ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Unexpected findings detailed in new portrait of HIV

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 12:39 PM PST

Using powerful tools and techniques developed in the field of structural biology, researchers have discovered new details about the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV.

City trees and soil are sucking more carbon out of the atmosphere than previously thought

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 12:39 PM PST

Research uncovers new information about the role that forest edges play in buffering global impacts of climate change and urbanization.

Can a planet have a mind of its own? Thought experiment

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 12:38 PM PST

Astrophysicists combine current scientific understanding about the Earth with broader questions about how life alters a planet to ask: if a planet with life has a life of its own, can it also have a mind of its own? The research raises new ideas about the ways in which humans might tackle global issues such as climate change.

Dissolving oil in a sunlit sea

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 11:49 AM PST

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest marine oil spill in United States history. The disaster was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, taking 11 lives and releasing nearly 210 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Twelve years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, scientists are still working to understand where all this oil ended up, a concept known as environmental fate.

eDNA a useful tool for early detection of invasive green crab

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 11:04 AM PST

As the green crab invasion in Washington state worsens, a new analysis method could help contain future invasions and prevent new outbreaks using water testing and genetic analysis.

Orangutans instinctively use hammers to strike and sharp stones to cut, study finds

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 11:02 AM PST

Untrained, captive orangutans can complete two major steps in the sequence of stone tool use: striking rocks together and cutting using a sharp stone, according to a new study.

How plants evolved to colonize land over 500-million years ago

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 10:03 AM PST

Scientists analyzing one of the largest genomic datasets of plants have discovered how the first plants on Earth evolved the mechanisms used to control water and 'breathe' on land hundreds of millions of years ago. The study has important implications in understanding how plant water transport systems have evolved and how these might adapt in future in response to climate change.

New study illuminates how tiny flies solve complex navigational challenges

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 10:03 AM PST

The Gnat Ogre is a tiny predator that grabs other insects out of the air, catching them with extreme precision. New research reveals how and may have implications for future nature-inspired innovations.

SARS-CoV-2 protein targeted by immune cells also triggers response in bat coronaviruses, study shows

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 09:18 AM PST

A future vaccine providing protection against a wide range of coronaviruses that jump from their original animal hosts to humans -- including SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19 -- may be possible, say researchers.

Living in a microbial world: The healthy oral microbiome contributes to jaw bone health by influencing immune cell interactions with bone cells

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 09:18 AM PST

Researchers have shown that commensal microbes in the mouth, in contrast to commensal microbes colonizing other body surfaces, e.g., the gut or skin, modulate immune responses in the jaw bone that promote bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone loss. In a preclinical model, depleting healthy commensal microbes in the mouth, using an antiseptic oral rinse, was shown to protect against this bone loss.

How politics, society, and tech shape the path of climate change

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:23 AM PST

Public perceptions of climate change, the future cost and effectiveness of climate mitigation and technologies, and how political institutions respond to public pressure are all important determinants of the degree to which the climate will change over the 21st century, according to a new study.

Sudden evolutionary change

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:23 AM PST

Researchers have identified a case of a sudden evolutionary change. In a new study, the scientists describe a population of columbines that have lost their petals, including the characteristic nectar spurs. The finding adds weight to the idea that adaptation can occur in large jumps, rather than merely plodding along over extended timespans.

Looking back from the future: How does Germany become carbon neutral?

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

Researchers have developed a vision for Germany in 2050 that illustrates ways to achieve a carbon dioxide-neutral life and economy. In their study they look back from a fictitious future to the present day.

Microplastics increase the toxicity of organic pollutants in the environment by a factor of 10, study finds

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

A new study found that in a marine environment, microplastics absorb and concentrate toxic organic substances and thus increase their toxicity by a factor of 10, which may lead to a severe impact on human health.

Risk of soil degradation and desertification in Europe’s Mediterranean may be more serious than realized

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

Due to human-caused pressures and global warming, some soils in Europe's Mediterranean region are reaching what the researchers refer to as 'critical limits for their ability to provide ecosystem services,' which include farming and absorbing carbon, among others. Perhaps even more troubling, the problem could be even more extensive than we realize, says an author of a new study.

Researchers use solar cells to achieve fast underwater wireless communication

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

Researchers have shown that solar cells can be used to achieve underwater wireless optical communication with high data rates. The new approach -- which used an array of series-connected solar cells as detectors -- could offer a cost-effective, low-energy way to transmit data underwater.

Preclinical study finds gut fungi influence neuroimmunity and behavior

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

A specific group of fungi residing in the intestines can protect against intestinal injury and influence social behavior, according to new preclinical research. The findings extend a growing body of work identifying a 'gut-immunity-brain axis,' a signaling system that may have a wide range of effects on physiology in both health and disease, influenced not only by the body's own cells but also the resident microbes.

