When predicting the function of microbial communities, simpler may be better
As biologists learn more about how microbial communities work together, a major goal is understanding how their composition determines function. What combination of strains and species makes the best team for breaking down pollutants, for example, or.....»»
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......»»
Researchers are commercializing technology to turn waste into plastic-free, biodegradable packaging
Seafood is a major industry in New England. It generates a lot of revenue for coastal communities, but with that productivity can come a lot of waste......»»
Human urine could be used as eco-friendly crop fertilizer: Study
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers—making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study......»»
For smart glasses and other wearables, fashion is as important as function
Who wants to wear tech that looks ugly even if it is useful? I certainly don't......»»
iPhone 16 teardown shows new simpler replaceable battery system
The lineup include a few advancements in repairability. Perhaps, the most significant hardware change is a new type of battery adhesive, that allows for simpler and safer battery replacements once the frame of the phone has been taken off. iFixit.....»»
Culture Capital: A documentary series spotlighting community-oriented entrepreneurs
Comcast RISE In a world where business success is increasingly intertwined with social impact, a new documentary series explores the stories behind the innovators shaping the communities of tomorrow. Culture Capital, is a three-part docuseries that d.....»»
Citizen science collaboration yields precise data on exoplanet WASP-77 A b
A planet swings in front of its star, dimming the starlight we see. Events like these, called transits, provide us with bounties of information about exoplanets—planets around stars other than the sun. But predicting when these special events occur.....»»
Study shows organonitrates in atmospheric particles vary with altitude
While atmospheric particles directly affect climate (e.g., cloud formation), sampling atmospheric particles aloft is practically challenging. Therefore, a full understanding of how particle composition is linked to environmental function remains limi.....»»
Evolved in the lab, found in nature: Uncovering hidden pH sensing abilities in microbial cultures
In a study led by Sarah Worthan, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Behringer Lab at Vanderbilt University, scientists have successfully evolved microbial cultures that possess the ability to sense pH changes, enabling rapid responses to environ.....»»
iOS 18 brings much needed features to Journal app [Video]
Last year, Apple introduced its brand new Journal App alongside its iOS 17.2 update. It was a very basic app with one real function: inputting journal entries in chronological order. While customers welcomed the new free app, many pretty basic featur.....»»
Tropical cyclone intensity exacerbated by increasing depth of ocean mixed layer, finds study
Tropical cyclones can have severe consequences for both the marine and terrestrial environments, as well as the organisms and communities who inhabit them. In the oceans, there can be alterations in sea surface temperature that disrupt biological pro.....»»
Template synthesis creates multilayered perovskites with unique ferroelectric behavior
A group of Nagoya University researchers in Japan has synthesized 4- and 5-layered versions of the important electrical material perovskite. Analyzing the mechanism of ferroelectricity in the material, they found it has a unique function: the materia.....»»
Slow-moving landslides a growing, but ignored, threat to mountain communities
As urban centers in mountainous regions grow, more people are driven to build on steeper slopes prone to slow-moving landslides, a new study finds. Slow-moving landslides are frequently excluded from estimates of landslide risk, but they could threat.....»»
NASA completes spacecraft to transport, support Roman Space Telescope
The spacecraft bus that will deliver NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to its orbit and enable it to function once there is now complete after years of construction, installation, and testing......»»
Pinpointing the key size for rapid tropical cyclone intensification
Accurately predicting how rapidly tropical cyclones (TCs) will intensify is a significant challenge due to the complex processes involved. Limited observations show that smaller TCs tend to intensify faster, suggesting a simple linear relationship be.....»»
San Diego County air pollution officers to develop alert system for noxious sewage odors
The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District will be expanding its role in addressing the foul odors affecting communities near where sewage spills over the U.S.-Mexico border, following conflicting reports earlier this week about whether the.....»»
Trends and dangers in open-source software dependencies
A C-suite perspective on potential vulnerabilities within open-source dependencies or software packages reveals that, while remediation costs for dependency risks are perilously high, function-level reachability analysis still offers the best value i.....»»
Soil pH drives microbial community composition: Study shows how bacteria work together to thrive in difficult conditions
Though a founding concept of ecology suggests that the physical environment determines where organisms can survive, modern scientists have suspected there is more to the story of how microbial communities form in the soil......»»
Study shows microbial diversity differences in volcanic cones and craters
Volcanic activity alters the Earth's surface and promotes the development of new ecosystems, providing valuable models for studying soil formation processes such as microbial composition and vegetation succession. Increasing evidence suggests that so.....»»
How bacteria actively use passive physics to make biofilms
When we think about bacteria, we may imagine single cells swimming in solution. However, similarly to humans, bacterial cells often socialize, using surfaces to coalesce into complex heterogeneous communities called biofilms. Within a group, bacteria.....»»