PHYSorg

Just as a flashlight casts a broader beam than the brightest candle when walking along a darkened trail, so too does long-read genomic sequencing seem to clarify a broader genomic picture of DNA mutations than short-read sequencing.

Many astonishingly creative people have lived lives cut tragically short by illness. Johannes Vermeer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jane Austen, Franz Schubert and Emily Brontë are some famous examples.

Hundreds of volunteers descended on the beaches of the North Sea coast this weekend to collect sea shells as a measure of the sea's biological diversity.

Antarctica is an icy place today, but the ice extended even further during past ice ages. The question of how and where life survived on land in the icy continent, through the ages, has long puzzled biologists.

Phosphorus is a natural mineral that is essential for plant growth and development, and Earth's agricultural-grade phosphorus reserves are expected to be depleted in 50 to 100 years. A new discovery by researchers at Michigan State University and the Carnegie…

As a key food supply declines, the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales, known to frequent the Salish Sea off the coasts of Washington and British Columbia, is spending far less time in that region, a new study shows.

A new Paper Park Index (PPI) developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia's Sea Around Us initiative helped identify 55 marine protected areas (MPAs) across the world where enough fishing takes place to contravene the protection status…

Pesticide use must be reduced. The EU has set a target to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030. Therefore, a strong focus on integrated weed management must be maintained in the coming years. When it comes to weeds, the focus has mainly been on improving the…

A new study into how sunscreen affects freshwater ecosystems suggests the impact may be less alarming than first thought—and raises new questions about whether lab-based studies into environmental contaminants are accurately reflecting what happens in the…

In a new study, researchers have found that little brown bats suffering from white-nose syndrome (WNS) greatly increased their foraging activity at artificial bug buffets. The buffets, located near hibernation sites, will help bats to increase their fat…

Fungicide application, while helpful in controlling plant diseases, has complicated limitations that may cost growers both peace of mind and quantity of yield. Plant pathogens which would otherwise be killed off by fungicides can evolve to avenge their dead…

Plastic pollution poses a threat to marine wildlife. The plastic bags, bottles and straws that we see strewn across beaches have long been identified as a danger. But tiny fragments of plastic—called microplastics—that are less than 5mm in size are also a…

Induced pluripotent stem cells offer great therapeutic potential and are a valuable tool for understanding how different diseases develop. New research shows that such stem cell lines should be regularly screened for genetic mutations to ensure the accuracy of…

The UK has a strange relationship with its woodlands. Trees and woods form part of the national identity, yet with only about 13% tree cover, it is one of the least wooded countries in Europe.

There are few sights more joyful than a dog bounding through the countryside. But for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, the experience is quite different.

Feeding 8 billion humans requires ingenuity and innovation. Zhenlei Xiao is an associate professor in residence in the UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Department of Nutritional Sciences and her research focuses on tiny,…

With chatbots like ChatGPT making a splash, machine learning is playing an increasingly prominent role in our lives. For many of us, it's been a mixed bag. We rejoice when our Spotify For You playlist finds us a new jam, but groan as we scroll through a slew…

A team of climate scientists and biologists from Universidade do Porto, in Portugal, working with colleagues from the University of Montana and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, both in the U.S., has found that jackrabbits living in mountainous areas,…

A parasite which has devastating impacts on agriculture and human health is the first pathogen to have its proteins located and mapped within its cells—providing clues to their function and helping to identify potential drug targets.

Large-scale afforestation in arid and semi-arid areas is one of the most effective approaches to combat desertification at present. Afforestation by aerial sowing is an effective measure that can promote vegetation restoration without subsequent artificial…

Soybean production is very limited in China. To increase the soybean yield, there is an urgent need to develop soybean varieties that can grow and adapt to the vast areas of saline, alkaline and arid lands.

Prof. Huang Qing's group from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has made progress on red-light-promoted photoautotrophic growth of Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis) and the related carbon fixation…

Kittens and cats, whether they live indoors or outdoors, can be exposed to diseases caused by viruses or bacteria. Vaccinations help protect our feline friends by preventing the spread of these diseases and boosting their body's defense against potentially…

Cyanobacteria are the earliest known oxygenic photosynthetic organisms on Earth, and they played decisive roles in the evolution of the environment and the life on our planet. Cell morphology and cell size of different cyanobacteria species vary widely, but…

Protected areas (PAs) are essential for biodiversity conservation but are threatened by cropland expansion. Recent studies predicted that approximately 500 million ha of additional croplands will be required in 2050 to address global food demand, which will…

Different types of exercise encourage the formation of different types of muscle fibers, or the cells that make up your muscles. Slow twitch muscle fibers support endurance activities like long-distance running, while fast twitch fibers are needed for short,…

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare, inherited condition characterized by patches of blisters appearing mainly in the skin folds of the arm pits, groin and under the breasts. It is caused by a mutation in the gene that codes for a specific protein involved in the…

Microplastic pollution reduces energy production in a microscopic creature found in freshwater worldwide, new research shows.

The presence of the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) was documented in Honduras for the first time after 43 years. The record is from a site of the forest management plan called "Las Lechuzas," municipality of Concordia, department of Olancho. Apart…

As a child, Dong Van Canh watched while the rice fields of Vietnam's Mekong Delta were set alight to make way for the next crop, blackening the sky and flooding the air with potent greenhouse gases.