Hotter, drier nights mean more runaway fires

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 08:22 AM PST

A new study shows that an increase in hot, dry nights in recent decades has resulted in nighttime wildfires becoming more intense and more frequent. Researchers found there are 11 more flammable nights every year in the U.S. West compared to 1979 -- a 45% increase over the past four decades. Nighttime warming is only expected to increase with climate change, intensifying wildfires' size and speed, causing more firefighters to work around the clock.

Hidden diversity: When one wasp species is actually 16 wasp species

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

Some undiscovered species are hiding right under our noses. Ormyrus labotus, a tiny parasitoid wasp known to science since 1843, has long been considered a generalist with more than 65 host species. But a new study suggests wasps currently called Ormyrus labotus are actually at least 16 different species, identical in appearance but genetically distinct.

Breakthrough in converting carbon dioxide into fuel using solar energy

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

A research team has shown how solar power can convert carbon dioxide into fuel, by using advanced materials and ultra-fast laser spectroscopy. The breakthrough could be an important piece of the puzzle in reducing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in the future.

How wild honeybees survive the cold winter

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

In northern Spain, wild honeybees use hollow electricity poles as nesting cavities. Natural areas in the surroundings promote the colonies' chances to survive the winter.

Forensic anthropological analysis performed on Baroque-period marble sculpture

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 07:30 AM PST

How did Baroque period artists/sculputors go about their craft? For the first time, researchers have performed a forensic anthropological analysis of a marble skull carved by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The analysis of this re-discovered sculpture in Dresden, Germany, may help capture details of the working methods of great artists of the past, including details not recorded about their artistic approaches.

45,000 marine species are at-risk: What’s most vulnerable?

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST

A framework for identifying the most vulnerable marine species will boost global conservation and policy efforts against anthropogenic climate change.

Run (and Tumble) to Dinner

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST

Researchers calculated the optimal search strategy for organisms that employ run-and-tumble motion when looking for a food's odor. They determined that the chemotaxis demonstrated by E. coli closely resembles this system when accounting for the costs of control and the noise of the environment. This work may lead to new methods of designing chemical-seeking drones or nanobots.

Pharmaceutical residues in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have the feared effect

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST

Pharmaceutical residues and chemicals from personal care products in sewage sludge and cattle manure do not have a detectable toxic effect on nematodes living in agricultural fields, according to 14-year-long experiments. At the same time, manure and sewage sludge enhance soil quality more than conventional mineral fertilizers and can contribute to more sustainable, circular agriculture.

Butterfly eyespots reuse gene regulatory network that patterns antennae, legs and wings

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 06:58 AM PST

Eyespots, the circular markings of contrasting colors found on the wings of many butterfly species, are used by these fluttering creatures to intimidate or distract predators. A team of scientists conducted a research study to better understand the evolutionary origins of these eyespots, and they discovered that eyespots appear to have derived from the recruitment of a complex network of genes that was already operating in the body of the butterflies to build antennae, legs, and even wings.

Broccoli and kale microgreens pack a nutritional punch that varies with growing conditions

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 05:30 AM PST

Researchers now report that kale and broccoli microgreens grown in either windowsills or under commercial growing conditions are rich in phytonutrients, though the levels of some compounds varied considerably between the two environments.

DNA design brings predictability to polymer gels

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 05:30 AM PST

Simulations have led to the fabrication of a polymer-DNA gel that could be used in tissue regeneration and robotics.

A potentially longer-lasting cholera vaccine

Posted: 16 Feb 2022 05:29 AM PST

Researchers have developed a new type of cholera vaccine consisting of polysaccharides displayed on virus-like particles. The vaccine generated long-lasting antibody responses against V. cholerae in mice.

Why parents in their prime produce the best offspring

Posted: 15 Feb 2022 04:30 PM PST

Inspired by the tsetse fly, scientists have developed the first mathematical model to explain how an individual's age and experience affect investment in their offspring.

Ancestors of legionella bacteria infected cells two billion years ago

Posted: 15 Feb 2022 01:34 PM PST

Researchers have discovered that the ancestors of legionella bacteria infected eukaryotic cells as early as two billion years ago. It happened soon after eukaryotes began to feed on bacteria. These results are also relevant to the chicken-or-egg debate about whether mitochondria or phagocytosis came first.

Driving conservation efforts with DNA data

Posted: 15 Feb 2022 09:55 AM PST

An international team of conservation experts has revealed how ancient and historical DNA (a/hDNA), such as genetic data from specimens stored in natural history museums, can be used to assess population genetic patterns and processes that are relevant for endangered species.

Stem cell infusion boosts sepsis survival in mice

Posted: 15 Feb 2022 08:34 AM PST

A one-time infusion of stem cells from bone marrow improves the survival of mice with sepsis.

Scientists report breakthrough in transuranium actinide chemical bonding

Posted: 15 Feb 2022 06:25 AM PST

Scientists have managed to successfully make a transuranium complex where the central metal, here neptunium, forms a multiple bond to just one other element. Enabling study of such a bonding interaction in isolation for the first time is a key breakthrough for nuclear waste clean-up.