ScienceDaily: Top Environment News


Genetic legacy of last glaciation influences reindeer's seasonal migrations

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:42 PM PST

Caribou (known as reindeer in Europe) make one of the longest seasonal migrations of land animals, but an individual's propensity to migrate depends on its genetic ancestry, researchers report.

Biohybrid fish made from human cardiac cells swims like the heart beats

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:42 PM PST

Scientists have developed the first fully autonomous biohybrid fish from human stem-cell derived cardiac muscle cells. The artificial fish swims by recreating the muscle contractions of a pumping heart, bringing researchers one step closer to developing a more complex artificial muscular pump and providing a platform to study heart disease like arrhythmia.

Calorie restriction trial reveals key factors in extending human health

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:42 PM PST

Decades of research has shown that limits on calorie intake by flies, worms, and mice can enhance life span in laboratory conditions. But whether such calorie restriction can do the same for humans remains unclear. Now a new study confirms the health benefits of moderate calorie restrictions in humans -- and identifies a key protein that could be harnessed to extend health in humans.

Seawater seep may be speeding glacier melt, sea level rise

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 12:41 PM PST

A new study projects that warm seawater seeping under certain glaciers could eventually lead to future sea level rise that's double that of existing estimates.

How life came to Earth

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 09:58 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a new clue in the search for the origin of life by showing that peptides can form on dust under conditions such as those prevailing in outer space. These molecules, which are one of the basic building blocks of all life, may therefore not have originated on our planet at all, but possibly in cosmic molecular clouds.

Futuristic coating for hospital fabrics and activewear kills COVID virus and E. coli

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 08:41 AM PST

Researchers have developed an inexpensive, non-toxic coating for almost any fabric that decreases the infectivity of the virus that causes COVID-19 by up to 90 per cent. And in the future, you might be able to spray it on fabric yourself.

African Heritage Sites threatened by coastal flooding and erosion as sea-level rise accelerates

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 08:40 AM PST

Climate risk and heritage experts have provided the first comprehensive assessment of exposure of African cultural and natural Heritage Sites to extreme sea levels and erosion associated with accelerating sea level rise.

Fix, not fight: Scientists help plants regenerate after injury

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 08:32 AM PST

After injury, plants make a trade-off between repairing damaged tissue and ramping up their defenses, according to a new study. Understanding how plants regulate these responses enabled the researchers to nudge wounded plants toward repair instead of defense, a strategy that could be useful in improving regeneration in important staple crops like corn.

Neurobiological processes occurring during puberty that trigger sex differences in learning and memory

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:50 AM PST

New research reveals that sex differences in learning and memory mechanisms are triggered by biological events occurring during puberty. Findings show prepubescent female rodents have much better hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial learning than same-age males, but puberty has opposite consequences for synaptic plasticity in the two sexes.

Babies in bike trailers exposed to higher levels of pollutants than their parents

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:49 AM PST

Babies and children sitting in bicycle trailers breathe in more polluted air than the adults riding the bikes that pull them --- but trailer covers can help halve air pollution levels.

One out of three people exposed to potentially harmful pesticide

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:49 AM PST

One out of three people in a large survey showed signs of exposure to a pesticide called 2,4-D, according to a new study. This novel research found that human exposure to this chemical has been rising as agricultural use of the chemical has increased, a finding that raises worries about possible health implications.

New technique will improve the construction of ice roads and bridges

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:49 AM PST

A new study found that measuring the time it takes for a radar pulse to travel from a satellite to the sea surface and back again can reveal the thickness of river ice and dates when it is safe to travel on ice roads and bridges in Arctic regions.

How guard cell chloroplasts obtain energy

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:49 AM PST

Whether Guard Cells (GCs) carry out photosynthesis has been debated for decades. Earlier studies suggested that guard cell chloroplasts (GCCs) cannot fix CO2 but later studies argued otherwise. Until recently, it has remained controversial whether GCCs and/or GC photosynthesis play a direct role in stomatal movements. Researchers have now discovered GCs' genuine source of fuel and untangled the mystery.

