Small and seemingly specialized, the brain’s locus coeruleus (LC) region has been stereotyped for its outsized export of the arousal-stimulating neuromodulator norepinephrine. In a recent paper and with a new grant from the National Institutes of Health, an MIT neuroscience lab is making the case that the LC is not […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Study shows forests play greater role in depositing toxic mercury across globe
A research led by a University of Massachusetts Lowell environmental science professor claims mercury measurements in a Massachusetts forest indicate the toxic element is deposited in forests across the globe in much greater quantities than previously understood. The findings of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The team’s results underscore […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
New research shows our genes shape our gut bacteria
Though most studies suggest that the gut microbiome is primarily affected by our lifestyle, including what we eat or the medications we take, a new study has found a much greater genetic component at play than was once known. In the study by the University of Notre Dame, published recently […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Researchers find how plants become good neighbours in times of stress
The scientists at the John Innes and the University of Bristol have discovered how plants manage to live alongside each other in places that are dark and shady. Moderate shade or even the threat of shade – detected by phytochrome photoreceptors – causes plants to elongate to try to outgrow the competition. But […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Researchers find quantitative evidence that stress turns hair grey
The first quantitative evidence linking psychological stress to greying hair in people has been found by researchers at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. The findings were published in the journal eLife. While it may seem intuitive that stress can accelerate greying, the researchers were surprised to discover that hair colour […]
Read Time : 2 Minutes
Scientists use NASA satellite data to track ocean microplastics from space
Scientists from the University of Michigan have developed an innovative way to use the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean. Microplastics from when plastic trash in the ocean breaks down from the sun’s rays and the motion of ocean waves. These […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Excess nitrogen puts butterflies at risk, researchers affirm
Nitrogen from agriculture, vehicle emissions and industry is endangering butterflies in Switzerland. The element is deposited in the soil via the air and has an impact on vegetation- to the detriment of the butterflies, as researchers at the University of Basel have discovered. In the journal Conservation Biology, the research team reports a connection between this unintentional […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Drone improves odor management in water treatment plants: Study
According to a new study, the results of odor monitoring by drones for environmental purposes are very positive and represent a significant advance in the field of odor management in the WWTP (Water Treatment Plants). The findings of the study were published in the journal ‘Remote Sensing’. The bad odors produced by the Waste Water […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Climate change increases extreme rainfall, chance of floods: Experts
Climate experts at the Newcastle University warn that, without urgent action, climate change will continue to cause an increase in the intensity of extreme rainfall that can lead to severe flooding. An international research team have concluded that increases in extreme rainfall and associated flooding are projected to continue as global temperatures continue to rise. Efforts to limit warming […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Study confirms invasive lionfish now threaten species along Brazilian coast
A study led by the researchers at the California Academy of Sciences confirms invasive lionfish now threaten species along the Brazilian coast; management is critical to protecting local biodiversity. Since arriving at the northern Atlantic Ocean less than 30 years ago, lionfish have quickly become one of the most widespread and voracious invasive species, negatively impacting marine […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Air quality improved during lockdown in India, study shows
Research by scientists from the University of Southampton (UK) and the Central University of Jharkhand (India) and has shown the first COVID-19 lockdown in India led to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in land surface temperature in major urban areas across the country. The study found that travel and work restrictions […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Enzymes protect skin by ignoring microbes, viruses
The human body is constantly exposed to various environmental actors, from viruses to bacteria to fungi, but most of these microbial organisms provoke little or no response from our skin, which is charged with monitoring and protecting from external dangers. During a recent study, UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers identified […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Scientists indentify viruses in human genes that damage brain development
As new study has been able to prove for the first time that activation of distinct human endogenous retroviruses, which are part of our genome, impair brain development dramatically. The findings of the study, which is originated from an international collaboration led by researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen – German Research Center for Environmental Health, could help […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Structural details of how SARS-CoV-2 variants escape immune response revealed
Fast-spreading variants of the COVID-19-causing coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, carry mutations that enable the virus to escape some of the immune response created naturally or by vaccination. A new study by a team of researchers has revealed key details of how these escape mutations work. The scientists at Scripps Research, along with […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
New research could help scientists better estimate Earth’s carbon budget
A team led by University of Minnesota researchers have discovered that deep-sea bacteria dissolve carbon-containing rocks, releasing excess carbon into the ocean and atmosphere. The findings will allow scientists to better estimate the amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere, the main driver of global warming. The study is published in The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of […]