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| Malaria parasites form vortices Posted: 13 May 2022 10:48 AM PDT Researchers managed to set larger groups of malaria parasites into motion and to analyze the acquired image data. The collectively moving pathogens form vortex systems that are largely determined by physical principles. Computer simulations helped identify the mechanisms underlying these rotating movements. |
| Remote sensing research improves hurricane response Posted: 13 May 2022 10:48 AM PDT Researchers are investigating better ways to predict where road-clogging debris will be most severe after tropical cyclones. |
| Microbes help orchestrate how the gut uses its genes Posted: 13 May 2022 09:33 AM PDT The microbes that help break down food actually tell the gut how to do its job better, according to a new study in mice. The researchers said it appears that the microbes are able to influence which of the gut's genes are being called into action, and in turn, that interaction might lead to a remodeling of the epithelial cells lining the gut so that they match the diet. |
| Our cells take their ease in the curves Posted: 13 May 2022 09:33 AM PDT How do our cells organize themselves to give their final shape to our organs? The answer lies in morphogenesis, the set of mechanisms that regulate their distribution in space during embryonic development. A team has just made a surprising discovery in this field: when a tissue curves, the volume of the cells that compose it increases instead of decreasing. This discovery opens new avenues for in vitro organ culture, a partial alternative to animal experimentation. It also suggests new perspectives for the production of certain materials. |
| Understanding the genomic modifications in transgenic papaya Posted: 13 May 2022 08:32 AM PDT The transgenic papaya 'SunUp' was developed in the 1990s and was widely publicized because of its ability to resist the papaya ringspot virus. A new study has now identified the genomic changes involved and how they influence the transgenic plants. |
| Dragonflies use vision, subtle wing control to straighten up and fly right Posted: 13 May 2022 08:32 AM PDT Researchers have untangled the intricate physics and neural controls that enable dragonflies to right themselves while they're falling. |
| Antibiotics can lead to fungal infection because of disruption to the gut's immune system Posted: 13 May 2022 08:32 AM PDT Patients prescribed antibiotics in hospital are more likely to get fungal infections because of disruption to the immune system in the gut, according to a new study. |
| A single hormone directs body's responses to low-protein diet Posted: 13 May 2022 07:35 AM PDT A single hormone appears to coordinate the lifespan extension produced by a low-protein diet. Low-protein diets produce beneficial metabolic effects in aged mice, improving metabolic health, reducing frailty, and extending lifespan. These beneficial effects were also apparent when protein intake was reduced in middle-aged mice, even protecting against the detriments of obesity. Importantly, these beneficial effects were lost in mice that lacked FGF21, suggesting that its action in the brain is critical for the increase in health and lifespan. |
| Rigid waterproof coating for paper aims to reduce our dependence on plastic Posted: 13 May 2022 07:35 AM PDT For our sake and the environment, there is a considerable amount of research into the reduction of plastic for many and various applications. Researchers have now found a way to imbue relatively sustainable paper materials with some of the useful properties of plastic. This can be done easily, cost effectively, and efficiently. A coating called Choetsu not only waterproofs paper, but also maintains its flexibility and degrades safely as well. |
| New study indicates limited water circulation late in the history of Mars Posted: 13 May 2022 07:34 AM PDT A research team has investigated a meteorite from Mars using neutron and X-ray tomography. The technology, which will probably be used when NASA examines samples from the Red Planet in 2030, showed that the meteorite had limited exposure to water, thus making life at that specific time and place unlikely. |
| Structure of key protein for cell division puzzles researchers Posted: 13 May 2022 07:34 AM PDT Human cell division involves hundreds of proteins at its core. Knowing the 3D structure of these proteins is pivotal to understand how our genetic material is duplicated and passed through generations. Scientists are now able to reveal the first detailed structure of a key protein complex for human cell division known as CCAN. By using cryo-electron microscopy, the researchers show important features of the complex's 16 components and challenge previous assumptions about how the complex is able to recognize the centromere, a crucial region of chromosomes in cell division. |
| Algae reveal clues about climate changes over millions of years Posted: 13 May 2022 07:34 AM PDT Organisms adjust their cell walls according to environmental conditions such as temperature. Some adaptations involve changes in lipids which may still be preserved long after the rest of the organisms has been degraded. Researchers have studied a specific group of lipids called long chain diols which are found in sea sediments all over the world, and which can be preserved for millions of years. |
| Adopting low-carbon energy can reduce racial disparities in air pollution Posted: 13 May 2022 05:03 AM PDT Switching to low carbon fuels for transportation, cooking, heating, power generation and other needs would help fight climate change and also reduce racial and ethnic disparities in exposure to air pollution. |
| Sea turtle success stories along African east coast -- but thousands still dying Posted: 13 May 2022 05:03 AM PDT Conservation of sea turtles along much of Africa's east coast has made good progress in recent decades -- but tens of thousands of turtles still die each year due to human activity, researchers say. |
