147 articles from WEDNESDAY 28.9.2022

A new window into plants of the past

Within the cabinets and drawers of the world's herbaria are nearly 400 million dried plant specimens. These collections have long served as a vital record of what plant species exist on Earth and where they grow. But hidden within the desiccated leaves, stems, flowers and roots is far more information on how the plants interacted with their environment while they were alive. Knowing about these...

Providing 'quality assurance' for new stem cells: Macrophages do the vetting

Using live imaging and cellular barcoding, researchers in the Stem Cell Program at Boston Children's Hospital have glimpsed how new stem cells—in this case, blood stem cells—are vetted for quality soon after they're born. The study, which may have implications for cancer and regenerative medicine, was published September 22 in the journal Science.

Typhoon Noru makes landfall in Vietnam

Typhoon Noru barrelled into Vietnam's central coast early Wednesday, the national forecaster said, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain as hundreds of thousands of people took refuge in shelters.

Terrawatch: why is sea level rising faster along China’s coast?

Study says possible causes could include faster warming in Chinese seas and lower air pressure Sea level along the Chinese coast is rising faster than the global average, with some regions experiencing an increase of nearly 5mm a year, according to tide gauge and satellite data. A new study investigates what is causing the localised rise, and identifies which communities are most vulnerable.Global...

NJIT researchers unlock a new method for testing protein-based drugs

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers have unveiled a new lab technique they say represents a 'paradigm shift' in how pharmaceutical laboratories test and produce new protein-based drugs, such as therapeutic monoclonal antibodies being developed to treat a variety of diseases, from cancers to infectious diseases.

Rising global temperatures point to widespread drought

More frequent and longer-lasting droughts caused by rising global temperatures pose significant risks to people and ecosystems around the world -- according to new research. The paper has quantified the projected impacts of alternative levels of global warming upon the probability and length of severe drought in the six countries.

Browse, graze, mate: Food and company help animals in captivity

From tongue rolling alpacas to irritable yaks and perturbed pigs, new research has lifted the lid on why some farm and zoo animals cope well with captivity and others display signs of stress. Researchers have published a large-scale study to identify which species of hoofed animals, known as ungulates, are better suited to captive environments and which require better husbandry if kept in...

‘Exceptional’ fossil suggests early birds were brainy

“Bird brain” insults be damned. The noggins of our flying friends are packed with neurons , and recent studies have shown birds can develop complex tools and even discriminate between paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso . But is this avian acumen a recent development , evolutionarily...

‘This one’s for the dinosaurs’: how the world reacted to Nasa’s asteroid smashing success

Astrophiles and professionals celebrated humanity’s accomplishment at hitting a speeding space rock with a probe the size of a vending machineFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our free news app, morning email briefing or daily news podcastThe crashing of a spacecraft is, for once, a cause for celebration. The Dart (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission on Tuesday...