Scientists explain the crucial role of motor proteins in cell division
Proper chromosome segregation into two future daughter cells requires the mitotic spindle to elongate in anaphase. However, although some candidate proteins are implicated in this process, the molecular mechanism that drives spindle elongation in hum.....»»
Researchers discover mechanism regulating bud dormancy release in tree peony
In perennial woody plants, bud endodormancy is crucial for survival under adverse environmental conditions in winter, such as low temperature (LT) and dehydration stress. To break bud dormancy is essential for the resumption of bud growth and floweri.....»»
Research show oysters could help clean up the reef through filtration
Scientists have found oysters could be very useful in gobbling up nutrient pollution from tropical waterways, including the Great Barrier Reef......»»
Unveiling the genetic blueprint of safflower
A research team has completed a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the Chuanhonghua 1 safflower genome. This work sheds light on the genetic underpinnings of crucial traits like linoleic acid (LA) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) production......»»
Artificial intelligence helps scientists engineer plants to fight climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has declared that removing carbon from the atmosphere is now essential to fighting climate change and limiting global temperature rise. To support these efforts, Salk Institute scientists are harne.....»»
Scientists map soil RNA to fungal genomes to understand forest ecosystems
If a tree falls in the forest—whether or not anyone registers the sound—one thing is for sure: there are lots of fungi around. Within a forest's soil, hundreds of species decompose debris, mobilize nutrients from that decay, and deliver those nut.....»»
Scientists tune the entanglement structure in an array of qubits
Entanglement is a form of correlation between quantum objects, such as particles at the atomic scale. The laws of classical physics cannot explain this uniquely quantum phenomenon, yet it is one of the properties that explain the macroscopic behavior.....»»
New method could cut waste from drug production
Scientists have developed a sustainable new way of making complex molecules, which could greatly reduce waste produced during drug manufacturing, a study suggests......»»
Laser technology offers breakthrough in detecting illegal ivory
A new way of quickly distinguishing between illegal elephant ivory and legal mammoth tusk ivory could prove critical to fighting the illegal ivory trade. A laser-based approach developed by scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Lancaster, cou.....»»
Diversity and productivity go branch-in-branch: Scientists share which forests can adapt to climate change
Climate change can be characterized as the Grim Reaper or some other harbinger of dire times for humanity and natural environment, including forests. Previous studies reporting a decline in forest productivity due to climate warming and long-term dro.....»»
Imaging technique shows new details of peptide structures
A new imaging technique developed by engineers at Washington University in St. Louis can give scientists a much closer look at fibril assemblies—stacks of peptides that include amyloid beta, most notably associated with Alzheimer's disease......»»
Leaf size and defensive traits found to modulate effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition
Leaf litter, as a multifunctional legacy of plants, plays an essential role in driving biogeochemical cycles, while providing important habitat and food resources for soil organisms. Litter traits and soil fauna play a crucial role in determining lit.....»»
Black hole "traffic jams" discovered in galactic centers by astronomers
An international study, led by researchers from Monash University, has revealed crucial insights into black hole dynamics within massive disks at the centers of galaxies......»»
Researchers unveil PI3K enzyme"s dual accelerator and brake mechanisms
A group of researchers have expanded conventional knowledge on a critical enzyme that controls cell migration. In a publication in the journal Nature Communications, they reported that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) not only acts as an accelerator.....»»
Unveiling the mysteries of cell division in embryos with timelapse photography
The beginning of life is shrouded in mystery. While the intricate dynamics of mitosis are well-studied in the so-called somatic cells—the cells that have a specialized function, like skin and muscle cells—they remain elusive in the first cells of.....»»
Scientists use ancient DNA, historical context to unravel kinship, social practices of Avar society
A multidisciplinary research team led by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology has combined ancient DNA data with a clear archaeological, anthropological and historical context to reconstruct the social dynamics of Avar.....»»
A key gene helps explain how the ability to glide has emerged over-and-over during marsupial evolution
People say "When pigs fly" to describe the impossible. But even if most mammals are landlubbers, the ability to glide or fly has evolved again and again during mammalian evolution, in species ranging from bats to flying squirrels. How did that come a.....»»
Scientists develop novel one-dimensional superconductor
In a significant development in the field of superconductivity, researchers at The University of Manchester have successfully achieved robust superconductivity in high magnetic fields using a newly created one-dimensional (1D) system. This breakthrou.....»»
Scientists develop novel liquid metal alloy system to synthesize diamond under moderate conditions
Did you know that 99% of synthetic diamonds are currently produced using high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) methods? A prevailing paradigm is that diamonds can only be grown using liquid metal catalysts in the "gigapascal pressure range" (typi.....»»
A chemical mystery solved—the reaction that explains large carbon sinks
A mystery that has puzzled the scientific community for more than 50 years has finally been solved. A team from Linköping University, Sweden, and Helmholtz Munich have discovered that a certain type of chemical reaction can explain why organic matte.....»»
Vast DNA tree of life for plants revealed by global science team using 1.8 billion letters of genetic code
A new paper published today (April 24) in the journal Nature by an international team of 279 scientists led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew presents the most up-to-date understanding of the flowering plant tree of life......»»