Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Due to sea-ice retreat, zooplankton could remain in the deep longer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Due to intensifying sea-ice melting in the Arctic, sunlight is now penetrating deeper and deeper into the ocean. Since marine zooplankton respond to the available light, this is also changing their behavior -- especially how the tiny organisms rise and fall within the water column. As an international team of researchers has now shown, in the future this could lead to more frequent food shortages for the zooplankton, and to negative effects for larger species including seals and whales.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Scientists use quantum device to slow down simulated chemical reaction 100 billion times      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using a trapped-ion quantum computer, the research team witnessed the interference pattern of a single atom caused by a 'conical intersection'. Conical intersections are known throughout chemistry and are vital to rapid photo-chemical processes such as light harvesting in human vision or photosynthesis.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Researcher finds inspiration from spider webs and beetles to harvest fresh water from thin air      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of researchers is designing novel systems to capture water vapor in the air and turn it into liquid. They have developed sponges or membranes with a large surface area that continually capture moisture from their surrounding environment.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Developmental Biology: Microbiology Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Scientists invent new way to sort cells by type using light      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed and demonstrated a new method for high-throughput single-cell sorting that uses stimulated Raman spectroscopy rather than the traditional approach of fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The new approach could offer a label-free, nondestructive way to sort cells for a variety of applications, including microbiology, cancer detection and cell therapy.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Paper drinking straws may be harmful and may not be better for the environment than plastic versions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

'Eco-friendly' paper drinking straws contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals, a new study has concluded.

Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Paper cups are just as toxic as plastic cups      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Replacing single use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic. Researchers show that a paper cup that ends up in nature can also cause damage as they also contain toxic chemicals.

Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Millions of carbon credits are generated by overestimating forest preservation, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Study analyses 18 major carbon offset projects, and compares their conservation claims with matched sites that offer a real-world benchmark for deforestation levels. Over 60 million carbon credits came from projects that barely reduced deforestation, if at all. Of a potential 89 million credits from these offset schemes, only 5.4 million (6%) were linked to additional carbon reductions through preserved forest.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

New study examines historical drought and flooding on the Amazon River      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Despite the rapid increase in severe flooding, a new article indicates recent floods and droughts in the Amazon River Basin may have not yet exceeded the range of natural hydroclimatic variability.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Fossil Fuels Energy: Technology
Published

Math enables blending hydrogen in natural gas pipelines      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Mathematical modeling can show how to safely blend hydrogen with natural gas for transport in existing pipeline systems. A secure and reliable transition to hydrogen is one of the proposed solutions for the shift to a net-zero-carbon economy.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Light regulates structural conversion of chiral molecules      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of chemists have developed a novel concept in which a mixture of molecules that behave like mirror images is converted to a single form. To this end, they use light as external energy source. The conversion is relevant e.g. for the preparation of drugs.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Computer Science: General Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

DNA chips as storage media of the future: What challenges need to be overcome      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In the form of DNA, nature shows how data can be stored in a space-saving and long-term manner. Bioinformatics specialists are developing DNA chips for computer technology. Researchers show how a combination of molecular biology, nanotechnology, novel polymers, electronics and automation, coupled with systematic development, could make DNA data storage useful for everyday use possible in a few years.

Energy: Batteries Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Towards better batteries and fuel cells with dispersibility estimation for carbon electrode slurries      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Carbon slurries, which consist of a suspension of carbon particles in a solvent, are used to mass-produce battery electrodes. However, there are no adequate methods to evaluate whether the particles are uniformly dispersed in the slurry during the manufacturing process. In a recent study, researchers used an innovative approach, combining viscosity and electrochemical impedance measurements, to accurately assess the dispersibility of slurries, opening doors to enhanced electric vehicles and fuel cell batteries.

Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Sea Life Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Loss of Antarctic sea ice causes catastrophic breeding failure for emperor penguins      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Emperor penguin colonies experienced unprecedented breeding failure in a region of Antarctica where there was total sea ice loss in 2022. The discovery supports predictions that over 90% of emperor penguin colonies will be quasi-extinct by the end of the century, based on current global warming trends.

Biology: Microbiology Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new review argues ever-present microplastics could promote gene transfer among microbes, potentially resulting in greater antibiotic resistance. The review calls for more research on microplastic-microbe interactions where our food is grown.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Ice-free preservation method holds promise to protect reefs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An interdisciplinary team of researchers demonstrated that coral can be preserved through a new technique called isochoric vitrification. This process takes the selected coral fragments through the stages of cryopreservation and subsequent revival.

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

New approach to nongenetic T-cell-based immunotherapy      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Immunotherapies for cancer aim to induce the immune system to combat cancer cells more effectively. A research team has now described a new, modular strategy for T-cell-based immunotherapy that manages to work without complex genetic modifications. Modulation of cell-cell communications through an ingenious regulatory circuit using various small, specially folded DNA molecules (aptamers) causes cancer cells to directly activate their mortal enemies, T cells.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Solar powered irrigation: A game-changer for small-scale farms in sub-Saharan Africa      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study finds that standalone solar photovoltaic irrigation systems have the potential to meet more than a third of the water needs for crops in small-scale farms across sub-Saharan Africa.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Tree mortality in the Black Forest on the rise -- climate change a key driver      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Climate impacts such as dry, hot summers reduce the growth and increase the mortality of trees in the Black Forest because they negatively influence the climatic water balance, i.e., the difference between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. That is the central finding of a long-term study of the influence of climate and climate change on trees in the Black Forest.

Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Day-plus-night cooling strategies provide a powerful and cost-effective option against heat stress for dairy cows outdoors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of extending cooling strategies for dairy cows throughout the day and night, including how these strategies could be applied to outdoor herds with a more limited physical infrastructure.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Biodiversity protects against invasions of non-native tree species      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers combined human and ecological factors to analyze the global scale of non-native tree species invasions. Human activity in hotspots of global trade, such as maritime ports, is linked to an increased likelihood of non-native tree species invasions. However, a high diversity of native tree species can help to curb the intensity of such invasions.