| Discovered: 150-year-old platypus and echidna specimens that proved some mammals lay eggs Posted: 12 May 2022 06:13 PM PDT Jars of tiny platypus and echidna specimens, collected in the late 1800s by the scientist William Caldwell, have been discovered in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology. |
| Sea ice can control Antarctic ice sheet stability, new research finds Posted: 12 May 2022 06:05 PM PDT Despite the rapid melting of ice in many parts of Antarctica during the second half of the 20th century, researchers have found that the floating ice shelves which skirt the eastern Antarctic Peninsula have undergone sustained advance over the past 20 years. |
| Not all is rosy for the pink pigeon Posted: 12 May 2022 06:05 PM PDT The authors of a major study on the once critically endangered pink pigeon say boosting the species' numbers is not enough to save it from extinction in the future. Despite the population increase, the team's analysis shows the pink pigeon has a high genetic load of bad mutations, which puts it at considerable risk of extinction in the wild within 100 years without continued conservation actions. |
| Large-scale ocean sanctuaries could protect coral reefs from climate change Posted: 12 May 2022 01:41 PM PDT Earth's oceans are home to some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, but warming temperatures are causing many marine animals, including coral, to die out. |
| Disparities in natural gas leak prevalence in U.S. urban areas Posted: 12 May 2022 01:41 PM PDT A new study reveals that in U.S. cities over a several-year period, natural gas pipeline leaks were more prevalent in neighborhoods with low-income or majority non-white populations than those with high income or predominately white populations. |
| Posted: 12 May 2022 01:41 PM PDT The declining body size of North Atlantic right whales may have critical consequences for the future of the species. New research shows that smaller females produce fewer calves. |
| Hunga volcano eruption provides an explosion of data Posted: 12 May 2022 01:40 PM PDT The massive Jan. 15, 2022, eruption of the Hunga submarine volcano in the South Pacific Ocean created a variety of atmospheric wave types, including booms heard 6,200 miles away in Alaska. It also created an atmospheric pulse that caused an unusual tsunami-like disturbance that arrived at Pacific shores sooner than the actual tsunami. |
| Chemists synthesize psychotropic compound from rainforest tree Posted: 12 May 2022 01:40 PM PDT Scientists found a chemical from a rainforest tree that binds to opioid receptors in the brain and may have utility as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug. |
| Jellyfish's stinging cells hold clues to biodiversity Posted: 12 May 2022 11:43 AM PDT The cnidocytes -- or stinging cells -- that are characteristic of sea anemones, hydrae, corals and jellyfish, and make us careful of our feet while wading in the ocean, are also an excellent model for understanding the emergence of new cell types, according to new research. |
| What we're still learning about how trees grow Posted: 12 May 2022 11:43 AM PDT A new study finds that tree growth does not seem to be generally limited by photosynthesis but rather by cell growth. This suggests that we need to rethink the way we forecast forest growth in a changing climate, and that forests in the future may not be able to absorb as much carbon from the atmosphere as we thought. |
| Mind the gap: Space inside eggs steers first few steps of life Posted: 12 May 2022 11:43 AM PDT Imagine sitting at a meeting where the shape of the table and your place at it might impact how you get along with the other members. Cells also communicate with their nearest neighbors, and in embryos, nothing is left to chance in the 'seating plan' for the first few cells. However, questions remain about the how this process is controlled and how it can influence the overall growth of an organism. |
| Bacteria with recording function capture gut health status Posted: 12 May 2022 11:43 AM PDT Researchers have equipped gut bacteria with data logger functionality as a way of monitoring which genes are active in the bacteria. These microorganisms could one day offer a noninvasive means of diagnosing disease or assessing the impact of a diet on health. |
| Massive single-cell atlas across human tissues highlights cell types where disease genes are active Posted: 12 May 2022 11:43 AM PDT Genetic studies have revealed many genes linked to both common and rare disease, but to understand how those genes bring about disease and use those insights to help develop therapies, scientists need to know where they are active in the body. Now researchers have developed a robust experimental pipeline that can profile many more cell types from more tissues than can be studied with other techniques, as well as machine learning methods to put this data together and query the resulting map, or atlas. |
| Using shark teeth to decipher evolutionary processes Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT From embryo to turtle cracker: Palaeobiologists studied the multiple changes in tooth shape in the tiger shark. The study is also central in drawing conclusions about extinct species from the myriad of preserved shark teeth in the field of palaeontology. |
| Water makes tree branches droop at night Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT Terrestrial laser scanning data show that trees move their branches in a diurnal pattern, settling down for the night -- as if falling asleep. Changes in the water status of leaves and branches causes branches to move downward at night, up to 20 cm depending on the tree species. |
