Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Astronomy: How do brown dwarfs form?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New observations provide insights into whether the birth of the giant planets takes a similar course to that of stars.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features Space: The Solar System
Published

CHEOPS detects a 'rainbow' on an exoplanet      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The CHEOPS space telescope is providing new information on the mysterious exoplanet WASP-76b. This ultra-hot giant is characterized by an asymmetry between the amount of light observed on its eastern terminator -- the fictitious line that separates its night side from its day side -- and that observed on its western terminator. This peculiarity is thought to be due to a 'glory', a luminous phenomenon similar to a rainbow, which occurs if the light from the star -- the 'sun' around which the exoplanet orbits -- is reflected by clouds made up of a perfectly uniform substance. If this hypothesis is confirmed, this would be the first detection of this phenomenon outside our solar system.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

Stellar collisions produce strange, zombie-like survivors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Densely packed, fast-moving stars at the Milky Way's center can collide with each other. New research uses simulations to explore the outcomes of these collisions. Some collisions are more like 'violent high fives' while others are full-on mergers.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

The life aquatic: A game changer for frog vision, but little difference between night and day      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Frogs display a remarkable diversity of species as a whole, but does the same hold true for their visual abilities? A new study sought to answer this question by collaborating with researchers in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Gabon, Seychelles, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States, to get a sample of a diverse array of frogs to study the visual pigments found in their eyes. The researchers found this diversity is largely 'reflected' in the pigments, especially for aquatic frogs versus those living on the ground or in trees. They found little difference with the small groups of frogs that have adapted to daytime conditions as opposed to their nocturnal cousins.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Rusty-patched bumblebee's struggle for survival found in its genes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The rusty-patched bumblebee, once common in the United States, has declined from about 90% of its former range. Researchers conducted the first range-wide genetic study of the endangered species to inform recovery efforts.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General
Published

Prairie voles display signs of human-like depression      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers make the case that prairie voles, small rodents that are found throughout the central United States and Canada, can be effectively used as animal models to further the study of clinical depression.

Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

First results from DESI make the most precise measurement of our expanding universe      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to make the largest 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy, the mysterious cause of its accelerating expansion.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Marine Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water
Published

Shy sea anemones are more likely to survive heatwaves      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study shows that sea anemones that react more slowly to change can survive a heatwave better than individuals that change their behavior quickly.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Microbiology
Published

New research offers insight into the future understanding of MS and its treatments      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new and unique blood test to measure the immune response to the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) which is the leading risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Their findings have implications for future basic research in further understanding the biology of EBV in MS, but also has the potential to be applied in clinical trials that target the virus.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Heat flows the secret to order in prebiotic molecular kitchen      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Biophysicists have demonstrated how heat flows through rock fissures could have created the conditions for the emergence of life.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Microbiology
Published

Microbial signature of colorectal cancer-associated mutations identified in new study      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have connected KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer to microbial signatures in the gut.

Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Astronomy Space: Astrophysics Space: Cosmology Space: Exploration Space: General Space: Structures and Features
Published

NASA's Webb probes an extreme starburst galaxy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of astronomers has used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to survey the starburst galaxy Messier 82 (M82). Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity. For comparison, M82 is sprouting new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

New tools reveal how genes work and cells organize      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered how certain proteins can attach to special structures in RNA, called G-quadruplexes. Additionally, they have developed computational tools capable of predicting these protein-RNA interactions. The newfound ability to predict these interactions can help future work in understanding molecular pathways in the cell and pave the way for developing drugs targeting these RNA G-quadruplex binding proteins, that are found to be involved in disease such as cancer.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Ecology: Nature Ecology: Trees
Published

New sunflower family tree reveals multiple origins of flower symmetry      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new sunflower family tree used skimmed genomes to increase the number of species sampled, revealing that flower symmetry evolved multiple times independently, a process called convergent evolution, among the members of this large plant family.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General
Published

Developing a vaccine for the 'zombie drug' xylazine      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemical biologists design an early 'proof-of-concept' vaccine that could lead to the first effective treatment of xylazine overdose in people.

Biology: Biochemistry Ecology: Animals Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General
Published

Demand for critical minerals puts African Great Apes at risk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent study shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly underestimated.

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

Giant phage holds promise as treatment for lung infections      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new bacterial killer that can target common lung infection caused by Burkholderia bacteria that has exciting potential for biotechnological applications.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

AI helps to detect invasive Asian hornets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Artificial Intelligence can be used to detect invasive Asian hornets and raise the alarm, new research shows.