The lone Asian giant hornet was found in the 7000-block of Bradner Road of Abbotsford, B.C., a rural area with many farms located between the Fraser River and Highway...

Over the course of only a century, humanity has made an observable impact on the genetic diversity of the lion population.

A thin coating of the 2D nanomaterial hexagonal boron nitride is the key ingredient in a cost-effective technology developed by engineers for desalinating industrial-strength brine.

Researchers have identified a suite of genes and regulatory elements critical to normal heart development. Their study outlines the importance of 'hub genes' in heart development.

A thin coating of the 2-D nanomaterial hexagonal boron nitride is the key ingredient in a cost-effective technology developed by Rice University engineers for desalinating industrial-strength brine.

Human activities are increasing wind-blown dust, depleting crucial freshwater supplyHimalayan snow and ice is diminishing fast. Global heating is certainly playing a significant role, but now a recent study in Nature Climate Change reveals that wind-blown dust is worsening the melting effect.Winter snowfall and spring snowmelt provide more than half of the annual freshwater needs of around 700...

Bankers and environmentalists alike are increasingly calling for capital markets to play a bigger role in the war on carbon. In the absence of a meaningful global price on carbon, however, capital continues to flow freely toward fossil fuels and other carbon-intensive industries. The movement for fossil fuel divestment has been trying since 2012 to reverse this trend. A strong media presence and...

Human activity at sea makes a terrible racket. To what extent does this disturb marine animals? Ph.D. candidate Annebelle Kok studied the effect on harbor porpoises, long-finned pilot whales and their prey, and discovered the sheer complexity of the problem.

Talking loudly may spread more virus-laden gunk than being quiet. Long conversations should be considered a risky activity during the...

Employing a strategy known as 'population modification,' which involves using a CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive system to introduce genes preventing parasite transmission into mosquito chromosomes, researchers have made a major advance in the use of genetic technologies to control the transmission of malaria parasites.

Genome researchers have discovered that it is Europe, not China, which has been the main source of spreading the coronavirus disease around the world.

Researchers say cortisol sampling technique could transform diagnostics for people with depressionA test that uses earwax to measure levels of the stress hormone cortisol could “transform diagnostics and care for millions of people with depression or stress-related conditions”, scientists have said.The researchers believe the test, which can be done at home without clinical supervision, may...

Much has been written about the U.S. coronavirus response. Media accounts frequently turn to experts for their insights—commonly, epidemiologists or physicians. Countless surveys have also queried Americans and individuals from around the world about how the pandemic has affected them and their attitudes and opinions.

A comprehensive study by EPFL and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) has enabled researchers to map the geographical distribution of ticks in Switzerland for the first time, as well as to determine whether they are carriers of chlamydia. Little is known about these bacteria, but ticks can potentially pass them to humans. The team found that zones conducive to tick proliferation have expanded by...

Scientists at the University of Turku, Finland, have discovered the origin of the glow in the natural mineral that generates white luminescence in the dark. By studying natural minerals, significant new knowledge can be gained for the development of better synthetic materials.

A study of the dental wear of 106 individuals buried in the Castellón Alto archaeological site (Granada, Spain) found that only women used their anterior teeth as tools to make threads and cords

How can new life forms that we cannot see be discovered? Using a novel method based on looking for DNA in soil samples, researchers at Uppsala University have revealed the existence of two hitherto unknown, but very common fungus species. They are thought to perform a key function in the ecosystem, but their exact role remains to be clarified. The study is published in the journal IMA Fungus.

Coral reefs are hotspots of biodiversity. As they can withstand heavy storms, they offer many species a safe home, and at the same time, they protect densely populated coastal regions as they level out storm-driven waves. However, how can these reefs that are made up of often very fragile coral be so stable? A team of researchers from Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and...

By using two different transparent soil substitutes, scientists have shown that soil bacteria rely on fungi to help them survive dry periods, says a study published today ineLife.

Translation is the process by which genetic information is converted into proteins, the workhorses of the cell. Small molecules called transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play a crucial role in translation; they are the adapter molecules that match codons (the building blocks of genetic information) with amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). Organisms carry many types of tRNAs, each encoded by one or...

Researchers reported developing a cardiac patch made from fully rubbery electronics that can be placed directly on the heart to collect electrophysiological activity, temperature, heartbeat and other indicators, all at the same time.

Inspired by a parasitic worm that digs its sharp teeth into its host's intestines, researchers have designed tiny, star-shaped microdevices that can latch onto intestinal mucosa and release drugs into the body.

Wealthy countries already have agreements for 3.73bn doses, with another 5m under negotiation, study findsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageGovernments in predominantly wealthy countries are negotiating to buy nearly 8.8bn doses of prospective Covid-19 vaccines in a “frenzy of deals” that could mean many poor countries would not get access to immunisation until at...

Britain's new polar ship, the Sir David Attenborough, headed for the open seas on Tuesday to start trials after a storm delay, before making its maiden voyage to Antarctica next year for climate change research. Officially the ship is named after the veteran BBC naturalist David Attenborough, but to many Britons it will always be known as "Boaty McBoatface", after that suggestion topped a public...

Researchers examined blood samples and cells from patients who had recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 and found that while antibodies against the virus declined in most individuals after disease resolution, a subset of patients sustained anti-virus antibody production several months following infection.

