France and Spain report highest post-lockdown Covid-19 cases; Trans-Tasman travel bubble ‘on pause’; Iraq reports record daily infections. Follow the latest updatesUK adds France to Covid-19 14-day quarantine listFrance says UK quarantine will lead to reciprocal measuresGreece: UK passengers barred from flights over confusing formMobile crematorium in Bolivia as deaths surgeSee all our...

The Trump administration has canceled plans to open tens of thousands of acres for oil and gas drilling near three national parks in Utah next month, a victory for environmentalists and residents angered by its proposal.

Heavier mixed-breed dogs have higher health risks if neutered or spayed early, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study found mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 44 pounds as adults are at higher risk for one or more joint disorders if neutered before 1 year of age. Dogs weighing up to 43 pounds had no increased risk for joint problems. The study...

"I'm fascinated with life, and that's why I want to break it."

As levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide continue to climb, scientists are looking for new ways of breaking down CO2 molecules to make useful carbon-based fuels, chemicals and other products. Now, a team of Brown University researchers has found a way to fine-tune a copper catalyst to produce complex hydrocarbons—known as C2-plus products—from CO2 with remarkable efficiency.

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants' roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

Chemists at Scripps Research have efficiently created three families of complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally obtainable only from plants.

As the uncertainty around reopening college and university campuses this fall continues, those who work, study, teach and conduct research are navigating the uncertain terrain of the "new normal." They are balancing physical distancing and other COVID-19 prevention practices with productivity, creating home workspaces and mastering communications and teamwork across time and space.

If we can harness it, quantum technology promises fantastic new possibilities. But first, scientists need to coax quantum systems to stay yoked for longer than a few millionths of a second.

Researchers have designed an off-grid, low-cost modular energy source that can efficiently produce power at night. The system uses commercially available technology and could eventually help meet the need for nighttime lighting in urban areas or provide lighting in developing countries.

North Carolina State University researchers have demonstrated a new technique for creating ultrasound images. The new approach is substantially simpler than existing techniques and could significantly drive down technology costs.

Heavier mixed-breed dogs have higher health risks if neutered or spayed early, according to a new study.

Researchers at MIPT Laboratory of Terahertz Spectroscopy together with their Russian and international colleagues discovered a new phase of nanoconfined water; separate water molecules that are confined within nanocavities formed by ions of cordierite crystal lattice. The first reliable experimental observation of a phase transition in a network of dipole-dipole coupled water molecules is, in and...

Viruses multiply by injecting their DNA into a host cell. Once it enters the intracellular fluid, this foreign material triggers a defense mechanism known as the cGAS-STING pathway. The protein cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS), which is also found inside the fluid, binds to the invading DNA to create a new molecule. This, in turn, binds to another protein called Stimulator of Interferon Genes...

By tinkering with some of life's oldest components, astrobiologists hope to find clues about how life emerged. In a recent article researchers report an unexpected discovery, hinting at an effect that prevents organisms from ever reaching evolutionary 'perfection.'

Researchers have gained new understanding of the virus that causes hepatitis B and the 'spiky ball' that encloses its genetic blueprint. They looked at how the capsid -- a protein shell that protects the blueprint and also drives the delivery of it to infect a host cell -- assembles itself. The capsid is an important target in developing drugs to treat hepatitis B, a life-threatening and incurable...

Blocking the activity of a fat-regulating enzyme in the muscles of mice leads to an increased capacity for endurance exercise, according to the results of a new study.

Chemists have efficiently created three families of complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally obtainable only from plants. These molecules, called terpenes, are potential starting points for new drugs and other high-value products -- marking an important development for multiple industries. In addition, the new approach could allow chemists to build many other classes of compounds.

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants' roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

A team of scientists has announced the discovery of a simple modification that allows quantum systems to stay operational -- or 'coherent' -- 10,000 times longer than before.

To improve our understanding of the antibody response conferring protection against HBV infection, scientists have produced and characterized human monoclonal antibodies specific to viral envelope antigens, referred as HBsAg, from blood memory B cells isolated from HBV vaccinees and natural controllers.

Researchers have designed an off-grid, low-cost modular energy source that can efficiently produce power at night. The system uses commercially available technology and could eventually help meet the need for nighttime lighting in urban areas or provide lighting in developing countries.

Accurate temperature estimates of ancient oceans are vital because they are the best tool for reconstructing global climate conditions in the past. While climate models provide scenarios of what the world could look like in the future, paleoclimate studies (study of past climates) provide insight into what the world did look like in the past.

By efficiently converting CO2 into complex hydrocarbon products, a new catalyst could potentially aid in large-scale efforts to recycle excess carbon dioxide.