Brainy bumblebees still succumb to the temptations of caffeine and sugar
A bumblebee's brain is smaller than a sesame seed. But it can still accomplish quite a bit......»»
With Last Action Hero and Demolition Man, 1993 was the year beefcake got brainy
In 1993, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone starred in Last Action Hero and Demolition Man, respectively, perfecting their action movie hero personas......»»
Computational model helps with diabetes drug design
For diabetes patients who must give themselves frequent insulin injections, the risk of low blood sugar can be life-threatening. A potential solution is a type of engineered insulin that circulates in the body and springs into action only when needed.....»»
Diesel exhaust gases found to harm insects: Animal ecologists study the effects on bumblebees for the first time
The decline of insects threatens many ecosystems worldwide. While the effects of pesticides are well researched, there has been a lack of knowledge about the effects of other anthropogenic pollutants. Animal ecologists at the University of Bayreuth h.....»»
Apple puts top Apple Silicon exec in charge of Apple Watch blood glucose monitoring project
Apple is doubling down on its ambitious project that aims to bring noninvasive blood sugar monitoring to the Apple Watch. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company has put one of its most important senior chip executives in charge of the.....»»
European bumblebee populations projected to plummet
Populations of European bumblebees are projected to fall drastically in the coming decades due to climate change and habitat loss, researchers warned on Wednesday......»»
Novel study reveals the accumulation mechanisms of purine alkaloids and catechins in theobromine-rich tea
Camellia ptilophylla, a low-caffeine or decaffeinated tea, is increasingly being recognized for its potential health benefits. However, there is intraspecific diversity in purine alkaloid and catechins components in C. ptilophylla populations. Analyz.....»»
Surpassing the human eye: Machine learning image analysis rapidly determines chemical mixture composition
Have you ever accidentally ruined a recipe in the kitchen by adding salt instead of sugar? Due to their similar appearance, it's an easy mistake to make. Similarly, checking with the naked eye is also used in chemistry labs to provide quick, initial.....»»
The race to build the world"s smallest atomic clock, again
Yuan-Yu Jau is on a quest to build the world's smallest atomic clock, a device that measures time with extreme accuracy. If successful, he and his team at Sandia will have made one smaller than a sugar cube......»»
Some plants are more flammable than others. How gardeners can reduce the risks
The deadly wildfires in Hawaii this month were fueled in part by plants, in particular invasive grasses that have taken over land once occupied by sugar and pineapple plantations......»»
Why moths might be more efficient pollinators than bees and butterflies
If you've ever felt underestimated and ignored, spare a thought for your local moths. Honeybees, bumblebees and butterflies are almost synonymous with pollination. People love them for their intimate relationship with flowers—we can't grow a lot of.....»»
A single gene and a unique layer of regulation opens the door for novel plant-fungi interactions
Soil fungi known as ectomycorrhizae (ECM) can penetrate plant roots and provide water and nutrients to host plants in exchange for sugar. This symbiotic relationship benefits the plant, increasing its growth. To benefit from these fungi while protect.....»»
Study shows glyphosate impairs learning in bumblebees
What impacts do agrochemicals have on the ongoing global insect decline? Biologists at the University of Konstanz have found out that aversive learning is impaired in bumblebees exposed to glyphosate. Their study is published in the journal Science o.....»»
How does ice cream work? A chemist explains why you can"t just freeze cream and expect results
Ice cream seems like a simple concept. Take some dairy, add some sugar and flavors, and freeze......»»
Natural history collections shed light on bumblebees" modern struggles
A new study highlights potential causes for changing foraging habits of bumblebees. Using advanced molecular techniques called pollen metabarcoding, researchers investigated interactions between bumblebees and plants in Cuxhaven, Germany, and how the.....»»
A One-Time Shot for Type 2 Diabetes? A Biotech Company Is On It
Fractyl Health is developing a gene therapy alternative to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to control blood sugar and body weight without repeated injections......»»
Getting citizen scientists involved in pollinator tracking
Researchers from Imperial College London and schools in the UK and Italy have co-developed a set of citizen science tools for school pupils to monitor pollinators including butterflies, bumblebees and beetles......»»
New discovery toward sugar origami
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) have designed a carbohydrate sequence capable of folding into a stable secondary structure......»»
The tiniest hitchhikers: Nematodes leap onto bumblebees via electric fields
Worms lept at an average speed of 0.86 meters per second, close to human walking speed. A nematode (C. elegans) jumps onto a bumblebee along an electrical field to hitch a ride. Credit: Chiba et al., 2023.....»»
Do hummingbirds drink alcohol? More often than you think
You may not realize it, but that backyard hummingbird feeder filled with sugar water is a natural experiment in fermentation—yeast settle in and turn some of the sugar into alcohol......»»
Q&A: Scientist shares glycomics protocols with the scientific community
Every organism has an associated glycome, a unique profile of associated carbohydrates also known as sugar chains or glycans. Glycomics, the study of individual glycomes, may lead to the development of new strategies for disease diagnosis, cancer det.....»»