Burping bacteria: Identifying Arctic microbes that produce greenhouse gases
As greenhouse gases bubble up across the rapidly thawing Arctic, Sandia National Laboratories researchers are trying to identify other trace gases from soil microbes that could shed some light on what is occurring biologically in melting permafrost i.....»»
Atomic diffusion technique could lead to mass production of metal nanowires
A group from Nagoya University in Japan has created a new technique for growing the tiny metal nanowires (NWs) that are expected to be used in next-generation electronics. Their results suggest a way to mass produce pure metal NWs, which has until no.....»»
Pausing biological clock could give boost to lab-produced blood stem cells
A decade ago, Raquel Espin Palazon discovered that inflammatory signaling pathways must switch on for embryos to produce blood stem cells. The latest work from her lab shows the potential value of keeping those same signals switched off after their i.....»»
The case for adding iron to the ocean for carbon dioxide removal
While the urgent reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions is needed as the primary activity to curb climate change, there is broad agreement for the need to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere. Given its outsized role in.....»»
Silver nanoparticles and a new sensing method can fight back against antibiotic-resistant biofilms
From safeguarding our food supply to preventing hospital infections, the battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a growing challenge. Some bacteria can form biofilms, thick aggregates of millions of individual cells surrounded by protective m.....»»
How Front Range cow waste and car exhaust are hurting Rocky Mountain National Park"s ecosystem
For decades, gases from car exhaust and cow waste have drifted from Colorado's Front Range to harm plants, fish and wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park, and while a decades-long effort to slow the damage is working, it's not moving as quickly as.....»»
Extreme weather to strengthen rapidly over next two decades, research suggests
Nearly three quarters of the global population can expect strong and rapid changes in extreme temperatures and rainfall in the next 20 years unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut dramatically, according to a new study......»»
Found dead in the snow: How microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions
What happens to a dead body in an extremely cold environment? Does it decompose? How do these conditions affect how forensic scientists understand when the person died?.....»»
The Golden Age of offbeat Arctic research
The Cold War spawned some odd military projects that were doomed to fail. Enlarge / At the US Army’s Camp Century on the Greenland ice sheet, an Army truck equipped with a railroad wheel conversion rides on 1,300 feet of track.....»»
Hijacking the command center of the cell: Nuclear parasites in deep-sea mussels
Most animals live in intimate relationships with bacteria. Some of these bacteria live inside the cells of their hosts, but only very few are able to live inside cell organelles (structures inside the cell, like organs in the body). One group of bact.....»»
Phage editing technology could lead to alternative treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacteria
As antibiotic resistance becomes an increasingly serious threat to our health, the scientific and medical communities are searching for new medicines to fight infections. Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have just moved closer to that goal with a.....»»
Algorithm maps protein degradation patterns to improve infection diagnosis and treatment
Peptides are small fragments of proteins, mainly found in the skin and mucous membranes. Some peptides act as a barrier, protecting the body against infections by fighting off microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, while others p.....»»
Composite plastic degrades easily with bacteria, offers environmental benefits
Billions of tons of plastic waste clutter our world. Most of it has accumulated on the ground and in the oceans or disintegrated into tiny particles known as microplastics that pollute the air and the water, penetrating vegetation and the bloodstream.....»»
How plant coverage is affecting the Arctic carbon cycle
Researchers at Columbia University's Department of Earth and Environment Science have discovered new implications for the Arctic carbon cycle in the face of climate change. Their paper, published in Communications Biology, shows how differing plant c.....»»
Study of cloud movement in the Arctic could provide better understanding of climate change in the region
Special features of the Arctic climate, such as the strong reflection of the sun's rays off the light snow or the low position of the sun, amplify global warming in the Arctic. However, researchers are often faced with the challenge of modeling the u.....»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Last voyage of an ocean drilling ship? Here"s why scientists don"t want to see the JOIDES Resolution mothballed
My favorite place in the world isn't a fixed location. It's the JOIDES Resolution, an internationally funded research ship that has spent its service life constantly on the move, from deep in the Antarctic to high in the Arctic......»»
Massive underwater eruption may preview deep-sea mining destruction
Scientists are exploring the underwater aftermath of the 2022 Hunga eruption. Enlarge / Following the 2022 Hunga volcano eruption, a nearby hydrothermal vent was seen coated with a white mat of bacteria and surrounded by a thick.....»»
Grenfell victims were "overcome by toxic gases" after construction loophole
Governments have a duty to protect their citizens. While they won't go as far as telling us what we can and cannot put in our homes, we do expect them to ensure that the buildings we live in are safe from fire......»»
The 15 top methane-emitting nations lack policies to rein them in
While the United States and China have taken important steps to reduce their methane emissions, other significant producers of the potent greenhouse gas rarely have concrete national plans to mitigate it, according to a new University of Maryland ana.....»»
Researchers create new tool to analyze embodied carbon in more than 1 million buildings in Chicago
The built environment—which includes the construction and operation of buildings, highways, bridges and other infrastructure—is responsible for close to 40% of the global greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change......»»