3,140 articles mezi dny 1.1.2022 a 31.1.2022

What the rise of oxygen on early Earth tells us about life on other planets

When did the Earth reach oxygen levels sufficient to support animal life? Researchers have discovered that a rise in oxygen levels occurred in step with the evolution and expansion of complex, eukaryotic ecosystems. Their findings represent the strongest evidence to date that extremely low oxygen levels exerted an important limitation on evolution for billions of years.

Chemists unlock the key to improving biofuel and biomaterial production

As the world searches for and demands more sustainable sources of energy and materials, plant biomass may provide the solution by serving as a renewable resource for biomaterials and biofuel production. However, until now, the complex physical and chemical interactions in plant biomass have been a challenge in post-harvest processing.

What the rise of oxygen on early Earth tells us about life on other planets

When did the Earth reach oxygen levels sufficient to support animal life? Researchers from McGill University have discovered that a rise in oxygen levels occurred in step with the evolution and expansion of complex, eukaryotic ecosystems. Their findings represent the strongest evidence to date that extremely low oxygen levels exerted an important limitation on evolution for billions of years.

A new method for mapping gene expression deep in the body could one day be used to track stem cells or cancer therapy

Even fans of black-and-white film can't deny that color brought new life to photography and motion pictures. And when it comes to learning what happens inside the body, there's no substitute for color. Were it possible, for example, to map out real-time gene expression in our body's cells using contrasting colors, scientists would gain a glimpse of vital biological processes that are currently...

Harnessing a natural geochemical reaction to combat antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics have allowed for the widespread control of bacterial infections, which had been the leading cause of death historically. However, the overuse of traditional antibiotics in humans and animals has resulted in the emergence of stronger, more potent bacterial strains that are no longer treatable with conventional antibiotics.

Protein machinery of respiration becomes visible

Oxygen and sugar are the basis of life for animals, plants, fungi and many bacteria. The metabolic process called respiration makes it possible to convert food into energy for the cells. Biochemist Prof. Dr. Carola Hunte and her team from the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS at the University of Freiburg have now visualized for the first time with unparalleled precision how an assembly of protein...

Safeguarding the cell nucleus

The nucleus is guarded by a highly secure door, the so-called nuclear pore, that controls the transport of substances from the cytoplasm to the cell nucleus and back. A research group has now shown that different shuttle proteins occupy the nuclear pore to prevent unsolicited leakage of molecules. These proteins form an escape-proof, failsafe mechanism by compensating for one another to fortify...

Molecular machine in nano cage

Theoretical chemists have constructed a molecular gyroscope that can be controlled remotely by light. They also succeeded in characterizing the rotational movements of this synthetic nanomachine with computer simulations.

Unveiling the secrets of biofilms

Most bacteria have the ability to form communities, biofilms, that adhere to a wide variety of surfaces and are difficult to remove. This can lead to major problems, for example in hospitals or in the food industry. Now, an international team has studied a model system for biofilms at the synchrotron radiation facilities BESSY II at HZB and the ESRF and found out what role the structures within...

Power at sea: Towards high-performance seawater batteries

Despite the many potential applications of seawater batteries (SWBs), the limited performance of available materials has hindered their commercialization. To tackle this issue, scientists have developed a novel co-doped carbon material for the anode of SWBs. Their straightforward synthesis route and the high performance of the developed anode material will pave the way for the widespread adoption...

Researchers discover how the placenta may be blocking SARS-CoV-2 transmission to babies during pregnancy

While COVID-19 disease significantly impacts many pregnant women, the rates of transmission from mother to baby in pregnancy are very low. A new study has demonstrated that ACE-2, the receptor that allows SARS-CoV-2 to enter cells, is found in lower levels in the placentas of women with COVID-19 in pregnancy compared to women with normal (COVID negative) pregnancies.

