Natural clean-up: Bacteria can remove plastic pollution from lakes
A study of 29 European lakes has found that some naturally-occurring lake bacteria grow faster and more efficiently on the remains of plastic bags than on natural matter like leaves and twigs......»»
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.....»»
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.....»»
Research team develops metallodrug-antibiotic combination strategy to combat superbugs
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacterial infections have become a serious problem threatening human health worldwide. The overuse of antibiotics has promoted drug-resistant mutations in bacteria, causing almost all clinically used antibiotics to deve.....»»
US finalizes rule to remove lead pipes within a decade
President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday finalized a rule mandating the removal of the nation's remaining lead pipes within a decade, a move aimed at preventing millions of people from being exposed to the toxic metal linked with childhood dev.....»»
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......»»
Meet the microbes that transform toxic carbon monoxide into valuable biofuel
Microbes are hungry, all the time. They live everywhere, in enormous numbers. We might not see them with the naked eye, but they are in soils, lakes, oceans, hydrothermal vents, our homes, and even in and on our own bodies. And they don't just hang o.....»»
Air pollution inside Philadelphia"s subway is much worse than on the streets, study finds
The air quality in the City Hall subway station in downtown Philadelphia is much worse than on the sidewalks directly above the station. That is a key finding of our new study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology......»»
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.....»»
Phage cocktail shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria
Researchers have a new battle tactic to fight drug-resistant bacterial infections. Their strategy involves using collections of bacteriophages, viruses that naturally attack bacteria. In a new study, researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker.....»»
A new tool for faster, more in-depth analysis of nuclear properties and mass data
A significant advancement in nuclear-data analysis has been achieved, which is relevant for several key areas, ranging from particle and nuclear physics to clean energy and health care. Researchers have developed a new tool to process nuclear data in.....»»
Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products
Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous microplastics. Their study has identified a secure way to attach chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The work is publishe.....»»
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.....»»
New species of clearwing moth from Guyana discovered in Wales
A new species of moth has been described far away from home following a cross-continent detective journey that included Natural History Museum scientists from separate fields, a budding young ecologist with a knack for community science, a globe-trot.....»»