Gene cluster reshuffling drives natural sunscreen evolution in lichens
A new study reveals that the evolution of sunscreen pigments in lichen-forming fungi has been governed by the reshuffling of existing enzyme genes and novel accessory genes into new gene clusters......»»
The transition to a circular bioeconomy requires getting prices right, study says
Conventional food and agricultural production systems employ a linear "take, make, waste" approach: taking natural resources from the Earth to make food and fuel, generating waste that contaminates the soil and water, and emitting harmful pollutants......»»
New seed fossil sheds light on wind dispersal in plants
Scientists have discovered one of the earliest examples of a winged seed, gaining insight into the origin and early evolution of wind dispersal strategies in plants......»»
Researchers link El Niño to accelerated ice loss in tropics
Natural climate patterns such as El Niño are causing tropical glaciers to lose their ice at an alarming rate, a new study has found......»»
New book brings prehistoric mammals to life
After the extinction of dinosaurs came the age of mammals. A new book brings readers into this world with well-researched species profiles by Aaron Woodruff, collection manager for vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The.....»»
How academia drives sustainability: The impact of science on the UN"s Sustainable Development Goals
The role of universities in the fight for a fairer and more sustainable planet is increasingly significant. A team of researchers from ESPOL has examined how academia contributes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by analyzing scientifi.....»»
Study reveals how parasites thrive by balancing specialization with exploiting diverse species communities
A single shift of a parasite from one host species to another can trigger catastrophic infectious disease outbreaks. Despite this, scientists continue to debate the role of species diversity in natural environments on the spread of these parasites......»»
Hydro-hazard research needs more investment in low-income countries, says study
Research efforts on floods, droughts and landslides are not fairly distributed globally. Although research is increasing in areas affected by these natural hazards, the number of people affected by hydro-hazards in the least developed countries needs.....»»
Data Theorem Code Secure helps security and DevOps teams secure their software
Data Theorem launched Code Secure, the latest evolution in application security designed to protect the software supply chain from code to deployment. Code Secure uniquely integrates Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition An.....»»
EVs, China and an election make for a turbulent political stew in Michigan
It is complicating Michigan’s efforts to lead the next stage of automotive evolution and highlighting geopolitical tensions with China......»»
Q&A: How artificial lights are dimming firefly survival rates
While light bulbs make our nights brighter, they are dimming the social lives, and survival rates, of some of nature's natural light-makers: fireflies......»»
Cutting emissions the smart way: How an intensity-based approach drives real change
Investors' consideration of a firm's environmental performance, along with concerns about future impacts on profit, have led many firms to start trying to reduce their carbon footprint. But such environmental pressure—if not calibrated correctly—.....»»
Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirms state"s worst deer disease outbreak since 2012
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the state's worst deer disease outbreak since 2012 with cases found in 11 southwest counties, officials said......»»
Trees" own beneficial microbiome could lead to discovery of new treatments to fight citrus greening disease
Citrus trees showing natural tolerance to citrus greening disease host bacteria that produce novel antimicrobials that can be used to fight off the disease, our recent study shows. We found the trees at an organic farm in Clermont, Florida......»»
Limestone and iron reveal puzzling extreme rain in Western Australia 100,000 years ago
Almost one-sixth of Earth's land surface is covered in otherworldly landscapes with a name that may also be unfamiliar: karst. These landscapes are like natural sculpture parks, with dramatic terrain dotted with caves and towers of bedrock slowly scu.....»»
How passion drives or derails team innovation
In companies, innovative ideas often come out of teams. That's why it's so important to have team members who are excited and focused on projects that lead to innovation. However, having team members who are too passionate—especially to the point o.....»»
Study suggests statistical "noise" affects perceived evolutionary rates
For decades, researchers have observed that rates of evolution seem to accelerate over short time periods—say five million years versus fifty million years. This broad pattern has suggested that "younger" groups of organisms, in evolutionary terms,.....»»
Liquefied natural gas carbon footprint is worse than coal, study finds
Liquified natural gas leaves a greenhouse gas footprint that is 33% worse than coal, when processing and shipping are taken into account, according to a new Cornell study......»»
Unique IDs for individual (digital) specimens from natural history museums streamline and future-proof science
The wealth of data hosted in natural history collections can contribute to finding a response to global challenges ranging from climate change to biodiversity loss to pandemics. However, today's practices of working with collected bio- and geodiversi.....»»
Centuries ago, the Maya storm god Huracán taught that when we damage nature, we damage ourselves
The ancient Maya believed that everything in the universe, from the natural world to everyday experiences, was part of a single, powerful spiritual force. They were not polytheists who worshipped distinct gods but pantheists who believed that various.....»»
Study sheds light on limitations of zooplankton for inactivating pathogen contaminated water
Scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso and Stanford University were recently surprised to find that the natural community of zooplankton—tiny, aquatic animals known to graze on bacteria—present in freshwater and saltwater do not clean w.....»»