Life
We summarize the week's science breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Health & Medicine
A role for Merkels
Mysterious skin cells known as Merkel cells are required to sense light touches.
- Paleontology
Bird in the hand
Fossilized fingers strengthen evolutionary link between dinosaurs and avian relatives.
- Life
Estrogen may reprogram prostate cancer gene in black men
Study finds a lack of chemical tags near a prostate cancer gene in African American males.
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- Health & Medicine
Replacing microRNA for cancer treatment
Replacing missing microRNAs in cancer cells may open up a new field for cancer treatment.
- Health & Medicine
Stressed-out DNA turns mousy brown hair gray
Scientists show how change happens when cells responsible for colorful hair lose their self-renewing abilities.
- Life
Hummingbird pulls Top Gun stunts
Male hummingbirds set record for extreme plunges out of the sky.
- Physics
Friction gives snakes a smooth slither
Combination of friction and push propels snakes forward on flat surfaces.
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- Ecosystems
From sea to squid, thanks to slime
Scientists have revealed new details about the genes — and the goo — that enable luminescent bacteria to colonize their symbiotic marine partner.
- Chemistry
Protein caught in the act
Researchers have developed a new way to see where the molecules are active.
- Life
Huntington’s protein may have a crony
The mutant protein implicated in Huntington’s may rely on a second protein. The finding could help explain why only some neurons are vulnerable to the disease.
