Biology: Biochemistry Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

First conclusive evidence that a terrestrial leech species can jump      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study presents video evidence that at least one species of terrestrial leech can jump, behavior that scientists have debated for more than a century.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Mirror-image chemicals may revolutionize drug delivery      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More than 130 years after cyclodextrins were first discovered and reported, a team of scientists has created chemical mirror images of these complex carbohydrates in the laboratory. This discovery may revolutionize how medications are delivered to patients.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Fishy parenting? Punishing offspring encourages cooperation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists discovered that Neolamprologus savoryi fish use punishment to encourage offspring to cooperate in brood care, revealing advanced cognitive abilities previously thought unique to higher vertebrates. This study highlights that punishment for promoting cooperation exists beyond human societies, prompting a reevaluation of animal intelligence.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Where to put head and tail?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Formation of the body axes is a critical part of embryonic development. They guarantee that all body parts end up where they belong and that no ears grow on our backs. The head-tail axis, for example, determines the orientation of the two ends of the body. It was previously assumed that this axis is largely determined by the interplay between the Nodal and BMP signals. However, there appears to be another player in this system, as researchers have now discovered by using an embryo-like model system they developed. In the absence of BMP, the signalling molecule beta-catenin takes on the role of the Nodal antagonist. This new mechanism could be a flexible solution for axis formation in embryos with different shapes.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Energy: Alternative Fuels Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

New material puts eco-friendly methanol conversion within reach      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed innovative, eco-friendly quantum materials that can drive the transformation of methanol into ethylene glycol. This discovery opens up new possibilities for using eco-friendly materials in photocatalysis, paving the way for sustainable chemical production.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Mathematics: Modeling Physics: Optics
Published

Custom-made molecules designed to be invisible while absorbing near-infrared light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used theoretical calculations assessing electron orbital symmetry to synthesize new molecule designed to be both transparent and colorless while absorbing near-infrared light. This compound demonstrates the first systematic approach to producing such materials and have applications in advanced electronics. This compound also shows semiconducting properties.

Biology: Cell Biology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Wear it, then recycle: Designers make dissolvable textiles from gelatin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers hope their DIY machine will help designers around the world experiment with making their own, sustainable fashion and other textiles from a range of natural ingredients -- maybe even the chitin in crab shells or agar-agar from algae.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Golden ball mills as green catalysts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A gold-coated milling vessel for ball mills proved to be a real marvel: without any solvents or environmentally harmful chemicals, the team was able to use it to convert alcohols into aldehydes. The catalytic reaction takes place at the gold surface and is mechanically driven. The vessel can be reused multiple times. 'This opens up new prospects for the use of gold in catalysis and shows how traditional materials can contribute to solving modern environmental problems in an innovative way,' says Borchardt.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: General
Published

Molecular sponge for the electronics of the future      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international research team has succeeded in developing a new type of material in the rather young research field of covalent organic frameworks. The new two-dimensional polymer is characterized by the fact that its properties can be controlled in a targeted and reversible manner. This has brought the researchers a step closer to the goal of realizing switchable quantum states.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Ancient polar sea reptile fossil is oldest ever found in Southern Hemisphere      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of scientists has identified the oldest fossil of a sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere -- a nothosaur vertebra found on New Zealand's South Island. 246 million years ago, at the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs, New Zealand was located on the southern polar coast of a vast super-ocean called Panthalassa. 'The nothosaur found in New Zealand is over 40 million years older than the previously oldest known sauropterygian fossils from the Southern Hemisphere.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Reduction of esters by a novel photocatalyst      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A ubiquitous compound, called ester can be broken down to produce desirable alcohols and other chemicals for use across industries including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but the process can be costly, both financially and in terms of the environment. Researchers developed a novel photocatalyst 'N-BAP.' When irradiated with blue light, the photocatalyst reduces esters in the presence of oxalate, a negatively charged molecule found widely in nature, resulting in the desired alcohols.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Nanotechnology Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Self-assembling and disassembling swarm molecular robots via DNA molecular controller      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have succeeded in developing a DNA-based molecular controller. Crucially, this controller enables the autonomous assembly and disassembly of molecular robots, as opposed to manually directing it.

Biology: General Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Sharks have depleted functional diversity compared to the last 66 million years      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research has found that sharks retained high levels of functional diversity for most of the last 66 million years, before steadily declining over the last 10 million years to its lowest value in the present day.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Sweaty cattle may boost food security in a warming world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate change is making it more difficult to raise cattle -- growth and reproduction are affected by heat -- so it's critical to breed cattle better adapted to a hotter and longer summer. A new study shows it's possible to identify the genes within breeds of cattle that would lead to the sweatiest, heat-tolerant offspring.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Scientists preserve DNA in an amber-like polymer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

With their 'T-REX' method, researchers developed a glassy, amber-like polymer that can be used for long-term storage of DNA, such as entire human genomes or digital files such as photos.

Biology: Zoology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Eating small fish whole can prolong life expectancy, a Japanese study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has found evidence linking the intake of whole-sized small fish with a reduced risk of all-cause and cancer mortality in Japanese women.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Soaring birds use their lungs to modify mechanics of flight      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An air-filled sac within the birds' lungs is believed to increase the force the birds use to power flight muscles while soaring.