Treating antibiotic-resistant infections with peptides inspired by human saliva
Antibiotic resistance is a problem that impacts tens of millions of people each year worldwide. According to the CDC, "more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a re.....»»
These 3D-printed pipes inspired by shark intestines outperform Tesla valves
Prototypes control fluid flow in a preferred direction with no need for moving parts. Enlarge / Shark intestines are naturally occurring Tesla valves; scientists have figured out how to mimic their unique structure. (credit: Sara.....»»
Scientists develop method to control timing of synthetic DNA droplet division
Many cellular functions in the human body are controlled by biological droplets called liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) droplets. These droplets, made of soft biological materials, exist inside living cells but are not enclosed by membranes like.....»»
Key negotiator Norway sees "positive signals" ahead of plastic talks
In the single week that world leaders convened for high-level UN talks in New York, nearly 100,000 water bottles' worth of microplastics swirled through the city's air, posing known and still unknown risks to human health......»»
Improving industrial scale lactoferrin production with synthetic biological systems
Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein of the transferrin family, is naturally expressed in human and cow milk. The name "LF" is derived from its ability to bind to iron (ferrin, a suffix indicating iron-binding protein)......»»
Tesla Full Self Driving requires human intervention every 13 miles
It gave pedestrians room but ran red lights and crossed into oncoming traffic. Enlarge / An independent automotive testing company has evaluated Tesla FSD, and it found some concerning results. (credit: PonyWang/Getty Images).....»»
Why do people breach their bail? Research shows it"s not because they"re committing more crimes
In Australia and most countries, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Because of this, keeping someone in detention before trial comes with serious legal, practical and human-rights consequences, not just for the person accused but also for thei.....»»
Murine study suggests cosmic radiation in outer space may affect long-term cognition
During missions into outer space, galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) will penetrate current spacecraft shielding and thus pose a significant risk to human health......»»
Can the "hard steps" in the evolutionary history of human intelligence be recast with geological thresholds?
What took so long for humans to appear on Earth? The Earth is 4.6 billion years old, and life began about 4 billion years ago, yet humans—the only intelligent, technological species we know of in the universe—have existed only for the last 200,0.....»»
Cryo-ET study provides viral close-up of HTLV-1, the "overlooked cousin of HIV"
In collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Cornell University, Martin Obr and Florian Schur from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) provide new details into the architecture of HTLV-1 (Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1.....»»
Morphology study paves the way for spider fang-inspired cutting tools
When we think of spiders, the first thing that comes to mind is their ability to weave intricate and robust webs. But their ability to cut their own silk—the toughest natural material—and strong or tough synthetic fibers such as carbon or Kevlar,.....»»
Naked mole-rat found to have lost infection-resistant proteins
Scientists have found that the naked mole-rat—an underground rodent that lives up to 40 years—has lost a number of CD1 functional genes. The CD1 gene family in mammals is responsible for protein synthesis that protects the body against infectious.....»»
Deadly flooding in Central Europe made twice as likely by climate change
Human-caused climate change doubled the likelihood and intensified the heavy rains that led to devastating flooding in Central Europe earlier this month, a new flash study found......»»
Bottled water has a huge and growing toll on human and planetary health, experts warn
The huge and growing toll bottled water is taking on human and planetary health warrants an urgent rethink of its use as 1 million bottles are bought every minute around the globe, with that figure set to rise further still amid escalating demand, wa.....»»
Study finds good nutrition boosts honey bee resilience against pesticides, viruses
In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tackled a thorny problem: How do nutritional stress, viral infections and exposure to pesticides together influence honey bee survival? By looking at all three stressors toget.....»»
Tropical and subtropical industrial fisheries account for about 70% of methylmercury fished from the ocean: Study
Industrial fishing practices are increasing human exposure to methylmercury, a neurotoxicant associated with developmental delays in children and impaired cardiovascular health in adults......»»
Better together: Gut microbiome communities found to have enhanced resilience to drugs
Many human medications can directly inhibit the growth and alter the function of the bacteria that constitute our gut microbiome. EMBL Heidelberg researchers have now discovered that this effect is reduced when bacteria form communities......»»
Graphene spike mat uses ordinary fridge magnet tech to fight antibiotic resistance
With strong bactericidal properties, graphene has the potential to become a game changer in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So far there have been no efficient ways to control these properties—and thus no way to make use of graphen.....»»
How cyber compliance helps minimize the risk of ransomware infections
Over the past decade, ransomware has been cemented as one of the top cybersecurity threats. In 2023 alone, the FBI received 2,385 ransomware complaints, resulting in over $34 million in losses. To help businesses combat ransomware and other threats,.....»»
Potential breakthrough in battle against antibiotic resistance from historic brine
A historic brine bath is the site of a potential breakthrough in the prevention of antibiotic resistance in relation to MRSA, and other hospital pathogens......»»
Traces of 10 common pharmaceuticals detected in corals in the Gulf of Eilat
A new study from Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History detected traces of 10 common medications in coral samples collected from both shallow and deep sites in the Gulf of Eilat. Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used for resp.....»»