Showing 20 articles starting at article 141

< Previous 20 articles        Next 20 articles >

Categories: Biology: Developmental, Geoscience: Geochemistry

Return to the site home page

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a revelation highlighting the fragile balance of our planet's atmosphere, scientists have uncovered an unexpected link between massive wildfire events and the chemistry of the ozone layer. Using satellite data and numerical modeling, the team discovered that an enormous smoke-charged vortex nearly doubles the southern hemispheric aerosol burden in the middle stratosphere of the Earth and reorders ozone depletion at different heights. This study reveals how wildfires, such as the catastrophic 2019/20 Australian bushfires, impact the stratosphere in previously unseen ways.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have successfully created mechanical force sensors directly in the developing brains and spinal cords of chicken embryos, which they hope will improve understanding and prevention of birth malformations such as spina bifida.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Methane, a strong greenhouse gas that naturally escapes from the bottom of the North Sea, is affected by the pressure of high or low tide. Methane emissions from the seafloor can be just easily three times as much or as little, depending on the tide, according to a new study.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have created a computer program that 'paints' the structure of molecules in the style of famous Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian. Researchers are opening eyes and minds to the beauty of molecular structure, as well as posing new questions about the form and function of the molecules themselves.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The flow of water within a muscle fiber may dictate how quickly muscle can contract, according to a new study.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have made significant inroads in understanding how nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) -- commonly known as forever chemicals -- disrupt biomolecular structure and function. The work shows that the compounds can alter proteins found in human breast milk and infant formulas -- potentially causing developmental issues downstream.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Without additional regulation, burning ammonia in ship engines could cause serious impacts on air quality that could result in more than 600,000 additional premature deaths per year, according to new research.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Water scientists have proposed a more effective method of removing organic pesticides from drinking water, reducing the risk of contamination and potential health problems.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have found that the key to a quick and cost-effective mapping of biodiversity has been right in front of our eyes all along, but at the same time invisible -- i.e., in the air that surrounds us.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

International joint research led by Akihisa Osakabe and Yoshimasa Takizawa of the University of Tokyo has clarified the molecular mechanisms in thale cresses (Arabidopsis thaliana) by which the DDM1 (Decreased in DNA Methylation 1) protein prevents the transcription of 'jumping genes.' DDM1 makes 'jumping genes' more accessible for transcription-suppressing chemical marks to be deposited. Because a variant of this protein exists in humans, the discovery provides insight into genetic conditions caused by such 'jumping gene' mutations.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pollinators experienced a 39-percent decline in foraging efficiency after being exposed to elevated air pollution levels. In contrast, plant-eating aphids and other pests were not significantly impacted.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international research team has assembled the genome and 3D chromosomal structures of a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth -- the first time such a feat has been achieved for any ancient DNA sample. The fossilized chromosomes, which are around a million times longer than most ancient DNA fragments, provide insight into how the mammoth's genome was organized within its living cells and which genes were active within the skin tissue from which the DNA was extracted. This unprecedented level of structural detail was retained because the mammoth underwent freeze-drying shortly after it died, which meant that its DNA was preserved in a glass-like state.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Findings has critical implications for predicting extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heavy rainfall.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Acute graft-versus-host disease occurs when donor immune cells attack the recipient's tissues after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Researchers recently identified a bacteriophage-derived enzyme called endolysin capable of targeting biofilms formed by Enterococcus faecalis. Their findings offer hope for tailored interventions in allo-HCT.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers discovered a microscopic mechanism that solves in part the outstanding performance achieved by a new class of organic semiconductors known as non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs).

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of scientists have developed a new method that enables them to make precise edits in multiple locations within a cell -- all at once. Using molecules called retrons, they created a tool that can efficiently modify DNA in bacteria, yeast, and human cells.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A small molecule that naturally serves as a binding site for metals in enzymes also proves useful for separating certain rare earth metals from each other. In a proof of concept, the process extracts europium directly from fluorescent powder in used energy-saving lamps in much higher quantities than existing methods. The researchers are now working on expanding their approach to other rare earth metals. They are in the process of founding a start-up to put the recycling of these raw materials into practice.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recently published study demonstrates how sucralose affects the behavior of cyanobacteria -- an aquatic photosynthetic bacteria -- and diatoms, microscopic algae that account for more than 30% of the primary food production in the marine food chain.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new way to store carbon captured from the atmosphere works much faster than current methods without the harmful chemical accelerants they require.

     (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists may have to rethink the relationship between the ocean's circulation and its long-term capacity to store carbon, new research suggests. As the ocean gets weaker, it could release more carbon from the deep ocean into the atmosphere -- rather than less, as some have predicted.