Light-to-energy conversion in many aquatic microbes more complex than was previously known, researchers discover
Plants convert light into a form of energy that they can use—a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—through photosynthesis. This is a complex process that also produces sugar, which the plant can use for energy later, and oxygen. Some bacteria that live in the light-exposed layers of water sources can also convert light to ATP, but the process they use is simpler and less efficient...
Metal contamination causes metabolic stress in environmental bacteria, shows study
Pollution of the soil and water with multiple heavy metals is a common problem. However, most studies on the effects of heavy metals on bacteria living in these environments have only focused on one metal at a time. In a recent study, researchers found that exposing bacteria to a mixture of metals caused their metabolism to change. The researchers did not observe this change when bacteria grew...
Does more money correlate with greater happiness?
Are people who earn more money happier in daily life? Though it seems like a straightforward question, research had previously returned contradictory findings, leaving uncertainty about its answer.
Study finds silicon, gold and copper among new weapons against COVID-19
New Curtin research has found the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2, a strain of coronaviruses that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, become trapped when they come into contact with silicon, gold and copper, and that electric fields can be used to destroy the spike proteins, likely killing the virus.
Phone-based measurements found to provide fast, accurate information about the health of forests
Researchers have developed an algorithm that uses computer vision techniques to accurately measure trees almost five times faster than traditional, manual methods.
Drones and deep learning: Researchers develop a new technique to quantify rice production
Rice, a major food crop, is cultivated on nearly 162 million hectares of land worldwide. One of the most commonly used methods to quantify rice production is rice plant counting. This technique is used to estimate yield, diagnose growth, and assess losses in paddy fields. Most rice counting processes across the world are still carried out manually. However, this is extremely tedious, laborious,...
Researchers develop highly-efficient, non-toxic method to upcycle single-use plastic
A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a single-step, organic solvent-free, hydrothermal process to convert polyethylene-based plastic bags and polypropylene-based surgical masks into carbon dots.
New framework on honest behavior suggests it is a process that goes beyond not lying
Most people value honesty while also recognizing that it is sometimes beneficial to be dishonest. This tension leads individuals to engage in behaviors that stretch the boundaries of honest behavior, such as strategically avoiding information, dodging questions, and making misleading statements. In a new article, researchers reviewed work from a range of disciplines to develop a framework that...
Quantifying genetic variations in bacterial cultures the qSanger way
Genetic variations, such as mutations, recombinations, or transpositions occur naturally in cultured microorganisms and are often considered nonneutral mutations.
The universe may have started with a dark Big Bang
The Big Bang may have not been alone. The appearance of all the particles and radiation in the universe may have been joined by another Big Bang that flooded our universe with dark matter particles. And we may be able to detect it.
Astronomers go hunting for mysterious q-balls
Our universe may feature large, macroscopic clumps of dark matter known as q-balls. These q-balls would be absolutely invisible, but they may reveal their presence through tiny magnifications of starlight.
Water quality expert develops public tool for diagnosing health of America's streams
A model for predicting the levels of oxygen in water, developed by West Virginia University researcher Omar Abdul-Aziz, gives citizen scientists nationwide a tool for taking action on stream pollution.
An augmented reality game makes chemistry less intimidating for children, study finds
Researchers developed an educational game that uses augmented reality and tangible interaction to teach STEM to young students. They recently revealed their research findings on the usage and efficiency of the game to promote the learning of chemistry and improve children's perception towards the subject.
COVID-19 lockdowns 'turned India greener'
India's drastic COVID-19 lockdowns had a silver lining. With polluting industries and vehicular movement halted, urban dwellers were treated to bright, blue skies and views of snow-clad Himalayan peaks, long obscured by thick smog.
Ethnic minority parents want customized advice, research shows
Over the last decade, parents have become increasingly aware of the importance of a child's physical and mental development in their early years. As a result, there has been a significant rise in parents' demand for evidence-based knowledge of child-rearing.
Microscopic chalk discs in oceans play a key role in Earth's carbon cycle by propagating viruses
A Rutgers-led team of scientists studying virus-host interactions of a globally abundant, armor-plated marine algae, Emiliania huxleyi, has found that the circular, chalk plates the algae produce can act as catalysts for viral infection, which has vast consequences for trillions of microscopic oceanic creatures and the global carbon cycle.
Cyclone Freddy kills four in 'rare' return to Madagascar
Tropical storm Freddy returned to Madagascar in what meteorologists described on Monday as a "rare" loop trajectory, killing four people, including two children as it hit for the second time in as many weeks.
New treaty plots conservation course for high seas
Protecting life in the vast expanse of ocean beyond national jurisdictions finally has an international roadmap after UN states agreed a landmark high seas treaty at the weekend.
Purification of DNA nanostructures from hydrophobic aggregates
Researchers in Japan have developed a new method for purifying cholesterol-modified DNA nanostructures that could be used to functionalize molecular robot bodies (lipid vesicles). The study was a collaboration between Yusuke Sato of Kyushu Institute of Technology and Shin-ichiro M. Nomura of the Tohoku University, and the work was published in ChemBioChem.
A mixture of trees purifies urban air best, shows study
Conifers are generally better than broadleaved trees at purifying air from pollutants. But deciduous tree may be better at capturing particle-bound pollution. A new study led by the University of Gothenburg shows that the best trees for air purification depend on the type of pollutant involved.
Children and teenagers can carry out valuable wildlife research—here's how
The environment is in crisis. Young people are calling for environmental action and requesting more education about the environment and the climate emergency. They are also looking at what they can do to tackle climate change.
Hotter and drier conditions limit forest recovery from wildfires
Warmer and drier climate conditions in western U.S. forests are making it less likely that trees can regenerate after wildfires, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Wheat's ancient roots of viral resistance uncovered
The DNA sequence of a gene in wheat responsible for resisting a devastating virus has been discovered, providing vital clues for managing more resistant crops and maintaining a healthy food supply.
Detecting molecular vibration information faster and better by 'stretching' time
Infrared spectroscopy is a noninvasive tool used to identify unknown samples and known chemical substances. It is based on how different molecules interact with infrared light. You may have seen this tool at airports, where they screen for illicit drugs. The technique has many applications: liquid biopsy, environmental gas monitoring, contaminant detection, forensic analyses, exoplanet searches,...