a University of Florida researcher.

May 11, 2012 10:25 AM EDT

New 'Map of Life' Project Aims to Show Distribution of all Animals, Plants on Planet

A research team involving Yale University and the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a first public demonstration version of its "Map of Life," an ambitious Web-based endeavor designed to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet.

May 11, 2012 09:37 AM EDT

NOAA and Partner Scientists Discover Way to Detect Low-level Exposure to Seafood Toxin in Marine Animals

NOAA scientists and their colleagues have discovered a biological marker in the blood of laboratory zebrafish and marine mammals that shows when they have been repeatedly exposed to low levels of domoic acid, which is potentially toxic at high levels.