Texas A&M research shows bacteria provide example of one of nature's first immune systems
Studying how bacteria incorporate foreign DNA from invading viruses into their own regulatory processes, Thomas Wood, professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, is uncovering the secrets of one of nature's most primitive immune systems.
Team overcomes major obstacles to cellulosic biofuel production
A newly engineered yeast strain can simultaneously consume two types of sugar from plants to produce ethanol, researchers report.
Enzyme cocktail could eliminate a step in biofuel process
Conversion of biomass to fuel requires several steps: chemical pretreatment to break up the biomass – often dilute (sulfuric) acid, detoxification to remove the toxic chemicals required in pretreatment, and microbial fermentation to convert the soluble sugars to fuels.
Ceiling lights in Minn. send coded Internet data
Flickering ceiling lights are usually a nuisance, but in city offices in St. Cloud, they will actually be a pathway to the Internet.
Fossilized food stuck in Neandertal teeth indicates plant-rich diet
Ancient humans' lax dental hygiene has been a boon for researchers looking for clues about early diets. Traces of fossilized foodstuffs wedged between Neandertal teeth have revealed plentiful traces of grains and other plants, supporting the theory that these heavy-browed humans were not just meat-eaters.
Ancient rock art's colours come from microbes
A particular type of ancient rock art in Western Australia maintains its vivid colours because it is alive, researchers have found.
Aging: Paying the Physical Price for Longer Life
Americans are living longer, but those added years are more likely to be a time of disease and disability.
New Model for Predicting Snowfall
Researchers have validated a new weather prediction model that uses autumn snowfall to predict winter cold in the United States and Europe.
Arctic Paradox: Warmer Arctic May Mean Cold Blasts for Some
Blasts of cold and snow have gripped Europe and the United States in recent weeks, from Minneapolis to Paris. These weather conditions are leading to speculation about the role climate change may be playing in altering such extreme events.
Protein helps parasite survive in host cells
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned why changes in a single gene, ROP18, contribute substantially to dangerous forms of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Homo sapiens lived in Eretz Yisrael 400,000 years ago
Teeth found near Rosh Ha’ayin older than anything uncovered in Africa.
Extinct Bird Swung Wings Like a Club
Before humans wiped them out, these fighting birds would clobber each other over territory.
Scientists Using Giant Rats to Diagnose TB
Scientists say they've found a method for detecting tuberculosis: an African rat.
Earth project aims to 'simulate everything'
It could be one of the most ambitious computer projects ever conceived.
Doctors should be required to disclose sleep deprived status to patients before elective surgeries
While regulations have been put in place to restrict the work hours of doctors in training, no such regulations exist for fully trained physicians. An editorial in this week's New England Journal of Medicine argues that sleep-deprived physicians should not be permitted to proceed with an elective surgery without a patient's informed, written consent.
Coma and general anesthesia demonstrate important similarities
NEJM review into brain circuit mechanisms may lead to more accurate coma diagnosis and improved therapies
Two dead as flu cases widen in France
French health watchdogs said on Wednesday the country was officially in the grip of a flu epidemic after 176,000 people had fallen sick, two of whom have died.
World's Largest Plants Database Assembled
The extensive catalog was created to help conservationists, drug designers and others avoid confusion over plant names.
Donor in 1st successful transplant dies in Maine
Ronald Lee Herrick, who donated a kidney to his dying twin brother 56 years ago in what's recognized as the world's first successful organ transplant, has died of complications following heart surgery. He was 79.
Bee Viruses Spread via Flower Pollen
Other pollinating insects also carry disease, study finds.
What triggers mass extinctions? Study shows how invasive species stop new life
Collapse of Earth's marine life 378 to 375 million years ago holds key
Security Alert: Geinimi, Sophisticated New Android Trojan Found in Wild
A new Trojan affecting Android devices has recently emerged in China
New Prehistoric Crocodile Found in "Kitchen Counters"
Fossils found in limestone slabs once destined for Italian homes.
Neanderthal face is not cold adapted
Researchers have reported in the Journal of Human Evolution that the long held belief that the Neanderthal nose was a result of adaptations to extreme cold may not be all it seems.
Fish Swam the Sahara, Bolstering Out of Africa Theory
Fish may have once swum across the Sahara, a finding that could shed light on how humanity made its way out of Africa, researchers said.

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