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| Citizen scientists from 200 years ago and today help shed light on climate change trends Posted: 06 Jul 2022 12:31 PM PDT Citizen science observations across two centuries reveal a dramatic, climate-driven shift to earlier leaf out and flowering, which varies across settings, species and functional groups. Plants in urban areas, insect pollinated trees, and early-season species show the greatest rate of advancement overall. This unprecedented comparison of historic-modern network observations illustrates how long-term monitoring and citizen science efforts are invaluable for ecological forecasting and discovery. |
| Using the power of the sun to roast green chile Posted: 06 Jul 2022 12:31 PM PDT Roasting green chile is an important cultural touchstone for New Mexico, but it leads to a seasonal emission of approximately 7,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide -- the equivalent of driving 1,700 cars for a year. Sandia National Laboratories engineer Kenneth Armijo, who grew up on a chile farm in Sabinal, located between Albuquerque and Socorro, New Mexico, thought there was a 'greener' way to roast green chile. The results of his experiments roasting chile with concentrated sunlight will be shared at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' conference on energy and sustainability next week. |
| Connecting the spots: First comprehensive review of national jaguar protection laws Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:33 AM PDT Conservationists have conducted the first comprehensive review of national laws across the range of the jaguar (Panthera onca) to show opportunities for strengthening legal protections of the largest cat species found in the Americas. |
| 'Supergene' wreaks havoc in a genome Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:33 AM PDT Biologists have used population genomics to shed light on the evolution and consequences of a selfish genetic element known as Segregation Distorter (SD). The researchers report that SD has caused dramatic changes in chromosome organization and genetic diversity. |
| Validating a new method for assessing the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic cleaning products Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:33 AM PDT Researchers have statistically validated a new method for assessing the antimicrobial efficacy of detergents and textile additives in domestic environments. The results reveal the validity of the new protocol, which has been presented to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) requesting it to become the European standard. |
| New method for studying functionality of microbiota Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:33 AM PDT A research group has developed a new method for studying the functionality of microbiota through metaproteomics. The new method poses broad potential for the study of microbiota on a new, functional level. The characterization of the functionality of gut microbiota is central in the study of human health and disease as well as disease prediction, prevention, and treatment. Previous studies have mainly focused on cataloguing the composition of microbiota, but little is known about the functionality of the human gut microbiota. |
| Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:33 AM PDT The bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is already used as bioinsecticide to protect crops against a wide range of insect pests. Researchers have recently demonstrated that P. luminescens can also protect plants against fungal infection. |
| Case solved: The biosynthesis of strychnine elucidated Posted: 06 Jul 2022 10:32 AM PDT A research team has disclosed the complete biosynthetic pathway for the formation of strychnine in the plant species Strychnos nux-vomica (poison nut). The researchers identified all genes involved in the biosynthesis of strychnine and other metabolites and expressed them in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. This enabled them to show that these extremely complex and pharmacologically important molecules can be synthesized using 'metabolic engineering' methods. |
| Study explores unusual interaction between viruses, live vaccines Posted: 06 Jul 2022 07:08 AM PDT A study of a herpes virus that infects chickens offers new insights into potentially problematic interactions between vaccines made from live viruses and the viruses they are meant to thwart. |
| How to find marker genes in cell clusters Posted: 06 Jul 2022 06:28 AM PDT A new method facilitates identification of cell-type specific genes in single-cell data. |
| Gecko feet are coated in an ultra-thin layer of lipids that help them stay sticky Posted: 06 Jul 2022 05:54 AM PDT Researchers view, for the first time, the protein and lipid molecules on the surface of the microscopic structures that give geckos their grip. The new images, created using a synchrotron microscope (powered by a particle accelerator), open the way to better biomimicry and provide a fascinating insight into biological evolution. |