An "extremely dangerous" hurricane named Eta lashed the north coast of Nicaragua on Tuesday as it made landfall packing heavy rain and high winds, authorities said.

The high-pressure mineral Donwilhelmsite, recently discovered in the lunar meteorite Oued Awlitis 001 from Apollo missions, is important for understanding the inner structure of Earth.

A new study has demonstrated that using the 'wisdom of crowds' (also known as collective intelligence) of three or more medical prescribers, can improve decisions about antibiotic prescribing and help combat rising levels of antibiotic resistance.

By using two different transparent soil substitutes, scientists have shown that soil bacteria rely on fungi to help them survive dry periods, says a new study.

Coral reefs are hotspots of biodiversity. As they can withstand heavy storms, they offer many species a safe home. A team has now discovered that a very specific type of 'cement' is responsible for the stability of coral reefs - by forming a hard calcareous skeleton, coralline red algae stabilize the reefs, and have been doing so for at least 150 million years.

Materials that simultaneously have contrasting properties—for example, they are soft on the one hand and hard on the other, with a gradual transition between the two properties—could enable completely new applications like anti-reflective lenses. In nature, such merging properties are indeed common, for example in mussels or in the human eye. Materials scientists at Kiel University have been...

High-temperature superconductors are a class of materials that can conduct electricity with almost zero resistance at temperatures that are relatively high compared to their standard counterparts, which must be chilled to nearly absolute zero—the coldest temperature possible. The high-temperature materials are exciting because they hold the possibility of revolutionizing modern life, such as by...

Cells can evolve specialized functions under a much broader range of conditions than previously thought, according to a study published today in eLife.

How biodiversity is generated and maintained are central questions in science, which are becoming increasingly important for our quality of life. How do similar species coexist in a system? Which ones will dominate or be excluded? Will the system succumb to invasion by outsiders? Can we predict these interactive dynamics in systems with many different species? Simulations and statistical...

Ants use their own acid to disinfect themselves and their stomachs. A team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Bayreuth has found that formic acid kills harmful bacteria in the animal's food, thereby reducing the risk of disease. At the same time, the acid significantly influences the ant's intestinal flora. The new study was published in the journal eLife.

Covid-19 crisis offers ‘unique opportunity to make transformational changes’Australia’s biosecurity needs a major overhaul within a decade to protect people, environments and industries from a wave of invasive pests, pathogens and future pandemics, a CSIRO report has found.Interceptions of materials that were a biosecurity risk – such as insects, soils and plants – rose by 50% between...

Researchers conducted a numerical study on droplet dispersion using high fidelity air flow simulation. The scientists found a single 100-micrometer cough droplet under wind speed of 2 meters per second can travel up to 6.6 meters and even further under dry air conditions due to droplet evaporation.

Certain molecules bind tightly to the surface of ice, creating a curved interface that can halt further ice growth. Some insects, plants, and sea-dwelling creatures contain protein molecules of this type that act as natural antifreeze agents, allowing the organisms to withstand freezing temperatures. Scientists report a computational method to model ice binding using a biasing technique to drive...

In the condition known as cavernoma, lesions arise in a cluster of blood vessels in the brain, spinal cord or retina. Researchers can now show, at molecular level, that these changes originate in vein cells. This new knowledge of the condition creates potential for developing better therapies for patients.

Many people have had the experience of being poked in the back by a plastic tag while trying on clothes in a store. That is just one example of radio frequency identification technology, which has become a mainstay not just in retail but also in manufacturing, logistics, transportation, health care and more. Other tagging systems include the scannable barcode and the QR code.

Genetic testing can uncover inherited genetic mutations, and could individualize cancer therapies, improve survival, manage cancer in loved ones and push the boundaries of precision medicine.

Researchers have created drones that can attach sensors to trees to monitor environmental and ecological changes in forests.

Cells can evolve specialized functions under a much broader range of conditions than previously thought, according to a study.

Many diseases caused by common plant viruses reduce the crops of important food plants. In the worst case, potato viruses, among others, can destroy as much as 80% of crops on infected fields.

Few beef producers in the temperate climate of southern Australia will have encountered the parasitic buffalo fly (Haematobia irritans exigua), a scourge of the cattle industry in the country's tropical and subtropical north—but maintaining this state of affairs, and also lifting a burden off the northern industry, has become a race against time, and climate.

The aim of the EU Nitrates Directive is to reduce nitrates leaking into the environment in order to prevent pollution of water supplies. The widely accepted view is that this will also help protect threatened plant species which can be damaged by high levels of nutrients like nitrates in the soil and water. However, an international team of researchers including the Universities of Göttingen,...

More evidence has emerged to support stricter coastal management, this time focusing on pollution and overfishing in the picturesque tourist waters off Auckland in New Zealand.

Using artificial intelligence, UCPH researchers have solved a problem that until now has been the stumbling block for important protein research into the dynamics behind diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as well as in the development of sustainable chemistry and new gene-editing technologies.

Certain molecules bind tightly to the surface of ice, creating a curved interface that can halt further ice growth. Some insects, plants, and sea-dwelling creatures contain protein molecules of this type that act as natural antifreeze agents, allowing the organisms to withstand freezing temperatures.