Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Earth Science
Published

Epiphytes, amazing plants like moss and bromeliads found in trees, face growing threats      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Epiphytes, plants such as orchids and mosses that grow in trees, draw nutrients from the air and create refuge for all sorts of other life forms. They are the foundation of forest canopy ecosystems, but they are facing threats from human and natural disturbances.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Ecotoxicity testing of micro- and nano-plastics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of researchers has published the first harmonized exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General
Published

The medicine of the future could be artificial life forms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Imagine a life form that doesn't resemble any of the organisms found on the tree of life. One that has its own unique control system, and that a doctor would want to send into your body. It sounds like a science fiction movie, but according to nanoscientists, it can—and should—happen in the future.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
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New research may make future design of nanotechnology safer with fewer side effects      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study may offer a strategy that mitigates negative side effects associated with intravenous injection of nanoparticles commonly used in medicine.

Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Carbon-capture tree plantations threaten tropical biodiversity for little gain, ecologists say      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The increasingly urgent climate crisis has led to a boom in commercial tree plantations in an attempt to offset excess carbon emissions. However, authors argue that these carbon-offset plantations might come with costs for biodiversity and other ecosystem functions. Instead, the authors say we should prioritize conserving and restoring intact ecosystems.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
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Bioengineering breakthrough increases DNA detection sensitivity by 100 times      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have pushed forward the boundaries of biomedical engineering one hundredfold with a new method for DNA detection with unprecedented sensitivity.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
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Wearable sensor to monitor 'last line of defense' antibiotic      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have combined earlier work on  painless microneedles with nanoscale sensors to create a wearable sensor patch capable of continuously monitoring the levels of a ‘last line of defense’ antibiotic.

Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General
Published

Improved mangrove conservation could yield cash, carbon, coastal benefits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A shift in the way we think about the benefits mangroves provide to coastal regions could yield significant economic and biodiversity gains and protect millions from flooding, research has revealed.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Technology Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers dynamically tune friction in graphene      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The friction on a graphene surface can be dynamically tuned using external electric fields, according to researchers.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

3D-printed plasmonic plastic enables large-scale optical sensor production      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed plasmonic plastic -- a type of composite material with unique optical properties that can be 3D-printed. This research has now resulted in 3D-printed optical hydrogen sensors that could play an important role in the transition to green energy and industry.

Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
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Plastic cloud: New study analyzes airborne microplastics in clouds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Plastic waste that accumulates on land eventually ends up in the ocean as microplastics. However, it is now speculated that microplastics are also present in the atmosphere, contained in clouds. In a new study, researchers analyzed cloud water samples from high-altitude mountains in Japan to ascertain the amount of microplastics in them. They also shed light on how these airborne particles influence cloud formation and their negative impact on the climate.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General
Published

Strength is in this glass's DNA      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists were able to fabricate a pure form of glass and coat specialized pieces of DNA with it to create a material that was not only stronger than steel, but incredibly lightweight.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss -- especially when those protected areas are in less disturbed landscapes and in countries with effective national governance. A new study looked at how amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds fared in protected versus unprotected areas worldwide. Vertebrate abundance decreased five times more slowly inside protected areas, offering much-needed support for the United Nations' '30 by 30' conservation initiative.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Crystallization as the driving force      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have successfully developed nanomaterials using a so-called bottom-up approach. They exploit the fact that crystals often grow in a specific direction during crystallization. These resulting nanostructures, which appear as 'worm-like and decorated rods,' could be used in various technological applications.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Water Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Oceanography
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Ocean acidification makes ecologically important seaweed species fragile      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ocean acidification will likely almost triple by the end of the century -- a drastic environmental change that could impact important marine species like fleshy seaweeds, algae that grow vertically and promote biodiversity in more than a third of the world's coastline. To get a better idea of how seaweeds might fare in a rapidly acidifying ocean, a team of marine scientists subjected a common fleshy seaweed species to the acidification levels expected by the end of the century. They report that increased acidification impacted the seaweed's chemical balance, made both its structure and its tissues weaker, and reduced its overall chances of survival.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Physics: General
Published

Nanofluidic device generates power with saltwater      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There is a largely untapped energy source along the world's coastlines: the difference in salinity between seawater and freshwater. A new nanodevice can harness this difference to generate power.

Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Greenwashing a threat to a 'nature positive' world      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have identified the threat greenwashing poses to a 'nature positive' world, one where environmental decline halts and biodiversity outcomes improve.