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Monday, August 8, 2011

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


New conducting properties discovered in bacteria-produced wires

Posted: 07 Aug 2011 11:38 AM PDT

The discovery of a fundamental, previously unknown property of microbial nanowires in the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens that allows electron transfer across long distances could revolutionize nanotechnology and bioelectronics, says a team of physicists and microbiologists. Their findings may one day lead to cheaper, less toxic nanomaterials for biosensors and solid state electronics that interface with biological systems.

Mutation linked with the absence of fingerprints

Posted: 04 Aug 2011 09:39 AM PDT

Scientists have identified a mutation that might underlie an extremely rare condition, called "adermatoglyphia," which causes people to be born without any fingerprints. The research not only provides valuable insight into the genetic basis of adermatoglyphia and of typical fingerprint formation but also underscores the usefulness of rare genetic mutations as a tool for investigating unknown aspects of our biology.

Colugos glide to save time, not energy

Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:25 AM PDT

Everyone has always assumed that animals glide to save energy, but when researchers attached acclerometer/radio transmitter back packs to colugos in the Singapore rainforest, they discovered that colugos use 1.5 times more energy gliding than they use scampering over the same distance. Instead of saving energy, the animals saved time, which they could use for foraging.

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