Bitter substances spoil the appetite of oak moth caterpillars
Trees have a huge arsenal of ways to keep the pests that attack them under control. In the course of evolution, for example, some English oaks (Quercus robur) have developed the ability to release volatile signaling substances when attacked by oak mo.....»»
National Boyfriend Day is an excuse to spoil your partner. When is it?
What is National Boyfriend Day? It's a reason to celebrate! But also, when is National Boyfriend Day? Valentine's Day just isn't enough. When you're in love, you'll take any excuse you can to show your significant other that you're obsessed wit.....»»
Novel UV broadband spectrometer improves air pollutant analysis
Sunlight has a major influence on chemical processes. Its high-energy UV radiation in particular is strongly absorbed by all materials and triggers photochemical reactions of the substances present in the air. A well-known example is the formation of.....»»
A promising target for new RNA therapeutics now accessible
Only recently, a new era in medicine began with the first RNA vaccines. These active substances are modified RNAs that trigger immune responses of the human immune system. Another approach in RNA medicine targets the body's own RNA and its protein mo.....»»
Researchers discover how we perceive bitter taste
Humans can sense five different tastes: sour, sweet, umami, bitter, and salty, using specialized sensors on our tongues called taste receptors. Other than allowing us to enjoy delicious foods, the sensation of taste allows us to determine the chemica.....»»
Surprising role of female sex pheromone in crop pest points to new biocontrol possibilities
INRAE researchers have discovered that female pheromones play a remarkable role in the African cotton moth. In general, these pheromones trigger mate attraction, promoting encounters between males and females during reproductive periods. Astonishingl.....»»
Magnetic levitation: New material offers potential for unlocking gravity-free technology
Researchers at the Quantum Machines Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) are studying levitating materials—substances that can remain suspended in a stable position without any physical contact or mechanical support......»»
New study suggests we"re likely underestimating the future impact of PFAS in the environment
Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances—commonly known as PFAS—are a group of over 14,000 human-made chemicals that have been popular since the 1950s for their diverse skills in resisting heat, water, grease and stains......»»
Researchers discover two vesicle fusion mechanisms while studying vesicle movement in living cells
Cells intake substances from the outside world by encapsulating them in vesicles called endosomes, which are subsequently transported throughout the cell. During the transport process, vesicles fuse with other intracellular organelles. However, obser.....»»
Eclipse weather forecast: clear skies in the Northeast, clouds in Texas
Clouds are likely to spoil the view of the total solar eclipse in Texas and other spots along the path in North America, according to forecasts on Saturday,.....»»
The omnipresence of PFAS—and what we can do about them
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—also known as "forever chemicals"—are everywhere. Created in the 1940s, these synthetic compounds are an unseen ingredient in many items that we use in our daily lives, like cleaning products, food pack.....»»
Not in the path of totality? You can still watch Monday"s total solar eclipse online
If you're nowhere near the path of totality or if clouds spoil your view, you can still catch the total solar eclipse online......»»
Easily observing environmental pollution-causing harmful substances through a mobile phone camera
DGIST's Physics and Chemistry Professor Park Jin-hee and her research team have developed a technology that allows easy detection of hazardous chemicals. Allowing one to detect harmful substances by analyzing color changes using a mobile phone camera.....»»
Drama intensifies in Piston Group dispute over minority certification
As a bitter legal fight over the minority status of Piston Group, the country’s largest Black-owned automotive supplier, drags on, a national feud has flared up among the councils in charge of certification......»»
Scientists discover how caterpillars can stop their bleeding in seconds
Blood is a remarkable material: it must remain fluid inside blood vessels, yet clot as quickly as possible outside them, to stop bleeding. The chemical cascade that makes this possible is well understood for vertebrate blood. But hemolymph, the equiv.....»»
In Spain, hi-tech hops keep beer bitter as climate bites
Outside the warehouse in northwestern Spain, it's a freezing, foggy morning but inside it's balmy, the warmth and LED lights fooling 360 hop plants to flower as if it were late August......»»
Cleaning up environmental contaminants with quantum dot technology
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was focused on quantum dots—objects so tiny, they're controlled by the strange and complex rules of quantum physics. Many quantum dots used in electronics are made from toxic substances, but their nontoxic counterp.....»»
Study reveals ancient ice may still exist in distant space objects
A paper recently published in Icarus presents findings about the Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth, shedding new light on the preservation of volatile substances like carbon monoxide (CO) in such distant celestial bodies......»»
Monarch caterpillar found to switch from avoiding milkweed-toxin-rich latex to eating it as they age
A trio of German entomologists has found that young monarch caterpillars switch from avoiding milkweed-toxin-rich latex to eating it as they get older. Their paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B......»»
Paper coating biomaterials derived from anaerobic granular sludge may be cost-effective
The demand for paper and paperboard production continuously grows worldwide, particularly in the packaging industry. Due to the paper's nature, it usually requires a surface coating to keep out water, oil, and other unwanted substances. These coating.....»»
Novel method improves Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy detection of ultra-low concentration trace substances
Recently, a research team led by Prof. Gao Minguang and Associate Prof. Li Xiangxian from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a spectral resolution enhancement method based on linear predictio.....»»