| New imaging technique allows researchers to see gene expression in brains of live mice in real time Posted: 06 Jul 2022 05:53 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new technique for imaging mRNA molecules in the brains of living mice. The research reveals new insights into how memories are formed and stored in the brain and could allow scientists to learn more about diseases such as Alzheimer's in the future. |
| Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth Posted: 05 Jul 2022 04:41 PM PDT A robotic microswarm may one day automate the routine of rinsing, brushing, and flossing teeth. A multidisciplinary team developed the technology, which employs a magnetic field to direct the iron oxide nanoparticle-based microrobots into antimicrobial bristle- and floss-shaped arrays. |
| What is a pond? Study provides first data-driven definition Posted: 05 Jul 2022 04:41 PM PDT Nearly everyone can identify a pond, but what, exactly, distinguishes it from a lake or a wetland? A new study offers the first data-driven, functional definition of a pond and evidence of ponds' distinct ecological function, which could have broad implications for science and policy. |
| New research challenges long-held beliefs about limb regeneration Posted: 05 Jul 2022 04:41 PM PDT Researchers are challenging a centuries-old beliefs about how mammals might regenerate damaged parts of the body. In humans, the natural ability to regenerate is limited to tissues like the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, and some organs, such as the liver. Other species, most notably salamanders, have the ability to regenerate complex structures such as bones, joints, and even entire limbs. As a result, scientists have been studying these species for more than 200 years to try to understand the mechanisms behind limb regeneration in the hopes of someday translating those mechanisms to induce more extensive regeneration in humans. That research has led to a common belief that the single biggest key for limb regeneration is the presence of nerves. |
| Inhalable COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in rodent model Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:22 PM PDT Researchers have created an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine that is shelf stable at room temperature for up to three months, targets the lungs specifically and effectively, and allows for self-administration via an inhaler. |
| Odd fish has adapted to Canada's deepest, coldest lakes Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:22 PM PDT The deepwater sculpin is not an attractive fish by any conventional standard. You won't find it hanging on a plaque or landing a feature role in a Disney movie. What you might say about the bottom-dweller is that it's a survivor, having managed to eke out an existence at the bottom of Canada's deepest and coldest lakes since the last ice age. Researchers are now sequencing its entire genome to see how this seemingly unremarkable fish has been able to adapt to such extreme environments. |
| It takes three: The genetic mutations that made rice cultivation possible Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:22 PM PDT New research suggests that the historical emergence of cultivated rice from wild rice plants resulted from a combination of three gene mutations that make the seeds (i.e., the grains of rice) fall from the plant less easily. These results not only shed light on early history but will hopefully contribute towards the development of more efficient rice cultivars in the future. |
| Study points to Armenian origins of ancient crop with aviation biofuel potential Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:22 PM PDT Camelina, an oilseed plant grown in modern-day Ukraine, may have been a more important and widespread crop than previously thought. New findings could inform breeding programs to improve this crop for biofuels applications. |
| COVID-19 virus spike protein flexibility improved by human cell's own modifications Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:22 PM PDT Researchers created atomic-level models of the spike protein that plays a key role in COVID-19 infection and immunity, revealing how the protein bends and moves as it seeks to engage receptors. |
| A rhythmic small intestinal microbiome prevents obesity and type 2 diabetes Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:21 PM PDT Researchers found that in mice how much they ate and when altered the nature of their gut microbiome: too much food too frequently resulted in poorer microbial and metabolic health. |
| Daily avocados improve diet quality, help lower cholesterol levels, study finds Posted: 05 Jul 2022 01:21 PM PDT Eating one avocado a day for six months was found to have no effect on belly fat, liver fat or waist circumference in people with overweight or obesity, according to a new study. However, it did lead to a slight decrease in unhealthy cholesterol levels. |
