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Categories: Ecology: Extinction, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published Fast-track strain engineering for speedy biomanufacturing
(via sciencedaily.com) Using engineered microbes as microscopic factories has given the world steady sources of life-saving drugs, revolutionized the food industry, and allowed us to make sustainable versions of valuable chemicals previously made from petroleum. But behind each biomanufactured product on the market today is the investment of years of work and many millions of dollars in research and development funding. Scientists want to help the burgeoning industry reach new heights by accelerating and streamlining the process of engineering microbes to produce important compounds with commercial-ready efficiency.
Published Researchers discover a new species of larger benthic foraminifer from the Ryukyu Islands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international group of researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of large foraminifer, shedding new light on the ecological evolution and biodiversity of coral reefs in the Ryukyu Islands.
Published Laser-based ice-core sampling for studying climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed a new laser-based sampling system for studying the composition of ice cores taken from glaciers. The new system has a 3-mm depth-resolution and is expected to help reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes that occurred thousands to hundreds of thousands of years ago, which will help scientists understand climate change in the past and present.
Published Cheap and efficient catalyst could boost renewable energy storage
(via sciencedaily.com) Storing renewable energy as hydrogen could soon become much easier thanks to a new catalyst based on single atoms of platinum.
Published Glacier Loss Day indicates record breaking glacier melt
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the summer of 2022, one of Tyrol's largest glaciers experienced its most significant loss of mass on record. Last year, the Hintereisferner in Tyrol, Austria, reached its Glacier Loss Day (GLD) earlier than ever before. The GLD serves as an indicator of a glacier's health throughout the year, similar to how the Earth Overshoot Day measures Earth's resource consumption.
Published RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows the isolation and sequencing of more than a century-old RNA molecules from a Tasmanian tiger specimen preserved at room temperature in a museum collection. This resulted in the reconstruction of skin and skeletal muscle transcriptomes from an extinct species for the first time. The researchers note that their findings have relevant implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including both the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth, as well as for studying pandemic RNA viruses.
Published The pace of climate-driven extinction is accelerating
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Studying a lizard species in Arizona mountains, researchers found 70 years' worth of climate-related extinction occurred in only seven years.
Published Why do some environmental shocks lead to disaster while others don't?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It's no longer just about stopping, but how we can live with climate change. To figure this out, we must delve into our cultures. A new study points out how our history could help guide the way.
Published What is the carbon footprint of a hospital bed?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers completed an assessment of a hospital to reveal its total environmental footprint and specific carbon emission hotspots.
Published Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070
(via sciencedaily.com) The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Published Pearl Harbor: Bombed battleships' boost for climate science
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new research paper tells the story of the recovery of World War II weather data from 19 US Navy ships thanks to the hard work of over 4,000 volunteers.
Published Study shows replanting logged forests with diverse mixtures of seedlings accelerates restoration
(via sciencedaily.com) • Twenty-year experiment finds that active replanting beats natural recovery for restoring logged tropical forests. • The higher the diversity of replanted tree species, the more quickly canopy area and biomass recovered. • Results emphasize the importance of preserving biodiversity in pristine forests and restoring it in recovering logged forest.
Published Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
(via sciencedaily.com) Results provide the first measurements of how sea-ice algae and other single-celled life adjust to the dramatic seasonal rhythms in the Southern Ocean. The results provide clues to what might happen as this ecosystem shifts under climate change.
Published Genetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have genetically engineered a marine microorganism to break down plastic in salt water. Specifically, the modified organism can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a plastic used in everything from water bottles to clothing that is a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans.
Published Researchers call for major reforms of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG Summit a decisive moment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With research showing that the SDGs have had little political impact, the September 18-19 UN SDG Summit must pave the way for four major changes in how the SDGs are implemented and governed globally, argues an international group of sustainability experts.
Published Rivers are rapidly warming, losing oxygen; aquatic life at risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rivers are warming and losing oxygen faster than oceans, according to a new article. The study shows that of nearly 800 rivers, warming occurred in 87% and oxygen loss occurred in 70%.
Published Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
Published Breakthrough: Highly efficient electrocatalyst for clean energy
(via sciencedaily.com) A research team has achieved a groundbreaking advancement in nanomaterials by successfully developing a highly efficient electrocatalyst which can enhance the generation of hydrogen significantly through electrochemical water splitting. This major breakthrough has great application potential for the clean energy industry.
Published Earth's stability and ability to support civilization at risk: Six of nine planetary boundaries exceeded
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study updates the planetary boundary framework and shows human activities are increasingly impacting the planet and, thereby, increasing the risk of triggering dramatic changes in overall Earth conditions.
Published Electrifying vehicles in Chicago would save lives, reduce pollution inequities
(via sciencedaily.com) If the Chicago region replaced 30% of all on-road combustion-engine vehicles -- including motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, buses, refuse trucks and short- and long-haul trucks -- with electric versions, it would annually save more than 1,000 lives and over $10 billion, according to a new study.