Using microbes to get more out of mining waste
Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create.....»»
Soil fungi may help explain the global gradient in forest diversity
A paper published in Nature Communications Biology contributes to the growing appreciation for the outsize role that microbes play in everything from human digestion to crop yields: Microbes in the soil—fungi in this case—appear to be influencing.....»»
WWII-era munitions found under water in survey of Southern California industrial waste dump site
Underwater dump sites off the Los Angeles coast contain World War II-era munitions including anti-submarine weapons and smoke devices, marine researchers announced Friday......»»
Add-on system in Mars water mining operations will screen for introduced and alien life
As noted at NASA's 2019 Carlsbad Conference, we have good reason to think that life could have started on Mars using the same geo-organic chemistry that started life on Earth. If Martian life persists today on Mars, it may be in near-surface ice, low.....»»
Research aims to convert greenhouse gas into valuable products with electricity
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing ways to convert waste into fuels and other products, using processes that are energy efficient and powered by renewable sources......»»
New roles for autophagy genes in cellular waste management and aging
Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. In the January 4th issue of Nature Aging, it was noted that scientists from the Buck Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and Rutgers University have unco.....»»
Fears in Wales over legacy of its coalmining past
It was nearly four years ago but the memory of the landslip that sent 60,000 tons of old mining debris sliding down a Welsh hillside still haunts former miner Jeff Coombes......»»
How archaeologists reconstructed the burning of Jerusalem in 586 BCE
Hebrew bible is only surviving account of siege that laid waste to Solomon's Temple. Enlarge (credit: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority) There's rarely time to write about every cool science-y story that comes.....»»
Scientists chart diversity, function and activity of global supraglacial DNA viruses
Supraglacial environments mainly consist of four main types of habitats for microbes and viruses, including snow, ice, meltwater and cryoconites (the granular sediment on glacier surfaces). A new paper published in Science Bulletin reveals that there.....»»
NREL research quantifies losses from cardboard, paper waste
Piles of cardboard and paper littering America's landfills represent $4 billion in lost economic value, according to a new analysis by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)......»»
AI predicts the influence of microplastics on soil properties
Plastic waste and its buildup in nature has become a major environmental concern in recent times. While plastic pollution in the oceans is undoubtedly a problem, the presence of plastics in soils around the world is also known to cause severe environ.....»»
Reusing plastic waste to kickstart radical chain reactions, improving process safety and efficiency
Single-use plastics are a major environmental concern, but now, rather than being disposed of as garbage, used plastic bags from the grocery store could be utilized to carry out a reaction that can detoxify hazardous chemicals......»»
Vape deals are everywhere this Christmas—here"s how to deal with the horrific waste problem
Vape deals are all over the place in the run-up to Christmas. Vape kits, e-liquids and accessories are being widely promoted as stocking fillers, frequently with upwards of 50% off......»»
Scientists engineer bacteria to make two valuable products from plant fiber
We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste and even clean up pollution. Yeast and bacteria can also convert plant sugars into biofuels and chemical.....»»
Using "waste" product from recent NASA research, scientists create transformative nanomaterials
Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered the transformative potential of Martian nanomaterials, potentially opening the door to sustainable habitation on the red planet......»»
Shipwrecks teem with underwater life, from microbes to sharks
Humans have sailed the world's oceans for thousands of years, but they haven't all reached port. Researchers estimate that there are some three million shipwrecks worldwide, resting in shallow rivers and bays, coastal waters and the deep ocean. Many.....»»
Scientists provide recipe to halve pollution from food production
A major report for the United Nations has put forward solutions to halve nitrogen pollution from agriculture and the food system in Europe, including reducing meat and dairy consumption, fertilizer use and food waste......»»
Genetics of host plants determine what microorganisms they attract, finds study
Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic variation in the host pla.....»»
Avoiding food waste over the holidays to save money and the planet
Roni Neff, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, leads the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future's Food Systems and Climate Change team and.....»»
New salmon habitat created by melting glaciers could be threatened by mining claims, study finds
Thousands of salmon on the West Coast of North America are finding their way into new streams left behind as glaciers retreat. But a new study suggests mining companies are too keen on the newly exposed mineral deposits beneath the shrinking glaciers.....»»
Researchers review miniaturized electrochemical sensor technologies for rapid heavy metal detection
Heavy metals (HMs) are metals with high densities and atomic weights. Originating from geological processes or human activities, including mining, industrial production, and petrochemical plants, they are toxic to humans and animals and considered as.....»»