Nature inspires a new wave of biotechnology
Biological molecules called peptides play a key role in many biological activities, including the transport of oxygen and electrons. Peptides consist of short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. They are also the inspiration for n.....»»
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.....»»
Why did Louis de Broglie, Nobel laureate in physics, abandon his own pilot wave theory?
This week marks the centenary of the French physicist Louis de Broglie's doctoral thesis, which later earned him a Nobel prize for "his discovery of the wave nature of electrons." This discovery constitutes a central aspect of quantum mechanics, and.....»»
COP16 biodiversity talks to restart in February: UN
Crunch United Nations talks to find funding to curb the destruction of nature will resume in Rome in February, the UN said on Thursday, after negotiations this month in Colombia ended without a deal......»»
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.....»»
Researchers identify two fungal enzymes that hijack the immune system of plants to colonize roots
In nature, plant roots are always colonized by fungi. This interaction can be either mutualistic, benefiting both the plant and the fungus, or pathogenic, where the fungus harms the host plant. A research group led by Professor Dr. Alga Zuccaro at th.....»»
"A dose of nature": Each time you visit a national park, you save the health budget almost $100
Visiting a national park is good for our health and well-being. But the benefits are not shared equally across the community. Often the people who need it most are least able to access a high-quality dose of nature......»»
Unexplained heat-wave "hotspots" are popping up across the globe
Earth's hottest recorded year was 2023, at 2.12°F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. So far, the 10 hottest yearly average temperatures have occurred in the past decade. And, with the hottest summer and h.....»»
NASA satellite data reveal role of green spaces in cooling cities
As any urban dweller who has lived through a heat wave knows, a shady tree can make all the difference. But what happens when there's no shade available?.....»»
Edit, convert, and organize PDFs effortlessly: Grab UPDF’s amazing Black Friday discounts!
Reading PDFs has become second nature, but when it comes to editing, converting, or even organizing PDF documents, the process can be cumbersome. UPDF has changed that, offering an AI-powered PDF solution that makes these complex tasks easier for Mac.....»»
Scalable production of high-quality organoids: Innovative platform utilizes 3D engineered nanofiber membrane
A research team has successfully developed a platform capable of scalable, uniform production of organoids that mimic biological functions. Their research has recently been published in the journal Nature Communications......»»
Exploring life at its simplest: Scientists create a "minimal cell membrane" with just two lipids
Lipids, or fats, are essential to life. They form the membranes around cells, protecting them from the outside. In nature, there is an enormous diversity of lipids, with each organism having its own unique combination. But what are the minimum lipid.....»»
How physics moves from wild ideas to actual experiments
Science often accommodates audacious proposals. Neutrinos are some of nature’s most elusive particles. One hundred trillion fly through your body every second, but each one has.....»»
WEAVE spectrograph uncovers dual nature of galaxy shock
Using the set of first-light observations from the new William Herschel Telescope Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE) wide-field spectrograph, a team of more than 50 astronomers, led by Dr. Marina Arnaudova at the University of Hertfordshire, has.....»»
What delusions can tell us about the cognitive nature of belief
Delusions can sometimes turn into strongly held beliefs. Beliefs are convictions of reality that we accept as true. They provide us with the basic mental scaffolding to understan.....»»
First successful test of wild minke whales reveals they have ultrasonic hearing
A team of marine biologists from Norway, the U.S. and Denmark has conducted the first hearing test of a live baleen whale. For their study published in the journal Science, the group corralled a pair of wild minke whales and recorded their brain wave.....»»
Exploring new liquid organic hydrogen carrier materials for a safer, more transportable energy source
To reduce CO2 emissions, the energy transition from a carbon-based energy system to a more sustainable system based on hydrogen energy is urgently needed. However, the nature of hydrogen (such as low volumetric density, flammability, and embrittlemen.....»»
Next-generation, nature-inspired sunscreens have a new molecular scaffold
A team of researchers led by professors Wybren Jan Buma at the University of Amsterdam and Vasilios Stavros at the University of Warwick (U.K.) have laid the groundwork for using urocanic acid and its derivatives as a novel class of sunscreen filters.....»»
Companies won"t survive in a nature-depleted world—some business owners are taking action
After the conclusion of UN biodiversity conference Cop16, it was easy to feel disappointed. In Cali, Colombia, discussions fell short on how to monitor targets and progress remains slow. Despite agreements, Cop16 lacked urgency from governments and t.....»»
A nearby supernova could end the search for dark matter
The search for the universe's dark matter could end tomorrow—given a nearby supernova and a little luck. The nature of dark matter has eluded astronomers for 90 years, since the realization that 85% of the matter in the universe is not visible thro.....»»
AI tool can engineer "better, faster, stronger" proteins
Nature is adept at designing proteins. Scientists are even better. But artificial intelligence holds the promise of improving proteins many times over. Medical applications for such "designer proteins" range from creating more precise antibodies for.....»»