Evolved in the lab, found in nature: Uncovering hidden pH sensing abilities in microbial cultures
In a study led by Sarah Worthan, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Behringer Lab at Vanderbilt University, scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling rapid responses to environ.....»»
Curiosity, images, and scientific exploration: New book by physicist explores remarkable phenomena
When we gaze at nature's remarkable phenomena, we might feel a mix of awe, curiosity, and determination to understand what we are looking at. That is certainly a common response for MIT's Alan Lightman, a trained physicist and prolific author of book.....»»
Early 20th century oceans might have been warmer than previously thought
Ocean temperatures in the early twentieth century were warmer than previously thought, according to new evidence presented in Nature......»»
Young planet discovery could provide new insight into planet formation
The detection of a giant planet that transits a very young star is reported in Nature. The findings indicate that this is the youngest transiting planet found to date......»»
Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops
More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environm.....»»
Mathematical modeling study demonstrates gene drives could boost malaria control when added to intervention package
The Target Malaria UK modeling team at Imperial College London has published their latest study in Nature Communications, titled "The potential of gene drives in malaria vector species to control malaria in African environments.".....»»
Majority of clothes being donated are exported or discarded: Study calls for city fashion waste shakeup
With most donated clothes exported or thrown away, experts are calling for a shakeup of how we deal with the growing fashion waste issue. A first of its kind study, published in Nature Cities, analyzed what happens to clothes and other textiles after.....»»
Algorithm predicts DNA methylation in ancient specimens, providing insight into human evolution
Research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution. As DNA methylation is a key marker of gene.....»»
Enormous cache of rare earth elements hidden inside coal ash waste, study suggests
Coal ash—the chalky remnants of coal that has been burned for fuel—has been piling up across the United States for decades. But new research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that the national coal ash supply contains enough rare.....»»
Could a multivitamin help save coral reefs? Preliminary data says yes
Like humans, coral reefs rely on nutrients in the environment surrounding them. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been lab testing nutrient-infused tiles to determine whether they would boost the immune system of corals,.....»»
Advancements in genomic research reveal alternative transcription initiation sites in thousands of soybean genes
Rosalind Franklin, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA—that molecular blueprint for life—over 70 years ago. Today, scientists are still uncovering new ways to read it......»»
Mathematicians Discover a New Kind of Shape That’s All over Nature
Mathematicians have found a new kind of shape with connections to nature and art.....»»
You Can Now Buy Lab-Grown Foie Gras
A lab-grown alternative to fattened duck liver offers an controversial future for the cultivated meat industry: as a luxury product for the few......»»
The hidden disease risks of modern housing developments in rural Africa
Tamika Lunn went to Kenya looking for bats. Her task, as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of U of A biologist Kristian Forbes, was to catch bats to understand if, when and why they carried viruses. A spillover of a bat virus to humans could lead.....»»
How humans evolved to be "energetically unique"
Humans, it turns out, possess much higher metabolic rates than other mammals, including our close relatives, apes and chimpanzees, finds a Harvard study. Having both high resting and active metabolism, researchers say, enabled our hunter-gatherer anc.....»»
By exerting "crowd control" over mouse cells, scientists make progress towards engineering tissues
Genes aren't the sole driver instructing cells to build multicellular structures, tissues, and organs. In a paper published in Nature Communications, USC Stem Cell scientist Leonardo Morsut and Caltech computational biologist Matt Thomson characteriz.....»»
Populations overheat as major cities fail canopy goals
A new study led by RMIT University in Australia measuring access to nature for eight major global cities found most still have inadequate canopy cover, despite access to an abundance of trees......»»
With new imaging approach, scientists closely analyze microbial adhesive interactions
Scientists have identified many types of bacteria in the mouth, but many problems remain in understanding how they work with one another. One of the problems is that microbes assemble themselves into densely packed multi-species biofilms. Their densi.....»»
The climate and biodiversity crises are entwined, but we risk pitting one against the other
Climate change and biodiversity policies have largely evolved in isolation, even though the two crises are deeply intertwined. They have their own UN summits, with the same name and numbering system: the UN biodiversity summit Cop16 just concluded in.....»»
The amorous adventures of earwigs
Elaborate courtship, devoted parenthood, gregarious nature (and occasional cannibalism)—earwigs have a lot going for them. Few people are fond of earwigs, with their menacing ab.....»»
Fish on film: Uncovering the environmental drivers of black spot syndrome
For many researchers in biology and other natural sciences, dissecting specimens may not be desirable, though it is often necessary. This is because dissection means killing the animal a researcher is trying to study—a big issue, especially if the.....»»