SLOWEST ATOM DECAY..
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAround 1500 meters deep in the Italian Gran Sasso mountains is the underground laboratory LNGS (Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso), in which scientists search for dark matter particles in a lab sealed off from any radioactivity interference. Their tool is the XENON1T detector, the central part of which consists of a cylindrical tank of about one […]
Uncovering secrets of ancient rock art
Reading Time: < 1 minutePREHISTORIC rock paintings are a source of fascination across the world. Aside from their beauty, there’s deep meaning in these strokes, which depict ancient rituals and important symbols. To learn more about these murals, researchers have historically resorted to sampling methods that are damaging to the artwork, contradicting the archaeological tenets of conservation. Today, scientists […]
Genes linked with liver cancer
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, provide the first summary of the experimental evidence supporting the AKR1B10 enzyme as a promising therapeutic target for HCC, based on a review of more than 50 studies published since this gene was first identified and characterised in 1998.
Isolating eucalyptus genes for oils, biofuel
Reading Time: 2 minutesWHAT is the genetic basis for eucalyptus trees to produce that fragrant oil many of us associate with trips to the spa? Carsten Külheim, associate professor in Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, has spent the past ten years of his career studying eucalyptus. They are diverse, fast-growing species that includes […]
UNKNOWN PARENTS…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA study of phoronid larvae published recently by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama has detected eight potentially new species. “The global diversity of small, rare marine animals like phoronids is grossly underestimated,” said STRI staff- scientist Rachel Collin. “We don’t know what animals are out there, and we know even […]
DDT-AUTISM LINK…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA study of more than 1 million pregnancies in Finland reports that elevated levels of a metabolite of the banned insecticide DDT in the blood of pregnant women are linked to increased risk for autism in the offspring. An international research team led by investigators at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the […]
How chameleons change colors?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThere is a misconception about chameleons that they do this to camouflage themselves against a background. In fact, chameleons mostly change color to regulate their temperatures or to signal their intentions to other chameleons. So how do they change colors? The outermost layer of the chameleon’s skin is transparent. Beneath this are several more layers […]
Methane-consuming bacteria could be the future of fuel
Reading Time: 2 minutesDiscovery illuminates how bacteria turn methane gas into liquid methanol. KNOWN for their ability to remove methane from the environment and convert it into a usable fuel, methanotrophic bacteria have long fascinated researchers. But how, exactly, these bacteria naturally perform such a complex reaction has been a mystery. Now an interdisciplinary team at Northwestern University […]
IPBES Report is most comprehensive
Reading Time: 4 minutesCompiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries. The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive ever completed. It is the first intergovernmental Report of its kind and builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005, introducing innovative ways of evaluating evidence. Compiled by 145 expert authors from […]
A COMPLEX MIX OF SCIENCE…
Reading Time: < 1 minuteScientists have uncovered the physics behind the process — known as conching — which is responsible for creating chocolate’s distinctive smooth texture. The findings may hold the key to producing confectionary with lower fat content, and could help make chocolate manufacturing more energy efficient. A team led by the University of Edinburgh studied mixtures resembling […]