Using a method developed for HIV, researchers have identified stable T cell vaccine targets in SARS-CoV-2. These stable targets, known as highly networked epitopes, are highly likely to be stable in different variants of the virus. The results provide a path forward for a broadly protective COVID-19 T cell vaccine.

Neuroscientists have demonstrated in new research that dopamine plays a key role in how songbirds learn complex new sounds.

Their conclusion: in extremely cold regions, it can be considerably more efficient to attach the PV modules directly to the electrolyser, i.e. to thermally couple them. This is because the waste heat from the PV modules increases the efficiency of electrolysis in this environment. The results of this study are also relevant for other cold regions on Earth, such as Alaska, Canada, and high mountain...

Maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has often been linked to adverse effects on the health of the newborn. However, there are very few studies on the subject. A study has just concluded that the stages most sensitive to air pollution are the early and late months of pregnancy.

An international study has elucidated the structure of a protein that is required for the assembly and stability of photosynthetic membranes.

Researchers have developed an open-source camera system that images natural habitats as they appear to rodents.

There is no scientific evidence that shows that smartphones and digital technology harm our biological cognitive abilities.

A new study disputes the prevailing hypothesis on why Mercury has a big core relative to its mantle. For decades, scientists argued that hit-and-run collisions blew away much of Mercury's rocky mantle and left the big, dense, metal core inside. But new research reveals that collisions are not to blame -- instead, the density, mass and iron content of a rocky planet's core is influenced by its...

Archaeologists have unearthed a rare trove of more than 80 metal objects in Mississippi thought to be from Hernando de Soto's 16th-century expedition through the Southeast. Many of the objects were repurposed by the resident Chickasaws as household tools and ornaments, an unusual practice at a time when European goods in North America were few and often reserved for leaders.

Nitrogen is essential for all life on Earth. In the global oceans however, this element is scarce, and nitrogen availability is therefore critical for the growth of marine life. Some bacteria found in marine waters can convert nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (known as N2 fixation), and thereby supply the marine food web with nitrogen.

Researchers found that Ohio's 'Vax-a-Million' lottery-based incentive system, intended to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates, was not associated with an increase in COVD-19 vaccinations.

Engineers have created an insect-scale robot that can swerve and pivot with the agility of a cheetah, giving it the ability to traverse complex terrain and quickly avoid unexpected obstacles. Small, robust robots like these could be ideal for conducting search and rescue operations or investigating other hazardous situations, such as scoping out potential gas leaks.

Petroglyphs are carved in a material called rock varnish, the origins of which have been debated for years. Now, scientists argue it's the result of bacteria and an adaptation that protects them from the desert sun's harsh rays.

New research shows that in order to survive life threatening injuries, cancer cells use a technique in which they eat parts of the membrane surrounding them.

Researchers are developing a new, noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders, including pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and more.

Researchers have found that pigments controlling the color of tomatoes also play a role in determining their flavor. By analyzing the pigment profiles of 157 different tomato varieties, the team showed that fruit with high chlorophyll levels had a higher sugar content, and that the carotenoid, prolycopene, is associated with an abundance of aroma compounds. Understanding how growing conditions...

A surprising study on the behavior of unrelated lizards in very different parts of the world has demonstrated how evolution can lead to different species learning the same skills. The study documents how the Anolis lizard species in the Caribbean, and the Draco lizard species in Southeast Asia, have solved the challenge of communicating with one another to defend territories and attract mates.

New research pinpoints how young children quickly learn language, opening new paths to leverage for machine learning.

Downstream of hydroelectric dams and Alberta's oil sands, one of the world's largest freshwater deltas is drying out. New research suggests long-term drying is making it harder for muskrats to recover from massive die-offs. It's a sign of threats to come for many other species.

Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) have established a large resting colony in the Gulf of California -- bringing the total number of sites where this endangered species now occurs to just four. This new haul-out was discovered on El Farallón de San Ignacio Island, along the mainland coast of Mexico.

Researchers found that the main gene that causes Rett syndrome, MeCP2, controls the differentiation pattern of neural stem cells through the microRNA miR-199a. Dysfunction in MeCP2 or miR-199a cause neural stem cells to produce more astrocytes than neurons. Furthermore, the researchers found that miR-199a mediates the production of Smad1, a downstream transcription factor of bone morphogenetic...

Astronomers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) technique to remove noise in astronomical data due to random variations in galaxy shapes. After extensive training and testing on large mock data created by supercomputer simulations, they then applied this new tool to actual data from Japan's Subaru Telescope and found that the mass distribution derived from using this method is...

Researchers discover enzyme prototype for formation of ecologically and pharmaceutically important tropone compounds.

Hot vents in the deep sea are home to microbes that feed on ethane. Now researchers have succeeded in finding an important component in the microbial conversion of the gas. They were able to decode the structure of the enzyme responsible for the ethane fixation.