| Bring back the wolves -- but not as heroes or villains Posted: 05 Jul 2022 09:39 AM PDT In a new finding that goes against current conservation paradigms, re-introducing wolves and other predators to our landscapes does not miraculously reduce deer populations, restore degraded ecosystems or significantly threaten livestock, according to a new study. |
| Robotic ammonites recreate ancient animals' movements Posted: 05 Jul 2022 09:39 AM PDT Robotic ammonites, evaluated in a university pool, allow researchers to explore questions about how shell shapes affected swimming ability. They found trade-offs between stability in the water and maneuverability, suggesting that the evolution of ammonite shells explored different designs for different advantages, rather than converged toward a single best design. |
| Scientists discover cancer trigger that could spur targeted drug therapies Posted: 05 Jul 2022 09:39 AM PDT Researchers definitively linked the function of a specific domain of proteins important in plant-microbe biology to a cancer trigger in humans, knowledge that had eluded scientists for decades. |
| Posted: 05 Jul 2022 08:22 AM PDT A study has identified a molecule -- the purine inosine -- that boosts fat burning in brown adipocytes. The mechanism was discovered in mice, but probably exists in humans as well: If a transporter for inosine is less active, the mice remain significantly leaner despite a high-fat diet. |
| Study reveals why highly infectious cholera variant mysteriously died out Posted: 05 Jul 2022 07:38 AM PDT Scientists say continuous monitoring of the cholera bug genome is key to preventing outbreaks of new variants. |
| Posted: 05 Jul 2022 07:38 AM PDT Projected changes in wintertime precipitation make agriculture in the Iberian region some of the most vulnerable in Europe, according to a new study that links the changes to increased anthropogenic greenhouse gases. |
| Eavesdropping on whales in the high Arctic Posted: 05 Jul 2022 06:07 AM PDT Earth's oceans are crisscrossed with roughly 1.2 million km of fiber optic telecommunication cables. Researchers have now succeeded in using a fiber in a submarine cable as a passive listening system, enabling them to listen to and monitor whales. |
| Coevolution of mammals and their lice Posted: 04 Jul 2022 03:09 PM PDT According to a new study, the first louse to take up residence on a mammalian host likely started out as a parasite of birds. That host-jumping event tens of millions of years ago began the long association between mammals and lice, setting the stage for their coevolution and offering more opportunities for the lice to spread to other mammals. |
| Genetic atlas for zebrafish 'breakthrough' for biomedical research Posted: 04 Jul 2022 03:09 PM PDT Medical and life science researchers will benefit from the most comprehensive atlas yet of genetic data on zebrafish, newly published research suggests. |
| Connectivity of language areas unique in the human brain Posted: 04 Jul 2022 03:09 PM PDT Neuroscientists have gained new insight into how our brain evolved into a language-ready brain. Compared to chimpanzee brains, the pattern of connections of language areas in our brain has expanded more than previously thought. |
| Researchers develop rapid COVID-19 test to identify variants in hours Posted: 04 Jul 2022 06:42 AM PDT In just a few hours, scientists can tell which variant has infected a COVID-19 patient -- a critical task that can potentially influence treatment decisions but takes days or weeks at most medical centers. |
| Researchers use AI to detect new family of genes in gut bacteria Posted: 04 Jul 2022 06:42 AM PDT Using artificial intelligence, researchers have discovered a new family of sensing genes in enteric bacteria that are linked by structure and probably function, but not genetic sequence. The findings offer a new way of identifying the role of genes in unrelated species and could lead to new ways to fight intestinal bacterial infections. |
| Male dogs four times more likely to develop contagious cancer on nose or mouth than females Posted: 04 Jul 2022 06:42 AM PDT Sniffing or licking other dogs' genitalia -- the common site of Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumour -- can spread this unusual cancer to the nose and mouth. |
| Birds warned of food shortages by neighbor birds change physiology and behavior to prepare Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:27 AM PDT Songbirds learning from nearby birds that food supplies might be growing short respond by changing their physiology as well as their behavior, research shows. |
| New antibody detection method for coronavirus that does not require a blood sample Posted: 01 Jul 2022 07:27 AM PDT Researchers have developed a rapid and effective antibody detection method for SARS-CoV-2 that is minimally invasive and applicable in resource-limited settings. Their methodology, which uses a patch sensor containing porous microneedles and a paper-based immunoassay, could have far-reaching implications for the blood-free detection of COVID-19 and many other infectious diseases. |
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