How microbes may help mitigate mercury absorption
New research by a team at Pennsylvania State University suggests that microbes in the human gut could be harnessed to help the body absorb useful nutritional metals—like iron, which is critical for red blood cells—and block or even remove the abs.....»»
Scientists discover how soil microbes survive in harsh desert environments
Prolonged droughts followed by sudden bursts of rainfall—how do desert soil bacteria manage to survive such harsh conditions? This long-debated question has now been answered by an ERC project led by microbiologist Dagmar Woebken from the Centre fo.....»»
Coral reef microbes point to new way to assess ecosystem health
A new study shows that ocean acidification is changing the mix of microbes in coral reef systems, which can be used to assess ecosystem health......»»
Diverse native wildflower plantings for pollinators in farmlands
Pollinators are declining rapidly, largely due to land conversion and intensification of agriculture. To mitigate their crisis, low-disturbance habitats, such as sown wildflower plantings (commonly known forms are wildflower strips at the edges of ar.....»»
The history of the young cold traps of the asteroid Ceres
Ceres, the largest asteroid in our solar system, harbors a dark secret: extremely young ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters near its poles. If that sounds vaguely familiar, it's because our moon and planet Mercury also have such polar ice de.....»»
Study uncovers the role of soil microbes in forest ecosystems
Assessing the function of forest ecosystems requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms of soil nitrogen mineralization. A study conducted by a team of researchers has shed light on how soil N-cycling genes drive soil nitrogen mineralization duri.....»»
San Francisco Bay study highlights value of salt marsh restoration for flood risk reduction and climate resilience
Salt marsh restoration can mitigate flood risk and bolster community resilience to climate change in our local waterways, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports by a postdoctoral fellow with UC Santa Cruz's Center for Coastal Cli.....»»
Study finds microbes hitchhike on microplastics to reach the sea
The oceans contain large amounts of microplastics, particles that are less than 5 mm in size. In parts of the Baltic Sea, the concentration of microplastics can be as much as 3,300 particles per cubic meter. The microplastics end up in aquatic enviro.....»»
Climate change and forest management may threaten blueberry microbes
The diversity of symbiotic microbes in blueberries differs between southern and northern Finland, according to a new study published in Environmental Microbiome......»»
eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
The human gut is full of microbes. Some microbes can make people sick, while others are responsible for balancing gut health. But humans aren't the only species whose health depends on these microorganisms. Coral reef ecosystems rely on microorganism.....»»
Mercury contamination rampant in Brazil Indigenous group: Study
Researchers in the Brazilian Amazon found universal mercury contamination among members of the Yanomami Indigenous group living in a region awash in illegal gold mining, said a study published Thursday, warning of devastating health impacts......»»
A new estimate of US soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models
Soil contains about twice as much carbon as the atmosphere and plants combined. It is a major carbon sink, capable of absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it releases. Management of soil carbon is key in efforts to mitigate climate.....»»
Fortinet upgrades its real-time network security operating system
Fortinet announced the latest version of its FortiOS operating system and other major enhancements to the company’s cybersecurity platform, the Fortinet Security Fabric. FortiOS 7.6 empowers customers to better mitigate risk, reduce complexity, and.....»»
New method reveals hidden activity of life below ground
A team of scientists led by researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences have developed an innovative method to link the genetics and function of individual microbes living without oxygen deep below Earth's surface. Measuring both of these at.....»»
Team demonstrates an ultra-broadband tunable terahertz absorber of graphene and hierarchical plasmonic metamaterials
Perfect absorption arises from the strong interaction of valence electrons with light in a conducting material. Optical metamaterial is an effective approach to exploit the superior photon capture capability. Thus, the perfect absorbers could be achi.....»»
Biden orders every US agency to appoint a chief AI officer
Federal agencies rush to appoint chief AI officers with “significant expertise.” Enlarge (credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor | AFP) The White House has announced the "first government-wide policy to mitigate ri.....»»
Mercury could be the perfect destination for a solar sail
Solar sails rely upon pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. Get the sail closer to the sun and, not surprisingly, efficiency increases. A proposed new mission called Mercury Scout aims to take advantage of this to explore Mercury. The missi.....»»
Carbon credits would enable restoration of UK saltmarshes, say experts
While the marshes may have meant danger for Pip in "Great Expectations," these wetland habitats are important wildlife havens and mitigate climate change......»»
Future of 1 billion people in South Asia hinges on water pact, says new analysis
Better collaboration is urgently needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change on three key river basins in South Asia—the Brahmaputra, Indus and Ganges—according to new analysis......»»
Researchers uncover the microbial secrets of dry eye
Researchers have used advanced sequencing technology to determine how the mix of microbes present in patients with healthy eyes differs from the mix found in patients with dry eye. The new work could lead to improved treatments for various eye proble.....»»
Construction of dual heterogeneous interface between zigzag-like Mo-MXene nanofibers and small CoNi@NC nanoparticles
Two-dimensional transition metal carbides (MXene) possess attractive conductivity and abundant surface functional groups, providing immense potential in the field of electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption. However, high conductivity and spontaneous ag.....»»