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February 4, 2013

Your World of Science News

Top Story

Remains are identified as belonging to 15th-century English king
Skeletal remains found under a parking lot in England have been proven "beyond reasonable doubt" as belonging to King Richard III, who died in battle in 1485 and was later depicted in a Shakespeare play. Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley announced today that the bones were "indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England." DNA samples connected the remains to the monarch's descendants, and wounds found on the skull are consistent with battle accounts. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/4)

Science in the News

Asteroid is expected to be closer than the moon when it passes Earth
An asteroid expected to pass Earth on Feb. 15 will fly within a record-setting 17,200 miles, closer than many orbiting satellites and even the moon, astronomers say. Researchers stress that the asteroid 2012 DA14, about 150 feet wide, is not expected to hit the planet. Space.com (2/1)

Researchers say camel urine contains key to curing cancer
Scientists in Saudi Arabia say they've managed to extract a substance from camel urine that can target cancer cells and could be used in a potential treatment. Further research has been stalled pending approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, but scientists say they've already successfully conducted initial trials on people with tumors. The findings will be presented this month at the second Biotechnology World Congress in Dubai. SciDev.net (2/1)

Researcher clarifies 150-year-old stellar mystery
New research has debunked astronomer John Herschel's claim that an 1866 supernova was a recurrent stellar explosion. Bradley Schaefer of Louisiana State University used old records and charts to conclude that Herschel's observations in 1842 were actually that of the star BD+25°3020, and not the T Coronae Borealis supernova that Herschel believed he saw. Space.com (2/1)

India launches pigeonpea molecular breeding initiative
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, along with partners in U.S. and India, has begun a three-year project to enhance pigeonpea breeding and develop better cultivars using molecular methods. The $2 million initiative is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development. "The primary objective of the project is to translate genome information into the farmers' fields," said the institute's Rajeev Varshney. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (1/31) , The Hindu Business Line (India) (1/31)

Funding Watch

Research on genetic causes of cleft lip wins $3.6M grant
The NIH awarded researchers at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston and University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine a $3.6 million grant to find genes related to familial cleft lip and palate. The goal is to help determine who is at risk for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (1/31)

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