Research & development > Life sciences

Seminal fluid shapes health of offspring

31 January, 2014

Researchers from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute have discovered that a man's seminal fluid plays a major role in various developmental stages of his offspring, including future health conditions. Their research has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


Sixth sense is not so special

14 January, 2014

Research conducted at the University of Melbourne has found that the presence of a sixth sense, also known as extrasensory perception (ESP), exists in some form but is nothing extraordinary.


Critical protein for cancer cell growth found

09 January, 2014 by Lauren Davis

Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered a cellular protein that is important for keeping cancer cells alive and is thus a suitable target for treatment. Their results have been published in the journal Genes & Development.


Fantasy villains suffer from vitamin D deficiency

06 January, 2014

Researchers have noted that the villains of fantasy literature have a tendency to dwell in darkness and eat a poor diet. From this, they theorise that the creatures are left lacking in vitamin D.


Over 30 new species of Antarctic marine life discovered

11 December, 2013

An international research team has discovered more than 30 new - and so far unclassified - species of Antarctic marine life. After a lengthy categorisation period, their findings have been published in the journal Continental Shelf Research.


Ants can change their priorities while househunting

08 November, 2013

All animals have to make decisions every day - often as a group to help their survival. Researchers from Arizona State University, hoping to understand how the collective decision-making process arises out of individually ignorant ants, have conducted an experiment which found that the creatures can change their decision-making strategies based on experience.


New species of dolphin discovered

01 November, 2013

A team of international scientists, including Flinders University animal studies expert Dr Guido J Parra, has found evidence to suggest the recognition of at least four distinct species in the humpback dolphin family - one of which is completely new to science.


Insect weathermen reduce mating activity before storms

03 October, 2013 by Lauren Davis

Researchers from the University of São Paulo have found that insects modify their mating behaviour in response to the changes in air pressure which precede a storm. By reducing mating during wind and rain, it is suggested that the insects are also reducing their risk of injury or death.


Signalling process for normal fertility located

30 September, 2013

Researchers at Otago and Heidelberg Universities have discovered how the brain circuitry vital to normal fertility in humans and other mammals operates. Their findings have been published in the international journal Nature Communications.


Why does jet-lag recovery lag?

02 September, 2013

Researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Notre Dame and F Hoffmann-La Roche have identified a mechanism that limits the ability of the body clock to adjust to changes in patterns of light and dark. This in turn reveals why the body is so slow to recover from jet lag.


Previously overlooked cytokine is a potential anticancer agent

16 August, 2013

Melbourne researchers have found that the cytokine interleukin-11 (IL-11) plays a bigger role than thought in the growth and development of gastrointestinal cancers.


Sperm pass down Dad’s obesity

18 July, 2013

University of Adelaide research, published in The FASEB Journal, has shown that the sperm of obese fathers could increase the risk of both their children and their grandchildren inheriting obesity.


Eyes in their stars: starfish and eye evolution

09 July, 2013

A study has shown for the first time that starfish use primitive eyes at the tip of their arms to visually navigate their environment.


Taste genes linked to male fertility

02 July, 2013

Taste and fertility may seem like two completely unrelated areas, but according to scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, two proteins involved in oral taste detection also play an important role in sperm development.


Cane toad ingestion deadly for dwarf crocs

02 July, 2013 by Lauren Davis

It is well known that the toxins of the cane toad are often deadly when ingested by predators. Researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU) have found that one such predator is the dwarf freshwater crocodile, whose population in northern Australia is diminishing as a result.


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