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

New study provides first comprehensive look at oxygen loss on coral reefs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study is providing an unprecedented examination of oxygen loss on coral reefs around the globe under ocean warming. The study captures the current state of hypoxia -- or low oxygen levels -- at 32 different sites, and reveals that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs.

Biology: Evolutionary Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: General Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

How fishermen benefit from reversing evolution of cod      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Intense fishing and over-exploitation have led to evolutionary changes in fish stocks like cod, reducing both their productivity and value on the market. These changes can be reversed by more sustainable and far-sighted fisheries management. A new study shows that reversal of evolutionary change would only slightly reduce the profit of fishing, but would help regain and conserve natural genetic diversity.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Low-cost device can measure air pollution anywhere      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Flatburn is an open-source, mobile pollution detector intended to let people measure air quality cheaply.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Compressive stress shapes the symmetry of Arabidopsis root vascular tissue      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A cytokinin-mediated, proliferation-based mechanism is involved in the generation and maintenance of cell-type specific tissue boundaries during vascular development in Arabidopsis roots. Specifically, the HANABA-TARANU transcription factor forms a feed-forward loop to cytokinin signaling, which in turn regulates the position and frequency of cell proliferation of proto-vascular cells such that mechanical stress of the surrounding tissues guides growth in an apical-oriented manor, maintaining cell patterning throughout the tissue section.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Where the HI-Virus sleeps in the brain      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 is able to infect various tissues in humans. Once inside the cells, the virus integrates its genome into the cellular genome and establishes persistent infections. The role of the structure and organization of the host genome in HIV-1 infection is not well understood. Using a cell culture model based on brain immune microglia cells, an international research team has now defined the insertion patterns of HIV-1 in the genome of microglia cells.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Cellular waste removal differs according to cell type      (via sciencedaily.com) 

'Miniature shredders' are at work in each cell, disassembling and recycling cell components that are defective or no longer required. The exact structure of these shredders differs from cell type to cell type, a study now shows. For example, cancer cells have a special variant that can supply them particularly effectively with building blocks for their energy metabolism.

Energy: Fossil Fuels Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Rsearchers examine combined effects of two combustion technologies on the emission of coal-fired boilers      (via sciencedaily.com) 

There is currently a large dependence on coal for power generation. As coal-fired plants cause environmental and health hazards, technologies such as swirl flow and air staging have been proposed to mitigate the pollutants in their emissions. However, it is unclear how effective these technologies are in reducing the environmental costs of these plants. Now, researchers have provided insights on this front in a new study, delineating their efficacies with experiments and simulations.

Biology: Cell Biology Chemistry: Biochemistry Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Genetics as conservation tool for endangered chimpanzees      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, researchers have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species. These data provide an important baseline to assess the impact of mining.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular
Published

Researchers highlight nucleolar DNA damage response in fight against cancer      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have now encapsulated the young field of nucleolar DNA damage response (DDR) pathways. A new review highlights six mechanisms by which cells repair DNA damage. By attacking these mechanisms, future applied researchers will be able to trip up cancer's reproduction and growth.

Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Review of world water resources      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A recent review study provides an overview of the planet's freshwater supplies and strategies for sustainably managing them.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Making sense of scents: Deciphering our sense of smell      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Breaking a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction, scientists have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step in deciphering the sense of smell.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Molecular
Published

Scientists discover key information about the function of mitochondria in cancer cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study represents a first step towards generating highly detailed 3-dimensional maps of lung tumors using genetically engineered mouse models.

Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography
Published

Recovering tropical forests offset just one quarter of carbon emissions from new tropical deforestation and forest degradation      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A pioneering global study has found deforestation and forests lost or damaged due to human and environmental change, such as fire and logging, are fast outstripping current rates of forest regrowth.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Designing more useful bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In a step forward for genetic engineering and synthetic biology, researchers have modified a strain of Escherichia coli bacteria to be immune to natural viral infections while also minimizing the potential for the bacteria or their modified genes to escape into the wild.

Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Propeller advance paves way for quiet, efficient electric aviation      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Electrification is seen as having an important role to play in the fossil-free aviation of tomorrow. But electric aviation is battling a trade-off dilemma: the more energy-efficient an electric aircraft is, the noisier it gets. Now, researchers have developed a propeller design optimization method that paves the way for quiet, efficient electric aviation.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

'Glow-in-the-dark' proteins could help diagnose viral diseases      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Despite recent advancements, many highly sensitive diagnostic tests for viral diseases still require complicated techniques to prepare a sample or interpret a result, making them impractical for point-of-care settings or areas with few resources. But now, a team has developed a sensitive method that analyzes viral nucleic acids in as little as 20 minutes and can be completed in one step with 'glow-in-the-dark' proteins.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
Published

New study finds early warning signs prior to 2002 Antarctic ice shelf collapse      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In 2002, an area of ice about the size of Rhode Island dramatically broke away from Antarctica as the Larsen B ice shelf collapsed. A new study of the conditions that led to the collapse may reveal warning signs to watch for future Antarctic ice shelf retreat, according to a new scientists.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Air pollution impairs successful mating of flies      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team demonstrates that increased levels of ozone resulting from anthropogenic air pollution can degrade insect sex pheromones, which are crucial mating signals, and thus prevent successful reproduction. The oxidizing effect of ozone causes the carbon-carbon double bonds found in the molecules of many insect pheromones to break down. Therefore, the specific chemical mating signal is rendered dysfunctional. The researchers show this effect in the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster and nine other species of the genus Drosophila. Most remarkably, the disrupted sexual communication also led to male flies exhibiting unusual mating behavior towards ozonated males of their own species.

Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular
Published

Molecular component of caffeine may play a role in gut health      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new study explores exactly what leads to the generation of Th17 cells -- an important subtype of cells in the intestine -- and uncovers some of the underappreciated molecular players and events that lead to cell differentiation in the gut.