Following is a summary of science news briefs compiled from stories that have run separately and are available in full on the file.
Mummified dinosaur reveals surprises: scientists
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A partially mummified hadrosaur discovered by a teenager in North Dakota may be the most complete dinosaur ever found, with intact skin that shows evidence of stripes and perhaps soft tissue, researchers said on Monday. Enough of the animal remains to show it ran quickly and was far more muscular than scientists believed such dinosaurs were.
Astronauts arrive in Florida for shuttle launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Seven astronauts charged with delivering a European science laboratory into orbit arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday to prepare for Thursday's launch of the space shuttle Atlantis. If the launch occurs at its scheduled time of 4:31 p.m. EST, Atlantis will reach the International Space Station on Saturday so the crew can begin hooking up the new Columbus laboratory.
FDA faces damning report on science expertise
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lives are at risk because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is woefully behind in the latest scientific advances and is underfunded for its vast responsibilities, an expert panel will tell the FDA on Monday. In a 56-page report titled "FDA Science and Mission at Risk," which has been posted online, officials will hear that inadequate staffing and poor retention, out-of-date technology and a general lack of resources mar the agency's ability to do its job.
China says moon pictures not faked from NASA
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has dismissed Internet gossip that its first photo of the moon taken from a lunar orbiter might have been plagiarised from NASA, local media said on Monday. The country launched its first lunar probe, the Chang'e 1, in October and released a photo featuring a patch of grey moon surface splotched with craters last week, hailing the mission as a "complete success."
UK scientists use DNA "decoy" to fight superbugs
LONDON (Reuters) - A new genetic "decoy" system could revolutionize development of antibiotics to fight drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA and speed their path to market, British scientists said on Monday. A team from the John Innes Centre, which specializes in plant and microbial science, said they had proven that by taking a short stretch of DNA from a bacterium and delivering it with an existing antibiotic they could switch off drug resistance.
Cancer cells softer than healthy cells: study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Cancer cells, like ripe fruit, are much softer than healthy cells, scientists said on Sunday in a finding that could help doctors diagnose tumors and figure out which might be the deadliest. The researchers used a nanotechnology device called an Atomic Force Microscope that allowed them to give a little poke to healthy cells and cancerous cells that had spread from the original site of tumors.
