Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Harnessing hydrogen at life's origin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new report uncovers how hydrogen gas, the energy of the future, provided energy in the past, at the origin of life 4 billion years ago. Hydrogen gas is clean fuel. It burns with oxygen in the air to provide energy with no CO2. Hydrogen is a key to sustainable energy for the future. Though humans are just now coming to realize the benefits of hydrogen gas (H2 in chemical shorthand), microbes have known that H2 is good fuel for as long as there has been life on Earth. Hydrogen is ancient energy.

Chemistry: General Energy: Batteries Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Fast-charging lithium-sulphur batteries on the horizon      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research shows that the next generation of lithium-sulphur (Li||S) batteries may be capable of being charged in less than five minutes, instead of several hours as is currently the case.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Paleontology: Climate
Published

A wetter world recorded in Australian coral colony      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

When climate scientists look to the future to determine what the effects of climate change may be, they use computer models to simulate potential outcomes such as how precipitation will change in a warming world. Some scientists are also looking at something a little more tangible: coral.

Biology: Biochemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Transforming wood waste for sustainable manufacturing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Research is exploring how to add value to lignin by breaking it down into small molecules that are structurally similar to oxygenated hydrocarbons. These renewable chemicals are key components in many industrial processes and products, but they are traditionally sourced from non-renewable petroleum.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Study estimates nearly 70 percent of children under six in Chicago may be exposed to lead-contaminated tap water      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new analysis estimates that 68 percent of Chicago children under age six live in households with tap water containing detectable levels of lead.

Biology: Botany Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Cacao plants' defense against toxic cadmium unveiled      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used bright X-rays to unveil how cacao trees protect themselves from toxic metal cadmium.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Even inactive smokers are densely colonized by microbial communities      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Everything is everywhere -- under certain conditions microbial communities can grow and thrive, even in places that are seemingly uninhabitable. This is the case at inactive hydrothermal vents on the sea floor. An international team is presently working to accurately quantify how much inorganic carbon can be bound in these environments.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population. Based on available evidence, the researchers posit that the 49 orcas could belong to a subpopulation of transient killer whales or a unique oceanic population found in waters off the coast of California and Oregon.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Groundbreaking study reveals extensive leatherback turtle activity along U.S. coastline      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study provides groundbreaking findings that offer insights on the migration and foraging patterns of leatherback sea turtles along the Northwest Atlantic shelf.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

It's hearty, it's meaty, it's mold      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists are exploring how tuning the genomes of mushrooms and molds can transform these food sources into gourmet, nutrient-packed meals made with minimal processing and a light environmental footprint.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology
Published

Sulfur and the origin of life      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shines a spotlight on sulfur, a chemical element that, while all familiar, has proved surprisingly resistant to scientific efforts in probing its role in the origin of life.

Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Rope entanglement cause of low breeding rates in right whales, analysis finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New findings show the severe impact of fishing gear entanglements on the survival of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, with every injury from entanglements impacting population recovery.

Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Drought, soil desiccation cracking, and carbon dioxide emissions: an overlooked feedback loop exacerbating climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Soil stores 80 percent of carbon on earth, yet with increasing cycles of drought, that crucial reservoir is cracking and breaking down, releasing even more greenhouse gases creating an amplified feedback loop that could accelerate climate change.

Chemistry: General Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Sustainable plastics from agricultural waste      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed a sustainable method to make high-performance plastics from agricultural leftovers, turning them into valuable materials.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Simple trick could improve accuracy of plant genetics research      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have published a simple trick that improves the accuracy of techniques that help us understand how external variables -- such as temperature -- affect gene activity in plants.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Thermodynamics Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Molecular simulations of ammonia mixtures support search for renewable fuels      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ammonia is an important molecule with many applications. The end product of the famed Haber-Bosch process, it is commonly synthesized to capture nitrogen for fertilizers, and is used for refrigeration, in cleaning products, and in the production of pharmaceuticals. Recently, this modest molecule has also attracted interest as a potential resource for addressing one of today's most pressing challenges -- the need for reliable and abundant renewable fuels.

Chemistry: General Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: Optics
Published

New high-performance solar cell material      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study reports the discovery of an entirely new stable, earth-abundant, high-performance material for solar absorbers -- the central part of a solar cell that turns light into electricity. While identifying new solar materials is typically very time-consuming, the researchers used a unique high-throughput computational screening method to quickly evaluate around 40,000 candidate materials.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Space: Exploration Space: General
Published

Study brings scientists a step closer to successfully growing plants in space      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention. The polymer sensors are resilient to humidity and temperature, can stretch over 400% while remaining attached to a plant as it grows and send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring location, said a chemical and biomolecular engineering professor.