These freeze-drying algae can awaken from cryostasis, and could help spaceflights go farther
Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys contain some of Earth's coldest and driest deserts. The environment there is so extreme that the Dry Valleys have been used as Mars analogs to test prototype equipment for future Mars exploration......»»
Study highlights the potential of cyanobacteria as biofertilizers
One ecosystem's trash could be another ecosystem's treasure, according to scientists studying cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae......»»
A microalgae–material hybrid promotes carbon neutrality
Microalgae, including cyanobacteria and green algae, represent the most important biological systems for producing biomass and high-value products. It is estimated that microalgae can fix about 90 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, which accoun.....»»
Water persisted in Mars" Gale crater for longer than previously thought, study finds
Billions of years ago, Mars was home to abundant water, and its Gale crater contained a lake. Gradually, the climate changed, drying the red planet and creating the dusty desert world we know today......»»
Decoding the shared genetic toolkit for male sex determination
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have broken new ground by demonstrating that an HMG-box gene in brown algae is crucial for determining male sex. This breakthrough significantly expands our understanding of sex-determin.....»»
Team reports on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in the western Qinghai Lake basin
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been widely detected in water, sediment, gut and even the phycosphere of algae. In strong anthropogenic activity areas, antibiotic resistance caused by ARGs can pose a significant threat to human health. Despit.....»»
Researchers use an edible blue-green algae to protect honey bees against viruses
Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed an edible antiviral treatment that can be used to protect honey bees against deformed wing virus (DWV) and other viruses, according.....»»
Solar-Powered Farming Is Quickly Depleting the World"s Groundwater Supply
Farmers in hot, arid regions are turning to low-cost solar pumps to irrigate their fields, eliminating the need for expensive fossil fuels and boosting crop production. But by allowing them to pump throughout the day, the new technology is drying up.....»»
Fewer fish and more algae? Scientists seek to understand impacts of historic lack of Great Lakes ice
Michigan Tech University biologists have been observing a remote Lake Superior island's fragile wolf population every winter since 1958, but they had to cut this season's planned seven-week survey short after just two weeks......»»
Microalgae with unusual cell biology could lead to improved understanding of harmful algal blooms
What are the molecular processes in a unicellular marine algae species that can cause harmful algal blooms? A research team led by microbiologist Prof. Dr. Ralf Rabus from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) has conducted the first detailed analyse.....»»
A consortium of algae and bacteria boosts the production of green hydrogen and biomass while cleaning water
The mutual relationship between algae and three bacteria studied by a team at the University of Cordoba presents the highest hydrogen production obtained so far by this type of consortium.....»»
Scientists create new idea on how to hack a warming planet: drying the upper atmosphere
Government scientists have cooked up a new concept for how to potentially cool an overheating Earth: Fiddle with the upper atmosphere to make it a bit drier......»»
Drying without dying: Tracing water scarcity coping mechanisms from mosses to flowering plants
Imagine you find the dried-up remains of a once green and lush philodendron on your bookshelf and realize you can't remember the last time you watered your houseplants. You soak the soil with water, hoping you can breathe life back into its desiccate.....»»
Shimmering seaweeds and algae antennae: Sustainable energy solutions under the sea
How could tiny antennae attached to tiny algae speed up the transition away from fossil fuels? This is one of the questions being studied by Cambridge researchers as they search for new ways to decarbonize our energy supply, and improve the sustainab.....»»
New research reveals mechanisms of stiffening in paper pulp, could lead to improved recyclability
One of the problems with paper recycling is that the fibers stiffen during the dewatering and drying processes, also known as hornification. The same thing happens to dishcloths, for example; they stiffen over time. New research can now explain the m.....»»
Ocean system that moves heat gets closer to collapse, which could cause weather chaos, study says
An abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents that could put large parts of Europe in a deep freeze is looking a bit more likely and closer than before as a new complex computer simulation finds a "cliff-like" tipping point looming in the future......»»
A new study makes the case for asteroid strikes setting in motion global glaciation in the distant past
A research team has picked a side in the "Snowball Earth" debate over the possible cause of planet-wide deep freeze events that occurred in the distant past. According to their new study, these so-called "Snowball" Earth periods, in which the planet'.....»»
Vitamin B12 adaptability in Antarctic algae has implications for climate change, life in the Southern Ocean
Vitamin B12 deficiency in people can cause a slew of health problems and even become fatal. Until now, the same deficiencies were thought to impact certain types of algae, as well. A new study has examined the algae Phaeocystis antarctica's (P. antar.....»»
Understanding nutrient cycling between algae and bacteria could lead to increased biofuel production
The interactions between algae and bacteria are essential to the primary productivity of Earth's oceans and surface waters. Bacteria can increase the productivity of algae by producing key factors, such as vitamins, iron-chelating molecules, and grow.....»»
Altered light-harvesting complex in a cyanobacterium allows low-energy light use
Researchers have isolated and determined the molecular structure of the light-harvesting antenna that helps some cyanobacteria—formerly referred to as blue-green algae—produce energy through photosynthesis even in lower-energy light......»»
Bloom-forming cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates in five Argentinian reservoirs: A multi-year sampling
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), characterized by the proliferation of detrimental algae and cyanobacteria, occur worldwide. HABs include any event causing adverse effects on human health, socioeconomic interests, or aquatic systems. The consequences of.....»»