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.....»»
Capturing carbon dioxide with electricity: A microbial enzyme inspires electrochemistry
Humans continuously emits greenhouse gases, worsening global warming. For example, carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates dramatically over the years and is chemically very stable. Yet, some microbes capture CO2 using highly efficient enzymes. Scientists f.....»»
Bacterial biosensors: The future of analyte detection
Scientists can do some nifty things with microbes, including engineering bacterial cells to sense and signal the presence of specific compounds. These microbial whole-cell biosensors have numerous purposes, from detecting toxins in the environment to.....»»
Contrast Security integrates with AWS Security Hub to help organizations mitigate threats
Contrast Security, the code security platform built for developers and trusted by security, today announced its integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Hub to offer full-spectrum security visibility, from infrastructure to applications. A.....»»
Peru"s Operation Mercury stopped most illegal gold mining in one biodiversity hotspot—then the COVID-19 pandemic hit
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a lifeline for many who live in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru, where poverty is high and jobs are scarce. But the economic development in this part of the Amazon basin comes at a cost, as it cau.....»»
Highly sensitive portable sensor developed for formaldehyde detection
Researchers led by Prof. Zhang Weijun from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a highly sensitive portable laser absorption spectroscopy formaldehyde (HCHO) sensor using a compact spherical.....»»
Safer neighborhoods may mitigate risk of child abuse
Researchers have long suspected that neighborhoods can be a source of risk or protection for child well-being. A new Rutgers study supports this assumption and finds that when parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundi.....»»
Fast-track strain engineering for speedy biomanufacturing
Using engineered microbes as microscopic factories has given the world steady sources of life-saving drugs, revolutionized the food industry, and allowed us to make sustainable versions of valuable chemicals previously made from petroleum......»»
How can we use nutritional strategies to mitigate methane emissions from ruminants?
Methane concentrations have increased rapidly and have doubled in the atmosphere compared to preindustrial levels. Within the agricultural sector, animal production contributes to 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and produ.....»»
Spending time in space can harm the human body, but scientists are working to mitigate these risks
When 17 people were in orbit around the Earth all at the same time on May 30, 2023, it set a record. With NASA and other federal space agencies planning more manned missions and commercial companies bringing people to space, opportunities for human s.....»»
How scientists are mitigating space travel’s risks to the human body
Spending time in space comes with different health hazards. Enlarge / With NASA planning more missions to space in the future, scientists are studying how to mitigate health hazards that come with space flight (credit: SpaceX).....»»
Crispr Pioneer Jennifer Doudna Has the Guts to Take On the Microbiome
The world-famous biochemist is ready to tackle everything from immune disorders and mental illness to climate change—all by altering microbes in the digestive tract......»»
Legal mining sites in Brazil store 2.55 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in vegetation and soil, study estimates
As global temperatures continue to reach all-time highs and discussions intensify about ways to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, researchers at the University of São Paulo's Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP) in Brazil.....»»
Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
In the frigid waters surrounding Antarctica, an unusual seasonal cycle occurs. During winter, from March to October, the sun barely rises. As seawater freezes it rejects salts, creating pockets of extra-salty brine where microbes live in winter. In s.....»»
Scientists find evolutionary clues while examining microbes in far-flung hot springs
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists studied hot springs on different continents and found similarities in how some microbes adapted despite their geographic diversity......»»
Researchers reveal dominant source of atmospheric mercury in the Arctic
A research team led by Prof. Xie Zhouqing and Prof. Le Fange from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) revealed that the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) is a dominant source of atmospheric gaseous.....»»
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals, study shows
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the.....»»
Teen’s death after eating a single chip highlights risks of ultra-spicy foods
The hot pepper linked to teen's death can cause arteries in the brain to spasm. Enlarge (credit: Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images) Harris Wolobah, a healthy 14-year-old from Worcester, Mas.....»»
Synthesis of nanoparticles by microorganisms: Exploring the green power of fungi
They are used as medicines, drug carriers and to combat microbes in hospitals, destroy plant pathogens and reduce the amount of traditional fertilizers used in agriculture—nanoparticles are taking over medicine and the agri-food industry......»»
Genetic tools probe microbial dark matter
Patescibacteria are a group of puzzling, tiny microbes whose manner of staying alive has been difficult to fathom. Scientists can cultivate only a few types, yet these bacteria are a diverse group found in many environments......»»
Experts question whether carbon dioxide storage in farming soils helps the climate
Sequestering CO2 in farming soils is promoted as an excellent strategy to mitigate climate change. Is this actually the case, however? Several soil experts voiced their doubts during the Wageningen Soil Conference on 29 August......»»