Harnessing nature"s rhythm: Piezocatalysis for organic pollutant degradation
With the rapid growth of industrial and agricultural activities, water bodies are increasingly contaminated with harmful organic pollutants such as dyes, antibiotics, and bisphenol A. Traditional methods like adsorption, chemical treatments, and biol.....»»
Raman spectroscopy offers new insights into ionic liquid acidity
Researchers at the University of Liège have for the first time determined the acidity of ionic liquids using Raman spectroscopy, thanks to Hammett acidity functions. This advance promises to revolutionize our understanding and use of these organic s.....»»
Exploring cadmium-induced alterations in the expression profile of microRNAs
Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal, has been identified as a significant environmental pollutant due to its widespread industrial use and persistence in the environment. Chronic exposure to Cd poses a considerable threat to human health, as it accumul.....»»
A swinging showerhead leads to discovery of a new mode of vibration in nature
During the hot summer of 2020, confined to his Pasadena home during the COVID-19 pandemic, National Medal of Science-winning applied physicist Amnon Yariv took frequent and long showers to cool off. A surprising result, to go with his record-breaking.....»»
Somersaulting spin qubits for universal quantum logic could enhance control in larger arrays
Researchers at QuTech developed somersaulting spin qubits for universal quantum logic. This achievement may enable efficient control of large semiconductor qubit arrays. The research group published their demonstration of hopping spins in Nature Comm.....»»
Air pollution falls after London vehicle curbs: Mayor
London's Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday claimed success for his expanded pollution toll zone for motor vehicles, pointing to a drop in levels of a harmful air pollutant since its controversial introduction......»»
From trash to treasure: Machine learning enhances organic waste recycling
Biological treatment methods such as anaerobic digestion, composting, and insect farming are essential for managing organic waste, converting it into valuable resources like biogas and organic fertilizers. However, these processes often face challeng.....»»
Silkworms and shrimp may help regenerate damaged skin and bone
Researchers are exploring new nature-based solutions to stimulate skin and bone repair......»»
Trees reveal climate surprise: Microbes living in bark remove methane from the atmosphere
Tree bark surfaces play an important role in removing methane gas from the atmosphere, according to a study published 24 July in Nature......»»
Scientists assess how large dinosaurs could really get
A new study by Dr. Jordan Mallon of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Canada and Dr. David Hone of Queen Mary University of London, U.K., looks at the maximum possible sizes of dinosaurs. It is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution......»»
Scientists hijack natural delivery system to send engineered proteins to target cells
Each cell in the body has its own unique delivery system that scientists are working on harnessing to move revolutionary biological drugs—molecules like proteins, RNA and combinations of the two—to specific diseased parts of the body......»»
Galaxy clusters could be used as dark matter colliders to understand nature of invisible particles, say scientists
What is dark matter? Even for astrophysicists, it's a question that remains unanswered. These invisible particles make up most of the matter in the universe and about a quarter of the universe as a whole. They are thought to be the cosmic glue that b.....»»
Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly research opens the door to new crop varieties
Completely new crop varieties which can better withstand drought, salinity and pests are within reach thanks to international genomics research published today in Nature Genetics......»»
Examining progress on volatile organic compound pollution control via the catalytic method
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), with toxicity and irritability, could cause atmospheric environmental problems such as haze and photochemical smog, seriously threatening the ecological environment and human health. The primary source of VOCs is hu.....»»
New nature writing genre brings wild and tricky aspects of climate crisis to life
We live in an age of climate emergency and eco-anxiety. This is, after all, the Anthropocene—a geological period defined by the bootprint of humans on Earth. Bearing witness to our place in the world is critical now more than ever but writing about.....»»
Nature-inspired novel catalyst paves the way for efficient hydrocarbon decomposition
A research team affiliated with UNIST has developed a novel catalyst that mimics the ability of a natural enzyme to break down harmful hydrocarbons, paving the way for a more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient approach to reducing pollutio.....»»
New car smell reaches toxic levels on hot days, researchers find
A study of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by new cars on hot summer days finds concerning levels of formaldehyde and other aldehydes......»»
Forging of joined-up approach at COP29 and COP16 vital for urgent action for climate and nature, say scientists
World leaders must take advantage of a pivotal window of opportunity for forging a much-needed joined-up approach to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, say scientists from ZSL and York University. Without this, work on tackling either crisi.....»»
Organic polymer blend microspheres exhibit ultra-low threshold lasing with highest reported quality factor
Researchers at IMDEA Nanociencia have fabricated high quality microspheres from conjugated organic polymer blends with excellent lasing properties. The laser emission of the microspheres has the highest quality factor reported to date, Q>18,000......»»
Stepping stones for wildlife: How linking up isolated habitats can help nature thrive in our cities
Imagine you're a fairywren living in a patch of scrub behind a schoolyard in the suburbs. It's been pretty nice so far, but a recent increase in neighborhood cats and the council's insect control tactics mean it's time to look for somewhere safer to.....»»
How nature-based solutions can promote effective flood management
This week, large areas of Ontario experienced severe flooding that caused widespread power outages, water damages and disruption. Severe rainfall events are not new, but they are becoming more frequent and costly due to human-caused climate change......»»