Biological Sciences (BIO) Discoveries

NSF's public investment in science, engineering, education and technology helps to create knowledge and sustain prosperity. Read here about the Internet, microbursts, Web browsers, extrasolar planets, and more... a panoply of discoveries and innovations that began with NSF support.

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		'Gone Bats' Over Aeroecology New scientific discipline studies bats, birds, other animals in atmosphere closest to Earth's surface Released  October 28, 2008
		Using Your Computer to Grow More Nutritious Rice for a Hungry World Computational biologists use a powerful distributed computing network to research rice genome for increased yields of more nourishing rice varieties Released  October 14, 2008
		Size Trade-off: Horns vs. Copulatory Organs Indiana University biologist Armin Moczek explains his findings about the inverse relationship between horn and copulatory organ size in male beetles and how it affects species divergence Released  September 30, 2008
		The Bizarre Creatures of Madagascar Paleontologist David Krause describes his search for the ancestors of mammals that live in Madagascar today Released  September 24, 2008
		Researcher Walks Among Dying Baby Chimps Virginia Tech scientist Taranjit Kaur describes her team's research studying chimpanzees in western Tanzania and the virus that is threatening the chimps’ health Released  September 9, 2008
		Bones in Lava Tubes Reveal Hawaii's Natural History Michigan State University's Matthew Cimitile describes a Hawaiian adventure exploring lava tubes in search of bird bones from endangered and extinct species Released  August 22, 2008
		A Thousand Points of Light: Bioluminescent Fungi San Francisco State University Mycologist Dennis Desjardin Takes Readers Along on a Nocturnal Hike in a Brazilian Forest to Find Glowing Mushrooms Released  August 15, 2008
		Crumbling Walls of Ancient Chesapeake Bay Crater Threaten Regional Groundwater Supplies Saltwater intrusion into collapsing crater also allows microbes to flourish Released  August 12, 2008
		Researcher Says Life Evolved Between the Mica Sheets Biophysicist Helen Greenwood Hansma of the University of California, Santa Barbara, on the origin of her new hypothesis for the origins of life Released  July 14, 2008
		Methane Formation in the Oceans: New Pathway Discovered Significant importance for study of greenhouse gas production on Earth Released  July 10, 2008
		Environmental Programs in China Successful, Study Finds Key reforms could turn them into world models Released  July 10, 2008
		What's Behind the Crazy Shapes of Fruits Ohio State researchers discover and clone a gene that controls the shape of tomatoes Released  July 8, 2008
		Beauty Is in the Genes of the Beholder New research on American pronghorns explains why not everything is about looks Released  July 3, 2008
		The Freaky Fishes of the Congo American Museum of Natural History ichthyologist Melanie Stiassny takes us on a journey down the Congo River to explore its rich fish diversity Released  May 20, 2008
		How to Capture Yellow Jackets (and Not Get Stung) Georgia Tech assistant biology professor Michael Goodisman on the thrill of collecting yellow jacket nests and why he studies these dangerous but important social insects Released  May 14, 2008
		Microbes to People: Without Us, You're Nothing! How tiny microbes run the world Released  April 21, 2008
		The World's Smallest Whistle-Blowers: Microbes Microbes warn of ecological damage Released  April 21, 2008
		New Species Found in Mysteriously Diverse Jungle Louisiana State University's Chris Austin describes his work studying the diversity of life on the island of New Guinea Released  March 17, 2008
		2007: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported advances and activities reported last year Released  January 30, 2008
		Quakes Under Pacific Ocean Floor Reveal Unexpected Circulation System Research upsets long-held view of volcanism-driven hydrothermal vents Released  January 11, 2008
		Winter Ice on Lakes, Rivers, Ponds: A Thing of the Past? Records over 150 years show trend toward fewer days of ice cover Released  January 10, 2008
		Clams Convert Air Into Food Trait no longer the domain only of plants Released  January 10, 2008
		Top Scientists Promote Innovative, Multidisciplinary Global Problem-Solving Strategies   Released  December 11, 2007
		Stability and Diversity in Ecosystems Scientists say focus on stability Released  August 3, 2007
		Birds Follow Army Ants to Find Prey Crafty birds deep in the jungles of Panama have found a unique hunting strategy: following army ants and picking off prey that try to escape the crawling swarm. Released  June 1, 2007
		Sea Turtle Conservation Method Could Have Unintended Consequences for Sharks, Marlins Circle-shaped fishing hooks not a panacea for tuna, swordfish longliners Released  May 7, 2007
		2006: Year in Review A look back at some of the NSF-supported activities highlighted last year Released  January 9, 2007
		Fat Regulating Hormone Found in Amphibian In tadpoles, leptin may signal when it is time to sprout limbs Released  August 8, 2006
		West Coast Kelp Forest Ecosystems At Risk Overfishing Has More Effect Than Nutrient Pollution Released  June 8, 2006
		Swimming Robot Tests Theories About Locomotion in Existing and Extinct Animals May explain why four-flippered swimmers now use only two Released  May 30, 2006