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: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

DNA origami-based vaccines toward safe and highly-effective precision cancer immunotherapy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created a DNA origami platform called DoriVac, whose core component is a self-assembling square block-shaped nanostructure. DoriVac vaccines enabled tumor-bearing mice to better control the growth of tumors and to survive significantly longer than control mice.

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

Chimp moms play with their offspring through good times and bad      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recent study observing wild chimpanzees over a period of more than 10 years revealed that when food gets scarcer, the adults put play aside and focus on survival, while mother chimps continue to be their children's primary playmate -- suggesting their indispensable role to foster their young's physical and social development.

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.

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: Marine Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Sonic youth: Healthy reef sounds increase coral settlement      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Healthy coral reefs have rich soundscapes, full of the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fishes and the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these sounds as cues to identify the best places to settle and grow. The authors found that sound could potentially be a vital tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting the sounds of a healthy reef to a reef that is degraded encourages coral larvae to settle there. This indicates that it's possible that 'acoustic enrichment' can be a key intervention to support imperiled reefs.

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

Milk to the rescue for diabetics? Cow produces human insulin in milk      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement could herald a new era in insulin production, one day eliminating drug scarcity and high costs for people living with diabetes.

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.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An AI-powered analysis of 25 years of satellite images yields the surprising finding that methane emissions in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic and major oil-producing region, actually increased in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

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

Who knew that coprophagy was so vital for birds' survival?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research explains how eating feces (known as coprophagy) shapes wild birds' digestive tracts (gut biota), enabling them to absorb lost or deficient nutrients and adjust to seasonal variations in food sources.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Vehicle brakes produce charged particles that may harm public health      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists know relatively little about particles released into the air when a vehicle driver brakes, though evidence suggests those particles may be more harmful to health than particles exiting the tailpipe.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Space Space: Exploration Space: General Space: The Solar System
Published

Scientists propose new theory that explains sand ripples on Mars and on Earth      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sand ripples are symmetrical. Yet wind -- which causes them -- is very much not. Furthermore, sand ripples can be found on Mars and on Earth. They would be even more fascinating if the same effect found on Mars could be found here on Earth as well. What if one unified theory could explain their formation on both planets?

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Climate policies to reduce motor vehicle emissions can improve children's health, save money      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that policies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from motor vehicles combined with investments in electric vehicles and public transportation would reduce air pollution and bring large benefits to children's health. They would also save money.