361 articles from THURSDAY 17.6.2021

First astronauts blast off for China’s new space station

Hugely prestigious event for China as Beijing prepares to mark 100th anniversary of ruling Communist partyThe first astronauts for China’s new space station are due to blast off for the country’s longest crewed mission to date, a landmark step in establishing Beijing as a major space power.The trio will launch on a Long March-2F rocket for the Tiangong station, where they will spend three...

Underwater robot offers new insight into mid-ocean 'twilight zone'

An innovative underwater robot known as Mesobot is providing researchers with deeper insight into the vast mid-ocean region known as the 'twilight zone.' Capable of tracking and recording high-resolution images of slow-moving and fragile zooplankton, gelatinous animals, and particles, Mesobot greatly expands scientists' ability to observe creatures in their mesopelagic habitat with minimal...

Scientists unravel the function of a sight-saving growth factor

Researchers have determined how certain short protein fragments, called peptides, can protect neuronal cells found in the light-sensing retina layer at the back of the eye. The peptides might someday be used to treat degenerative retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

‘Gamechanging’ £10m environmental DNA project to map life in world’s rivers

eBioAtlas programme aims to identify fish, birds, amphibians and land animals in freshwater systems from the Ganges to the MekongConcealed by the turbid, swirling waters of the Amazon, the Mekong and the Congo, the biodiversity of the world’s great rivers has largely remained a mystery to scientists. But now a multimillion-pound project aims to describe and identify the web of life in major...