Share 'Toxic molecule may help birds 'see' north and south'

Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role in bird migration. The molecule, superoxide, is proposed as a key player in the mysterious process that allows birds to "see" Earth's magnetic field. The discovery, reported this month in Biophysical Journal, occurred as a result of a "mistake" made by a col…