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In a surprise move, it seems likely the first genetically engineered animal approved for commercial use won't be a fast-growing salmon, as was expected, but a goat that produces an anti-clotting drug in its milk.

Olfaction, our sense of smell, depends on the capability of specialized sensory cells in the nose to detect airborne odorant molecules. These olfactory cells contain specific protein molecules that acts as 'olfactory receptors' - they bind only to specific odorant molecules present in the air inhaled through the nose. When such a binding event occurs, the olfactory receptors change their shape and this deformation triggers chemical and electrical signals which are eventually transmitted to the brain through neurons. So, in a nutshell, this is how we smell. Human and especially some animal noses (think bomb-sniffing dogs) are very sophisticated and extremely sensitive gas sensors that can distinguish between very similar gas molecules. Researchers have been trying for a while to replicate the human olfactory sense - a concept called electronic nose (e-nose). While most nanotechnology-based efforts have focused on nanowires, new research conducted in Korea has demonstrated the detection

Photograph: Praveen Kumar/Natural World/BBC Biometrics may seem new, but they're the oldest form of identification. Tigers recognise each other's scent; penguins recognise calls. Humans recognise ea...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, and early exposure to the virus is thought to confer an increased risk of wheezing . []

, Cleveland resident Shannon Okey has won the Most Animal-Friendly Craft Book category in PETA's sixth annual Proggy Awards . Okey will receive a framed certificate and will be featured on PETA's awar...

Buffalo Zoo has lashed out an animal advocacy group that included the Delaware Park facility on a list of “Ten Worst Zoos of Elephants.” The San Rafael, Calif.,-based