The two types of climate coping and what they mean for your health

When it comes to coping with climate change, there may be two types of people: those who take action to try to improve the environment and those who don't bother because they don't believe their actions will make a difference. Knowing who's who could help policymakers communicate more effectively about environmental issues, new research suggests.

Global count estimates Earth has 73,000 tree species – 14% more than reported

Second world war codebreaking calculations used at Bletchley Park find 9,000 of those species are yet to be discoveredThere are an estimated 73,300 species of tree on Earth, 9,000 of which have yet to be discovered, according to a global count of tree species by thousands of researchers who used second world war codebreaking techniques created at Bletchley Park to evaluate the number of unknown...

Understanding who commits which crimes

Why do some young men turn to crime, while others don't? An international study shows that preferences such as risk tolerance, impatience and altruism as well as self-control can predict who will commit crime. Risk-tolerant, impatient young men are more likely to commit property crime, while people with low self-control tend to commit violent, drug and sexual offenses.

Study uncovers first evidence of long-term directionality in origination of human mutation, challenging neo-Darwinism

A new study by a team of researchers from Israel and Ghana has brought the first evidence of nonrandom mutation in human genes, challenging a core assumption at the heart of evolutionary theory by showing a long-term directional mutational response to environmental pressure. Using a novel method, researchers led by Professor Adi Livnat from the University of Haifa showed that the rate of...

NASA Asteroid Tracking System Now Capable of Full Sky Search

Portal origin URL: NASA Asteroid Tracking System Now Capable of Full Sky SearchPortal origin nid: 476946Published: Monday, January 31, 2022 - 14:29Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: The NASA-funded ATLAS has reached a new milestone by becoming the first survey capable of searching the entire dark sky every 24 hours for near-Earth objects that could pose...

Precisely opening a gate to the brain in mice

Researchers developed a technique in laboratory animals to consistently and reproducibly open the blood-brain barrier. This barrier serves as a barricade securing the brain from the external world blocking out certain environmental toxins, but also prevents drug therapies from reaching their intended targets. The new technique is based on a routine procedure for removing clots from the brain's...

Joe Rogan’s Covid claims: what does the science actually say?

Podcaster has made numerous disputed claims about virus, vaccines and lockdownsJoe Rogan pledges to ‘try harder’ after Spotify misinformation controversySee all our coronavirus coverageSpotify has said it will add “content advisories” to episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcast discussing Covid after the singers Neil Young and Joni Mitchell accused the streaming service of helping to spread Covid...

Midwestern beef production works just as well off pasture

Beef producers in the upper Midwest know grazing land is in short supply. With more acres being developed or converted to cropland, producers who want to expand their cow-calf operations are looking for alternatives to traditional pasture management.

Ancient trees deemed vital to forest survival

New research suggests that ancient trees possess far more than an awe-inspiring presence and a suite of ecological services to forests—they also sustain the entire population of trees' ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

2D material in three dimensions

The carbon material graphene has no well-defined thickness; it merely consists of one single layer of atoms. It is therefore often referred to as a "two-dimensional material." Trying to make a three-dimensional structure out of it may sound contradictory at first, but it is an important goal: if the properties of the graphene layer are to be exploited best, then as much active surface area as...

Midwestern beef production works just as well off pasture

Beef producers in the upper Midwest know grazing land is in short supply. With more acres being developed or converted to cropland, producers who want to expand their cow-calf operations are looking for alternatives to traditional pasture management. New research shows cow-calf pairs can be managed in drylots throughout the summer grazing period with few negative consequences.

Burst of radiation and vesicles-based immunotherapy suppress brain cancer growth

The priming of glioblastoma with a burst of radiation increased dramatically the uptake of extracellular vesicles-based immunotherapy by the tumor and the surrounding microenvironment, halting tumor growth, inducing anti-tumor immunity, and prolonging survival in animal models. In glioblastomas primed with radiation, extracellular vesicles allowed the immunotherapy to cross the blood-brain...