Sponges, not just their microbes, make biologically potent compounds
Soft and immobile, sea sponges may appear inert, but these simple animals are rich with chemistry. From them, scientists have uncovered plenty of biologically active compounds, some of which have gone on to become medications. All of these small mole.....»»
Found dead in the snow: How microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions
What happens to a dead body in an extremely cold environment? Does it decompose? How do these conditions affect how forensic scientists understand when the person died?.....»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
The 15 top methane-emitting nations lack policies to rein them in
While the United States and China have taken important steps to reduce their methane emissions, other significant producers of the potent greenhouse gas rarely have concrete national plans to mitigate it, according to a new University of Maryland ana.....»»
Scientists uncover hidden source of snow melt: Dark brown carbon
Wildfires leave potent climate heaters behind in their wake, particles that enhance the absorption of sunlight and warm the atmosphere. Dropped on snow like a wool poncho, these aerosols darken and decrease the surface reflectance of snowy places......»»
Promising antibiotic candidates discovered in microbes deep in the Arctic Sea
Antibiotics are the linchpin of modern medicine: without them, anyone with open wounds or needing to undergo surgery would be at constant risk of dangerous infections. Yet we continue to face a global antibiotics crisis, as more and more resistant st.....»»
Chemists achieve PFAS-free synthesis of fluorinated pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds
Chemists at the University of Amsterdam have developed a method to furnish a range of molecules with a trifluoromethyl group attached to a sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen atom. Their procedure, which is published in Science, avoids the use of PFAS reagent.....»»
What"s in the foods we eat? Researchers develop a food microbiome database
Microbes are part of the food we eat and can influence our own microbiome, but we know very little about the microbes in our foods. Now, researchers have developed a database of the "food microbiome" by sequencing the metagenomes of 2,533 different f.....»»
Compounds from nucleic acids in food show anticancer effects
When people eat, they ingest the nucleic acids that reside in all living things. The compounds in these acids could inhibit the growth of cancer cells, according to findings published in PLOS ONE by Osaka Metropolitan University Associate Professor A.....»»
I didn’t expect the Core i5-14600K to beat the Ryzen 5 9600X
The Ryzen 5 9600X is AMD's latest and great mainstream CPU, but Intel's Core i5-14600K provides potent competition......»»
Study reveals bioactive power of a natural spearmint compound against weeds
A recent study reveals the natural compound (-)-carvone in spearmint as a potent and sustainable alternative to chemical herbicides. This research demonstrates how (-)-carvone targets and degrades microtubules in weeds, inducing cell death and inhibi.....»»
Researchers investigate cell-free DNA as early sepsis marker in foals
It's hard to be a horse. It's especially hard to be a newborn foal, dropped into a world of microbes and bacteria with your sole initial defense against devastating infections being the antibodies you get from your mother's milk, or colostrum. Resear.....»»
Hybrid imaging approach reveals microbes in 3D
Caltech researchers have developed a new method to create three-dimensional images of complex communities of bacteria and plant roots. The technology synthesizes two traditional methods of imaging: visualizing microbes with fluorescence and a noninva.....»»
From recycling to food: Can we eat plastic-munching microbes?
Researchers are trying to turn plastic-eating bacteria into food source for humans. Enlarge (credit: Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images) In 2019, an agency within the US Department of Defense released a call for resear.....»»
Ancient microbes linked to evolution of human immune proteins
When you become infected with a virus, some of the first weapons your body deploys to fight it are those passed down to us from our microbial ancestors billions of years ago. According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, two key e.....»»
Bacteria make thermally stable plastics similar to polystyrene and PET for the first time
Bioengineers around the world have been working to create plastic-producing microbes that could replace the petroleum-based plastics industry. Now, researchers from Korea have overcome a major hurdle: getting bacteria to produce polymers that contain.....»»
Study shows effective regulation and monitoring is key to tackling emissions of a super-greenhouse gas
New research has revealed factories globally are not properly destroying one of the most potent greenhouse gases emitted from the production of fluoropolymers like Teflon, and refrigerants......»»
Study finds "DNA scavengers" can stop some antibiotic resistance from spreading
For nearly a century, scientists have waged war on antibiotic-resistant microbes. Michigan State University researchers say they've found a new way to prevent it—by unleashing "DNA scavengers" in wastewater treatment plants......»»
Sponges" symbiosis with bacteria helps them store toxic molybdenum to keep predators away, study shows
A new study at Tel Aviv University found that sponges in the Gulf of Eilat have developed an original way to keep predators away. The researchers found that the sponges contain an unprecedented concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum (Mo.....»»
AI accelerates discovery of next-gen polymers
Nylon, Teflon, Kevlar. These are just a few familiar polymers—large-molecule chemical compounds—that have changed the world. From Teflon-coated frying pans to 3D printing, polymers are vital to creating the systems that make the world function be.....»»
New software tool aims to reduce reliance on animal testing
In recent years, machine learning models have become increasingly popular for risk assessment of chemical compounds. However, they are often considered "black boxes" due to their lack of transparency, leading to skepticism among toxicologists and reg.....»»