Epigenetic effects of pollution persist for multiple generations in water fleas

Posted: 10 Feb 2022 05:49 AM PST

A new study has shown that the effects of pollutants can be transmitted over many generations in water fleas and may persist long enough to influence the evolutionary process. The research adds new evidence to the debate on whether environmental influences can cause heritable changes to an animal's biology.

Applying the butterfly principle

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:50 PM PST

Researchers have created artificial colors by 3D printing certain nanostructures inspired by those of a butterfly. This principle can be used in the future to produce color screens.

Steering conversion of CO2 and ethane to desired products

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

Chemists describe the key features of a catalyst that determine its selectivity for transforming CO2 and ethane (C2H6) into synthesis gas (useful for generating electricity or making liquid fuels) or, alternatively, ethylene (a building block for making paints, plastics, and other polymers). The findings could inform the rational design of catalysts to yield desired products.

Genetically engineered microbes with a kill switch

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

Scientists have taken a big step forward in their quest to design a modular, genetically engineered kill switch that integrates into any genetically engineered microbe, causing it to self-destruct under certain defined conditions.

85% of coral reef fish studied are overfished

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

A new study found concrete evidence that more than 85 percent of the grouper and snapper studied are overfished as a direct result of increasing human demand for seafood.

Common virus may cause serious disease in transplant patients

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

A common virus that causes no harm in most people may be a danger to organ transplant recipients and other immunocompromised people, researchers have found.

Rare earth elements await in waste

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

Scientists applied their flash Joule heating process to coal fly ash and other toxic waste to safely extract rare earth elements essential to modern electronics and green technologies.

Unlocking the mechanical secrets of giant Amazonian waterlilies

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 12:49 PM PST

Researchers studying giant Amazonian waterlilies have unraveled the engineering enigma behind the largest floating leaves in nature.

Harnessing sea pineapples and blood waste for metal-air-battery catalysts

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:21 AM PST

Sea pineapples are a delicacy in Japan and the Tohoku region is renowned for its extensive sea pineapple industry. Soon they might not only be fueling our appetites, but helping power our future too. A research group demonstrated that the carbonization of cellulose nanofibers within sea pineapple shells produces high-quality carbon that, when mixed with blood waste from the livestock industry, boasts electrical performances similar to that of rare metals.

Metabolism found to regulate production of killer cells

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:21 AM PST

Researchers have discovered that metabolic changes affect how blood cells are formed during embryonic development. They found a previously unknown metabolic switch with a key role in how different types of blood cells develop. This means blood cell formation can be directed towards producing natural killer cells in the laboratory to ultimately be used in a new anti-cancer treatment.

Bacteria’s hidden weapon: Toxins locked inside a capsule secured by a cork

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:21 AM PST

The microbiome is home to an estimated 100 trillion bacteria, existing as a dense colony of many different strains and species. Similar to all organisms, bacteria must also compete with one another for space and resources, engaging in "warfare" by releasing toxins to kill competitors. One of the many weapons bacteria use in this inevitable fight is the type VI secretion system (T6SS), which delivers toxic effectors into their enemies.

Eating prunes may help protect against bone loss in older women

Posted: 09 Feb 2022 08:21 AM PST

Researchers found that prunes can help prevent or delay bone loss in postmenopausal women, possibly due to their ability to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to bone loss.

Genomic effects of inbreeding on Scandinavian wolves

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 11:33 AM PST

Researchers have been exploring the genetic origins of the Scandinavian grey wolf population, which was founded by only three immigrating wolves. The scientists show that, after five generations of inbreeding, between 10 and 25 per cent of the original genetic variation has been eliminated.

Artificial intelligence and big data can help preserve wildlife

Posted: 08 Feb 2022 07:53 AM PST

A team of experts in artificial intelligence and animal ecology have put forth a new, cross-disciplinary approach intended to enhance research on wildlife species and make more effective use of the vast amounts of data now being collected thanks to new technology.