Mosquitoes use gut bacteria to fight the malaria they transmit—scientists are exploring how to use this
The months of September to May are an unfortunate season in South Africa: malaria season. The mosquito-borne disease is found in the north-eastern districts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces......»»
Biochemists uncover a new enzyme subclass in antimicrobial lanthipeptide biosynthesis
Biochemists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a new subclass of trifunctional enzymes in gram-positive bacteria, which play a critical role in the biosynthesis of an antimicrobial lanthipeptide......»»
Census data analysis shows the South had a much higher mortality rate than the North in the US Civil War
A small team of social scientists at New York University-Abu Dhabi has conducted what they describe as a more accurate assessment of the number of soldiers killed in the U.S. Civil War. In their study published in the Proceedings of the National Acad.....»»
Chemists find alkyl groups are electron-withdrawing, challenging a century-old belief
Scientists are calling for changes to chemistry textbooks after discovering a fundamental aspect of structural organic chemistry has been incorrectly described for almost 100 years......»»
Modified ribosomes could be a possible mechanism of antibiotic resistance
Bacteria modify their ribosomes when exposed to widely used antibiotics, according to research published in Nature Communications. The subtle changes might be enough to alter the binding site of drug targets and constitute a possible new mechanism of.....»»
Parasite genome analysis provides a new approach to predicting malaria drug resistance
Researchers at University of California San Diego analyzed the genomes of hundreds of malaria parasites to determine which genetic variants are most likely to confer drug resistance......»»
A fossil first: Scientists find 1.5-million-year-old footprints of two different species of human ancestors at same spot
More than a million years ago, on a hot savanna teeming with wildlife near the shore of what would someday become Lake Turkana in Kenya, two completely different species of hominins may have passed each other as they scavenged for food......»»
Coral adaptation unlikely to keep pace with global warming, warn scientists
Coral adaptation to ocean warming and marine heat waves will likely be overwhelmed without rapid reductions of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to an international team of scientists......»»
Scientists reveal structural link for initiation of protein synthesis in bacteria
Within a cell, DNA carries the genetic code for building proteins. To build proteins, the cell makes a copy of DNA, called mRNA. Then, another molecule called a ribosome reads the mRNA, translating it into protein. But this step has been a visual mys.....»»
Researchers find a possible solution to the cosmic ray muon puzzle
Scientists have a problem with cosmic rays—they produce too many muons at the Earth's surface. Cascades of muons are byproducts of high-energy cosmic rays as they collide with nuclei in the upper atmosphere, and scientists see more muons at Earth's.....»»
Scientists reveal possible role of iron sulfides in creating life in terrestrial hot springs
An international team of scientists has published a study highlighting the potential role of iron sulfides in the formation of life in early Earth's terrestrial hot springs. According to the researchers, the sulfides may have catalyzed the reduction.....»»
Peru scientists unveil crocodile fossil up to 12 million years old
Paleontologists unveiled on Wednesday the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years that was discovered in a Peruvian desert......»»
Life found on Ryugu asteroid sample, but it’s not as exciting as it sounds
A recent discovery made by scientists working with a sample of rock from outer space highlights one of the huge challenges that such work involves......»»
What fossilized dino feces can tell us about their rise to dominance
Scientists studied trace fossils called bromalites to reconstruct critical food webs in late Triassic, early Jurassic. Paleontologists have long puzzled over how the dinosaurs—o.....»»
Scientists discover shared genetic foundations between musical rhythm and human language
In a study published Nov. 21 in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, researchers have uncovered significant genetic connections between human language abilities and musical rhythm skills, providing new insights into the biological underpinnings of the.....»»
Scientists synthesize unsymmetrical ureas using non-phosgene method
Unsymmetrical ureas can form multiple stable hydrogen bonds with proteins. Since drugs containing urea functional groups display unique biological activities when interacting with their targets, they play an important role in drug development and med.....»»
Dogs prefer texture over shape when identifying objects, research reveals
In a new study exploring how dogs recognize and generalize objects, researchers from Eötvös Lorand University (Budapest) discovered that dogs prioritize texture over shape when identifying objects. The paper is published in the journal Scientific R.....»»
Scientists use acoustic data to track blue and fin whale occurrences in the Arctic
The long-term analysis of blue whale and fin whale vocalizations in the eastern Fram Strait offers valuable insights into seasonal and annual patterns regarding these species' occurrence in the region. For example, blue whales can primarily be heard.....»»
Is there enough land on Earth to fight climate change and feed the world?
Capping global warming at 1.5°C is a tall order. Achieving that goal will not only require a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, but also a substantial reallocation of land to support that effort and sustain the bios.....»»
Shells, teeth and bones of "weird and wonderful organisms" provide historical environmental clues
An international study shows how chemical fingerprints left by "underappreciated" aquatic organisms could help scientists monitor global environmental change......»»
Marine heat waves" hidden depths revealed in study
As the ocean warms under climate change, a better understanding of how damaging marine heat waves develop and last may help scientists predict them more accurately and forecast their impacts on marine ecosystems......»»