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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published Sweet success: Sugarcane's complex genetic code cracked
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants. Exploring sugarcane's genetic code could help researchers develop more resilient and productive crops, with implications for both sugar production and biofuels.
Published A solar cell you can bend and soak in water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed an organic photovoltaic film that is both waterproof and flexible, allowing a solar cell to be put onto clothes and still function correctly after being rained on or even washed.
Published Scientists extract genetic secrets from 4,000-year-old teeth to illuminate the impact of changing human diets over the centuries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have recovered remarkably preserved microbiomes from two teeth dating back 4,000 years, found in an Irish limestone cave. Genetic analyses of these microbiomes reveal major changes in the oral microenvironment from the Bronze Age to today. The teeth both belonged to the same male individual and also provided a snapshot of his oral health.
Published Scientists warn: The grey seal hunt is too large
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers warn that today's hunting quotas of about 3,000 animals pose a risk to the long-term survival of the grey seal in the Baltic Sea. The conclusions of this new study are based on statistics from 20th century seal hunting and predictions of future climate change.
Published New technique for predicting protein dynamics may prove big breakthrough for drug discovery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding the structure of proteins is critical for demystifying their functions and developing drugs that target them. To that end, a team of researchers has developed a way of using machine learning to rapidly predict multiple protein configurations to advance understanding of protein dynamics and functions.
Published Heat, cold extremes hold untapped potential for solar and wind energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Conditions that usually accompany the kind of intense hot and cold weather that strains power grids may also provide greater opportunities to capture solar and wind energy. A study found that widespread, extreme temperature events are often accompanied by greater solar radiation and higher wind speeds that could be captured by solar panels and wind turbines. The research, which looked at extensive heat and cold waves across the six interconnected energy grid regions of the U.S. from 1980-2021, also found that every region experienced power outages during these events in the past decade. The findings suggest that using more renewable energy at these times could help offset increased power demand as more people and businesses turn on heaters or air conditioners.
Published Looking to the past to prevent future extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Anthropologists created a computational model to predict the likelihood of animal extinctions based on the complex interaction of hunting and environmental change.
Published Combination of the climate crisis and continued deforestation may result in significant damage to the animal world
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study states that the combination of global warming and extreme heat events, alongside the continued expansion of deforestation in the world, may be devastating for many species of animals, especially those that know how to climb trees. As part of the study, the researchers focused on lizards and showed that following the effects of climate change, they will seek refuge from the hot ground by spending a lot of time on trees. However, due to human-related activities, such as deforestation, urbanization and the expansion of agricultural lands at the expense of natural lands, the availability of trees in the areas where the lizards live will decrease, and this may lead to the collapse of many populations.
Published New enzymatic cocktail can kill tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An enzymatic cocktail can kill a variety of mycobacterial species of bacteria, including those that cause tuberculosis.
Published Old immune systems revitalized in mouse study, improving vaccine response
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Those with aging immune systems struggle to fight off novel viruses and respond weakly to vaccination. Researchers were able to revitalize the immune system in mice.
Published Evolution of the most powerful ocean current on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Antarctic Circumpolar Current plays an important part in global overturning circulation, the exchange of heat and CO2 between the ocean and atmosphere, and the stability of Antarctica's ice sheets. An international research team has now used sediments taken from the South Pacific to reconstruct the flow speed in the last 5.3 million years. Their data show that during glacial periods, the current slowed; during interglacials, it accelerated. Consequently, if the current global warming intensifies in the future, it could mean that the Southern Ocean stores less CO2 and that more heat reaches Antarctica.
Published Curbside collection improves organic waste composting, reduces methane emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most organic household waste ends up in landfills where it generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Composting food and garden waste instead of sending it to landfills can significantly reduce methane emissions and help mitigate global warming. A new study explores the effects of curbside compost collection programs.
Published Researchers show that introduced tardigrade proteins can slow metabolism in human cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tardigrade proteins are potential candidates in technologies centered on slowing the aging process and in long-term storage of human cells.
Published Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study is the first to evaluate substrate recolonization by sponges in the U.S. Virgin Islands after two catastrophic storms using genetic analyses to understand how much clonality verses sexual recruitment occurs on coral reefs post-storms. Results show that populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.
Published Discovery of amino acid unveils how light makes plants open
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have uncovered a unique mechanism that regulates the opening of stomata in plants. Phosphorylation of the amino acid Thr881 on the plasma membrane proton pump plays a key role in this process. The study paves the way for the targeted manipulation of plant physiology, with potential applications in agriculture and environmental sustainability.
Published New roadmap to prevent pandemics centers on protecting biodiversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of 25 scientists has proposed a roadmap for how to prevent the next pandemic by conserving natural areas and promoting biodiversity, thereby providing animals with enough food, safe havens and distance to limit contact and the transfer of pathogens to humans.
Published New maps help decision-makers factor albedo into tree-planting decisions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides a global analysis of where restoration of tree cover is most effective at cooling the global climate system, considering not just the cooling from carbon storage but also the warming from decreased albedo. The researchers provide a tool practitioners and land managers can use to determine just how much of a problem albedo is for any reforestation or afforestation project on the globe.
Published Climate change will see Australia's soil emit CO2 and add to global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research has shown the warming climate will turn Australia's soil into a net emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), unless action is taken. Soil helps to keep the planet cool by absorbing carbon, however as the climate gets warmer its ability to retain carbon decreases -- and in some instances can start to release some carbon back into the air. A global research team has predicted the changes in the amount of carbon in Australia's soil between now and the year 2100.
Published Crackdown on illicit drugs detects rise in 'designer' drug substitutes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As authorities crack down on illicit drugs, experts have issued an alert on the use of the synthetic stimulant pentylone, as new research finds a 75% increase in detections across Australia.
Published Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.