| The origin of life: A paradigm shift Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT According to a new concept, it was a novel molecular species composed out of RNA and peptides that set in motion the evolution of life into more complex forms. |
| Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT Anyone walking past a meadow on a mild summer evening is often exposed to an impressive concert. It is the grasshoppers, bush crickets and crickets that create a Mediterranean atmosphere with their chirping. The songs are usually those of males trying to attract females to mate with them. But they can also be rival songs when two males get too close to each other. |
| The deadly impact of urban streets that look like highways Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT Serious auto crashes in urban areas are more likely on city streets that look to drivers like highways, new research suggests. The study used a novel approach: researchers applied machine learning techniques to analyze more than 240,000 images of road segments in Columbus, Ohio. |
| What caused this megatooth shark's massive toothache? Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT Did the world's largest prehistoric shark need an orthodontist, or did it just have a bad lunch? |
| Vaccine for rare but deadly mosquito-borne viruses shows promise in clinical trial Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT A vaccine for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) was found to be safe, well-tolerated and induced a neutralizing antibody response in adult volunteers, according to newly published results from a Phase 1 clinical trial. |
| Unusually fast beaked whale has special deep-sea hunting strategy Posted: 12 May 2022 09:19 AM PDT Biologists have successfully used biologgers to reveal insights into the lifestyle and hunting behaviur of the little-known species Sowerby's beaked whale. The team's first results show that these dolphins have a surprisingly different, much faster lifestyle than related species. |
| People choose healthier food when with outsiders for fear of being negatively judged Posted: 12 May 2022 09:18 AM PDT People are more likely to choose a healthy food option than an unhealthy food option among people from different social groups because they fear being judged negatively for their choices. |
| A first: Scientists grow plants in soil from the Moon Posted: 12 May 2022 09:18 AM PDT Scientists have, for the first time, grown plants in soil from the Moon. They used soil collected during the Apollo 11, 12 and 17 missions. In their experiment, the researchers wanted to know if plants would grow in lunar soil and, if so, how the plants would respond to the unfamiliar environment, even down to the level of gene expression. |
| Posted: 12 May 2022 09:18 AM PDT New research examines how cavefish, surface-dwelling river fish that flooded into underground cave systems over 100,000 years ago, developed unique metabolic adaptations to survive in nutrient-scarce environments. The study created a genome-wide map of liver tissue for two independent colonies of cavefish along with river fish to understand how cavefish metabolism evolved and how this may be applicable for humans. |
| The genetic origins of the world's first farmers clarified Posted: 12 May 2022 09:18 AM PDT The genetic origins of the first agriculturalists in the Neolithic period long seemed to lie in the Near East. A new study shows that the first farmers actually represented a mixture of Ice Age hunter-gatherer groups, spread from the Near East all the way to south-eastern Europe. |
| 'Nanobodies' from llamas could yield cell-specific medications for humans Posted: 12 May 2022 09:16 AM PDT In 'proof of concept' experiments with mouse and human cells and tissues, researchers say they have designed tiny proteins, called nanobodies, derived from llama antibodies, that could potentially be used to deliver targeted medicines to human muscle cells. |
| Towards more efficient, non-toxic, and flexible thin-film solar cells Posted: 12 May 2022 06:27 AM PDT While solar cells are a great alternative to fossil fuels, the environmental impact of the processes involved in manufacturing solar cells has been a concern. Solar panel fabrication often involves toxic materials such as cadmium and industrial waste. In a new study, researchers have now developed an eco-friendly method that eliminates the use of toxic cadmium in the production process to produce cost-effective, efficient, and eco-friendly solar cells. |
| Effectively removing emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment plants Posted: 12 May 2022 06:27 AM PDT Water treatment and environmental decontamination experts have reviewed current and emerging water treatment technologies. Through this review, the team determined the removal efficiency of a particular type of contaminant that causes hormonal disruption: endocrine disruptors. |
| New research could provide earlier warning of tsunamis Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT A new method of detecting mega earthquakes, which picks up on the gravity waves they generate by using deep-learning models, can estimate earthquake magnitude in real time and provide earlier warning of tsunamis. |
| Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT An algorithm that can speed up by years the ability to identify from among thousands of possibilities, two or more drugs that work synergistically against a problem like cancer or a viral infection has been developed by bioinformatics experts. |
| Climate change increases risks of tree death Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT All of that carbon in trees and forests worldwide could be thrown back into the atmosphere if the trees burn up in a forest fire. Trees also stop scrubbing carbon dioxide from the air if they die due to drought or insect damage. The likelihood of those threats impacting forests is increasing nationwide, making relying on forests to soak up carbon emissions a much riskier prospect. |
