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Categories: Geoscience: Geochemistry, Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published 'Devastating' fungal infections wiping out crops and threatening global food security, experts warn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Worldwide, growers lose between 10 and 23 per cent of their crops to fungal infection each year, despite widespread use of antifungals. An additional 10-20 per cent is lost post harvest. In a commentary in Nature, academics predict those figures will worsen as global warming means fungal infections are steadily moving polewards, meaning more countries are likely to see a higher prevalence of fungal infections damaging harvests.
Published Researchers capture elusive missing step in the final act of photosynthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Photosynthesis plays a crucial role in shaping and sustaining life on Earth, yet many aspects of the process remain a mystery. One such mystery is how Photosystem II, a protein complex in plants, algae and cyanobacteria, harvests energy from sunlight and uses it to split water, producing the oxygen we breathe. Now researchers have succeeded in cracking a key secret of Photosystem II.
Published World tour for model boat inspiring citizen science against environmental pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A model sailing boat which represents a key part of a project working to banish single use plastics has embarked on a global tour that will help its message reach thousands more people and communities across the planet.
Published Wearable ultrasound patch provide non-invasive deep tissue monitoring
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers have developed a stretchable ultrasonic array capable of serial, non-invasive, three-dimensional imaging of tissues as deep as four centimeters below the surface of human skin, at a spatial resolution of 0.5 millimeters. This new method provides a non-invasive, longer-term alternative to current methods, with improved penetration depth.
Published A stormy, active sun may have kickstarted life on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first building blocks of life on Earth may have formed thanks to eruptions from our Sun, a new study finds. A series of chemical experiments show how solar particles, colliding with gases in Earth's early atmosphere, can form amino acids and carboxylic acids, the basic building blocks of proteins and organic life.
Published Researchers discover that the ice cap is teeming with microorganisms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Greenlandic ice is teeming with life, both on the surface and underneath. There are microscopic organisms that until recently science had no idea existed. There is even evidence to suggest that the tiny creatures color the ice and make it melt faster.
Published Sensor enables high-fidelity input from everyday objects, human body
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Couches, tables, sleeves and more can turn into a high-fidelity input device for computers using a new sensing system.
Published Machine learning helps scientists identify the environmental preferences of microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A machine-learning approach can give scientists insight into the environmental preferences of microbes, based only on their genes. The approach has practical research implications: it could help researchers more efficiently grow bacteria in the laboratory. It could also lead to smarter use of microbes in agriculture, ecological restoration, and even probiotics.
Published Previously unknown intercellular electricity may power biology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that the electrical fields and activity that exist through a cell's membrane also exist within and around another type of cellular structure called biological condensates. Like oil droplets floating in water, these structures exist because of differences in density. Their foundational discovery could change the way researchers think about biological chemistry. It could also provide a clue as to how the first life on Earth harnessed the energy needed to arise.
Published Mushrooms and their post-rain, electrical conversations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Certain types of fungi can communicate with each other via electrical signals. But much remains unknown about how and when they do so. A group of researchers recently headed to the forest to measure the electrical signals of Laccaria bicolor mushrooms, finding that their electrical signals increased following rainfall.
Published Ant mounds are more important for biodiversity than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The ant mounds on the heath, in the forest and in your garden are oases for life. The heat and nutrients from ant mounds make them the perfect home for unique plant and animal species, according to new research.
Published Scientists discover antibiotic resistance genes in clouds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The atmosphere is a large-scale dissemination route for bacteria carrying antibiotic-resistance genes. A research team has shown that these genes can be transported by clouds.
Published Using microbes to get more out of mining waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new mining technique which uses microbes to recover metals and store carbon in the waste produced by mining. Adopting this technique of reusing mining waste, called tailings, could transform the mining industry and create a greener and more sustainable future.
Published Is the ocean a solution for ushering in the era of environmentally friendly energy?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers confirm the superiority of seawater batteries that use chelating agents.
Published Twilight zone at risk from climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Life in the ocean's 'twilight zone' could decline dramatically due to climate change, new research suggests.
Published Chemists tackle the tough challenge of recycling mixed plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Polymer chemists have been finding ways to tackle the environmental problems humans have created with plastics waste. Now, a team has come up with fundamental new chemistry that seeds a creative solution to the challenge of recycling mixed-use plastics.
Published New chemistry can extract virgin-grade materials from wind turbine blades in one process
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a chemical process that can disassemble the epoxy composite of wind turbine blades and simultaneously extract intact glass fibers as well as one of the epoxy resin's original building blocks in a high quality. The recovered materials could potentially be used in the production of new blades.
Published Ocean ecosystem: Mixotrophic microorganisms play key role
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified a previously unknown group of bacteria, called UBA868, as key players in the energy cycle of the deep ocean. They are significantly involved in the biogeochemical cycle in the marine layer between 200 and 1000 meters.
Published CO2 recycling: What is the role of the electrolyte?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide can be converted into useful hydrocarbons by electrolysis. The design of the electrolysis cell is crucial in this process. The so-called zero-gap cell is particularly suitable for industrial processes. But there are still problems: The cathodes clog up quickly.
Published Lead vocal tracks in popular music go quiet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists carried out an analysis of hundreds of popular song recordings from 1946 to 2020 to determine the lead vocal to accompaniment ratio, or LAR. The study considered the four highest-ranked songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart for each year and the results show that, contrary to expectations, the LAR for popular music decreased over the decades in question. This means that, relative to their bands, lead singers are getting quieter.