Biology
Leaves whisper their properties through ultrasound
The water content of leaves, their thickness, their density and other properties can now be determined without even having to touch them. A team of researchers from the CSIC Institute of Acoustics and the Agri-Food Research and Technology Centre (CITA) of Aragon has just presented an innovative technique that enables plant leaves to be studied using ultrasound in a quick, simple and non-invasive fashion... — full story
Researchers cure colour blindness in squirrel monkeys
— 17 September 00:02Researchers used gene therapy to cure two squirrel monkeys of colour blindness - the most common genetic disorder in people. The work, in this week's Nature, demonstrates the potential... — full story
Genome of Phytophthora infestans decoded
— 9 September 17:00A large international research team has decoded the genome of Phytophthora infestans, the notorious organism that triggered the Irish potato famine in the mid-19th century and also... — full story
Invigorated muscle structure allows geese to brave the Himalayas
— 29 July 16:13A higher density of blood vessels and other unique physiological features in the flight muscles of bar-headed geese allow them to do what even the most elite of human athletes struggle... — full story
Researchers capture bacterial infection on film
— 27 July 17:38Researchers have developed a new technique that allows them to make a movie of bacteria infecting their living host. Whilst most studies of bacterial infection are done after the death... — full story
Scientists unlock optical secrets of jewel beetles
— 23 July 18:00A small green beetle may have some interesting lessons to teach scientists about optics and liquid crystals - complex mechanisms the insect uses to create a shell so strikingly beautiful... — full story
Study reveals lizard tucks legs and swims through sand
— 16 July 18:00A study published in the 17 July issue of the journal Science details how sandfish - small lizards with smooth scales - move rapidly underground through desert sand. In this first thorough... — full story
Native lizards evolve to escape attacks by fire ants
— 25 January 16:38Penn State Assistant Professor of Biology Tracy Langkilde has shown that native fence lizards in the southeastern United States are adapting to potentially fatal invasive fire-ant attacks... — full story