| Sweet discovery could drive down inflammation, cancers and viruses Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT Researchers have identified a new enzyme involved in controlling cell death, in findings that could lead to better treatment options for a range of inflammatory conditions, cancers and viruses. |
| Sugar aversion hampers cockroach coupling Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT How does a cockroach's aversion to sugar turn into an aversion to mating? Researchers discover the mechanism behind this behavior. |
| Extreme storms could help protect beaches from sea level rise, new study finds Posted: 12 May 2022 06:26 AM PDT Deep sand movements stirred up by intense storms may offset some of the impacts of coastal erosion caused by sea level rise. |
| Algae-powered computing: Scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell Posted: 12 May 2022 06:21 AM PDT Researchers have used a widespread species of blue-green algae to power a microprocessor continuously for a year -- and counting -- using nothing but ambient light and water. Their system has potential as a reliable and renewable way to power small devices. |
| Flu causes cardiac complications by directly infecting the heart Posted: 11 May 2022 11:23 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time in mice that heart problems associated with the flu are not caused by raging inflammation in the lungs, as has long been predicted. Instead, the electrical malfunctions and heart scarring seen in some of the sickest flu patients are caused by direct influenza infection of cardiac cells. |
| Livestock and dairying led to dramatic social changes in ancient Mongolia Posted: 11 May 2022 11:23 AM PDT The movement of herders and livestock into the eastern steppe is of great interest to researchers, but few scholars have linked the introduction of herds and horses to the rise of complex societies. |
| Higher wheat yields and protein content on the horizon Posted: 11 May 2022 11:23 AM PDT A team of international researchers has discovered a way to produce higher quality wheat. The scientists have identified a genetic driver that improves yield traits in wheat, which unexpectedly can also lead to increasing protein content by up to 25 per cent. |
| Novel supramolecular CRISPR-Cas9 carrier enables more efficient genome editing Posted: 11 May 2022 09:36 AM PDT CRISPR-Cas9 is considered a revolutionary gene editing tool, but its applications are limited by a lack of methods by which it can be safely and efficiently delivered into cells. Recently, a research team has constructed a highly flexible CRISPR-Cas9 carrier using aminated polyrotaxane (PRX) that can not only bind with the unusual structure of Cas9 and carry it into cells, but can also protect it from intracellular degradation by endosomes. |
| Scientists study links between obesity, age and body chemistry Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT A team of scientists is making inroads in understanding the relationship between certain enzymes that are normally produced in the body and their role in regulating obesity and controlling liver diseases. Researchers studied male mice that lacked the Cyp2b enzyme and how the lack of the enzyme affected the mice's metabolism. |
| Hepatitis: 3D structure determination of the 'gateway' to the liver Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT Scientists have published a ground-breaking study of the structure and function of a central protein in the liver: NTCP, a cellular-entry pathway for bile salts, but also for certain hepatitis viruses. These results reveal the 3D structure of NTCP and two architectures it can adopt. One may be helpful in the development of therapeutic tools against hepatitis viral infection. |
| Structure of 'gliding bird' plant protein could lead to better crops Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT When pathogens attack, the NPR1 protein steps in to control a plant's immune response. Scientists have now figured out what the protein looks like and how it works --- a possible boon for agriculture. |
| Gut microbiome composition predictive of patient response to statins Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT Researchers show that different patient responses to statins can be explained by the variation in the human microbiome. The findings suggest that microbiome monitoring could be used to help optimize personalized statin treatments. |
| How does forest restoration affect water cycles? Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT How would afforestation and restoration of large areas worldwide affect water-fluxes world wide? A new study has interesting answers. Impacts on precipitation reach far beyond country or even continent level: tree restoration in the Amazon can, for example, affect rainfall in Europe and Eastern Asia. The study has calculated the global impact of large-scale tree restoration on water fluxes and water availability. |
| Insights from algae genes unlock mysteries of plant growth and health Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT A new study has discovered the functions of hundreds of genes in algae, some of which are also present in plants. The achievement will help efforts to genetically engineer algae for biofuel production and develop strains of agricultural crops that can withstand climate change. |
| Ancient DNA gives new insights into 'lost' Indigenous people of Uruguay Posted: 11 May 2022 09:35 AM PDT The first whole genome sequences of the ancient people of Uruguay provide a genetic snapshot of Indigenous populations of the region before they were decimated by a series of European military campaigns. |
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