PHYSorg · Page 22

Alpine ecosystems are especially vulnerable to climate change, and many of them are already experiencing rapid warming that is associated with noticeable shifts in alpine vegetation.

Scientists have uncovered the genetic underpinnings of one of the ocean's most bizarre animals: a branching marine worm named Ramisyllis kingghidorahi that lives inside sea sponges and reproduces in a truly extraordinary way. Living hidden in tropical waters,…

A vanishing species of whale gave birth to few babies this birthing season, raising alarms among scientists and conservationists who fear the animal could go extinct.

Seed plants, such as soybeans, store large amounts of protein in specialized organelles called protein storage vacuoles. These proteins not only sustain seedling growth but also serve as a major source of dietary protein for humans and livestock.

Rye products, such as black bread or pumpernickel, are not only considered as being typically German. They are also often marketed as being particularly rustic and traditional. However, rye has only been part of the human diet for a relatively short period of…

Cranes are some of the world's most majestic birds, with 15 species found globally. Four of these are found in Africa. The wattled crane in South Africa was in decline, but seems to have turned a corner. Its numbers have increased from just 188 birds in 2000…

An unprecedented international effort to decode how cells manage the transport of chemical substances has culminated in four studies published in Molecular Systems Biology.

Swarming is one of the principal forms of bacterial motility facilitated by flagella and surfactants. It plays a distinctive role in both disease and healing. For example, in urinary tract infections (UTIs), swarming bacteria can aggressively migrate across…

Curtin University research has revealed that high densities of European honey bees could be harming Australian native bees' fitness by reducing their reproductive success and altering key traits linked to survival.

The body defends itself against pathogens by depriving them of vital iron. However, this strategy doesn't always succeed against Salmonella. Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered that these bacteria specifically target iron-rich regions within…

A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has released a long-term, high-resolution dataset that tracks global cropland water-use efficiency (WUE) from 2001 to 2020. Published in Scientific Data,…

The demand for the widely used cancer drug Taxol is increasing, but it's difficult and expensive to produce because it hasn't been possible to do it biosynthetically. Until now, that is. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have cracked the last part…

Fertilizer might be stronger than we thought. A new international study featuring faculty members at Binghamton University, State University of New York found that fertilizer can help plants survive short-term periods of extreme drought, findings which could…

People have assumed climate change solutions that sequester carbon from the air into soils will also benefit crop yields. But a new study from Cornell University finds that most regenerative farming practices to build soil organic carbon—such as planting…

Bacteria can do it, amoebas can do it, even blood cells can do it: They all have the ability to move in a goal-oriented way in liquids. And they do so despite having extremely simple structures without a central control system (such as a brain). How can this…

If DNA bridges persist between chromosomes during cell division, chromosomes are abnormally segregated, leading to genetic instability and cancer. Researchers at UNIST and IBS have experimentally revealed for the first time how a critical protein acts as a…

A study published in the journal Coral Reefs reveals that heat-tolerant symbiotic algae may be essential to saving elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)—a foundational species in Caribbean reef ecosystems—from the devastating impacts of marine heat waves and…

On an island off the coast of Panama lives a population of wild primates with a remarkable culture. White-faced capuchins on Jicarón Island in Coiba National Park use stone tools; and scientists have been monitoring this unique tradition with an array of…

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have shown that mice use chemical cues, including odors, to detect the social rank of an unfamiliar mouse and compare it to their own, using this information to determine their behavior.

New research shows that Australians care deeply about the Great Barrier Reef (GBR)—one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World—but 13% can't tell you where it is located.