Using a tiny, acid-tolerant yeast, scientists have demonstrated a cost-effective way to make disposable diapers, microplastics, and acrylic paint more sustainable through biomanufacturing. [...]
Some 445 million years ago, life on Earth was forever changed. During the geological blink of an eye, glaciers formed over the supercontinent Gondwana, drying out many of the vast, shallow seas like a sponge and giving an "icehouse climate" that, together with radically changed ocean chemistry, ultimately caused the extinction of about 85% of all marine species—the majority of life on Earth. [...]
Hydroperoxides are strong oxidants that have a significant influence on chemical processes in the atmosphere. Now, an international research team involving the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has shown that these substances also form from α‑keto acids such as pyruvic acid in clouds, rain and aerosol water when exposed to sunlight. [...]
The U.S. boasts more than 4 million miles of rivers, peppered with laws and regulations to protect access to drinking water and essential habitat for fish and wildlife. But in the first comprehensive review of river protection, research co-led by the University of Washington shows that the existing regulations account for less than 20% of total river length and vary widely by region. [...]
Recent research published in Science introduces a promising solid electrolyte material that could improve the performance of next-generation lithium batteries, particularly at lower temperatures. Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) Research Professor of Chemistry James Kaduk, who co-authored the paper, contributed a key finding to the research: identifying where lithium atoms reside within the crystalline structure. [...]
Flirting is often seen as playful behavior that signals interest to a potential partner. But according to new research, there is much more to the teasing, light-hearted conversation and coquettish glances than meets the eye. Flirting is also used as a tool to get what we want, not just a way to start a new romance. And some ways people flirt are shaped by their personality traits. [...]
Vulnerable communities in the United States often face the highest risks from individual environmental burdens, such as exposure to toxic air pollutants. But new research shows that these communities are also exposed to a disproportionate number of multiple high-intensity burdens at once. [...]
Organs often have fluid-filled spaces called lumens, which are crucial for organ function and serve as transport and delivery networks. Lumens in the pancreas form a complex ductal system, and its channels transport digestive enzymes to the small intestine. Understanding how this system forms in embryonic development is essential, both for normal organ formation and for diagnosing and treating pancreatic disorders. [...]
An international research team reveals new molecular mechanisms associated with pathogenic mutations in the protein transthyretin that cause transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), a group of fatal progressive diseases. The results, obtained thanks to a new methodological approach, open the door to the development of drugs with higher therapeutic potential, designed specifically for the variants of the protein associated with the disease. [...]
Plant viruses pose a serious and ongoing threat to global agriculture in tropical to temperate regions. Among the most damaging are begomoviruses, a group of DNA viruses spread by whiteflies that infect many important food crops, including eggplant, tomato, pepper, cucurbit, cassava, and cotton. Infected plants often develop yellowing and curling leaves, stunted growth, and reduced yields, leading to significant economic losses for farmers. [...]
A research team from Osaka Metropolitan University proposed using a current-biased kinetic inductance detector with submicron 400 megapixels to image hot spots induced by a localized external stimulus over a 15 × 15 mm2 area. The team utilized a delay-line technique to trace the propagation of internal signals for a pair of signals arising from each hot spot. [...]
Crops increasingly need to thrive in a broader range of conditions, including drought, salinity, and heat. Traditional plant breeding can select for desirable traits, but is limited by the genetic variation that already exists in plants. In many crops, domestication and long-term selection have narrowed genetic diversity, constraining efforts to develop new varieties. [...]
Scientists have uncovered a new explanation for how swimming bacteria change direction, providing fresh insight into one of biology's most intensively studied molecular machines. [...]
In high-intensity laser–matter interactions, including laser-induced particle acceleration, physicists generally want to work with the highest possible focused laser peak power, which is the ratio of energy per unit area to pulse duration. Therefore, for the same pulse energy and focus, the highest peak intensity can be achieved with the shortest pulse duration. [...]
Every winter in the Ladakh region in northwest India, the two roads that connect the small villages in the Zanskar Valley with the rest of the country close, overwhelmed by snow. But for centuries, locals have had a workaround: a road of ice formed by the frozen Chadar River. [...]
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), with collaborators from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), have discovered how a key protein in the tuberculosis bacterium helps protect it from the influence of foreign DNA inserted into its genome. Understanding how this protein—called Lsr2—functions could help develop drugs that target it, thereby aiding in the fight against TB. [...]
Over the decades, many strains of disease-causing bacteria have evolved defenses to even the most potent antibiotics, setting off a growing health crisis. The rise of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" has also set off an arms race. As germs find new ways to withstand drugs, researchers are looking for new ways to break down their defenses. [...]
A small group of young researchers at the Cosmic Dawn Center, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have, through observations of the early stages of an extremely large galaxy cluster's evolution, shown that the largest structures we know have a different history than previously thought. [...]
Physicists from Trinity College Dublin believe new insights into the behavior of light may offer a new means of solving one of science's oldest challenges—how to turn heat into useful energy. [...]
Seaweeds are versatile algae. They are sources of food, medicine, and many other products, and they have the added benefit of being extremely efficient at removing CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow. [...]
Using muon spin rotation spectroscopy, researchers from Japan and Canada have successfully captured the rapid conversion of an imidoyl radical into a quinoxalinyl radical occurring within nanoseconds. The technique enabled real-time detection of a highly reactive aromatic heterocyclic radical generated during the isocyanide insertion reaction, using muonium as a molecular tracker. [...]
A new technique which slashes the time taken to diagnose microbial infections from days to minutes could help save lives and open up a new front in the battle against antibiotic resistance, researchers say. [...]
A new international study calls for a fundamental reset in how humanity understands and pursues sustainable development. The article is published in the journal Communications Sustainability. [...]
When the cell's recycling stations, the lysosomes, start leaking, it can become dangerous. Toxic waste risks spreading and damaging the cell. Now, researchers at Umeå University have revealed the molecular sensors that detect tiny holes in lysosomal membranes so they can be quickly repaired—a process crucial for preventing inflammation, cell death, and diseases such as Alzheimer's. [...]
The hunting of large whales goes back much further in time than previously thought. New research from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the Department of Prehistory of the UAB reveals that Indigenous communities in southern Brazil were hunting large cetaceans 5,000 years ago, around a thousand years before the earliest documented evidence from Arctic and North Pacific societies. [...]
Pioneering University of Stirling-led research has revealed the diverse and damaging impact Himalayan balsam has on river ecosystems. [...]
Teeth function not only because of the hard enamel on the surface, but also because they have roots that anchor them firmly in the jawbone beneath the gums. Eating, speaking, and maintaining the shape of the face—teeth are essential for supporting our daily lives. [...]
New research led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) warns that hybrid forms of the parasites that cause schistosomiasis are undermining existing disease control strategies and could accelerate the spread of infection in Africa and beyond. [...]
A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a quantum device, capable of ultra-fast operation, a key step toward realizing technologies like 6G communications. This innovation overcomes a major hurdle that has long limited the durability of such devices under high electrical fields. [...]
Research conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg shows that people tend to rate their own risk of being affected by climate change as lower than that of others. This perception may reduce individuals' willingness to act and slow down necessary climate measures. [...]