Environment

In a new study, researchers show how a simple system using woodchips and a bit of glorified sawdust --- designer biochar --- can dramatically reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and multiple common drugs in wastewater. What happens to ibuprofen after it eases your throbbing headache? Like many pharmaceuticals, it can remain in an active form when our

Scientists have generated the genome assemblies of two hidden-neck turtles, unpublished until now. The results, which revealed a new three-dimensional structure of the genome within the phylogenetic group of reptiles, birds and mammals, will contribute to the development of more effective turtle conservation strategies, and to the study of the evolution of the genome and

Household food waste is an important contributor to global food loss and waste and greenhouse gas emissions, but not much is known about what types of food are wasted the most and by whom. Now, researchers investigated the relationship between food waste, food type, and various socioeconomic and demographic factors. Their findings will help us

The drought that lasted through the summer of 2022 was especially intense and caused the soil in many regions of Europe to dry out substantially. Public discussions about the causes repeatedly broached the question of the extent to which climate change intensified this extreme weather event. A research team has now discovered that more than

Scientists have discovered the earliest evidence of animal butchery by humans in India. During the late middle Pleistocene, between 300 and 400 thousand years ago, at least three ancient elephant relatives died near a river in the Kashmir Valley of South Asia. Not long after, they were covered in sediment and preserved along with 87

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding how air pollution forms at the molecular level. Their investigation sheds light on the complex chemical processes occurring at the boundary between liquid, in particular aqueous solutions, and vapor in our atmosphere. A team of researchers at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in

How can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? It is one of the most fundamental questions in science: how can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? Bert Poolman, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Groningen, has been working on this problem for over twenty years. He aims to

Researchers have cracked the code of plant-to-fungi communication in a new study. Using baker's yeast, the researchers discovered that the plant hormone strigolactone (SL) activates fungal genes and proteins associated with phosphate metabolism, a system that is key to growth. This insight into how fungi respond to chemical signals at the molecular level could lead

An international study has found that genetic variations in human carbohydrate-active enzymes may affect how people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) respond to a carbohydrate-reduced diet. An international study has found that genetic variations in human carbohydrate-active enzymes may affect how people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) respond to a carbohydrate-reduced diet. The research, which

Plants adapt their water consumption to environmental conditions by counting and calculating environmental stimuli with their guard cells. Plants control their water consumption via adjustable pores (stomata), which are formed from pairs of guard cells. They open their stomata when there is a sufficient water supply and enough light for carbon dioxide fixation through photosynthesis.

Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a new assessment. The research is expected to improve Earth system simulations that scientists use to predict the future climate, and spotlights the importance of natural carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas mitigation. Plants the world over are absorbing about

A collaboration between is improving hurricane forecasting by incorporating the effects of sea spray into the models that predict hurricane behavior. Hurricanes are massive, complex systems that can span hundreds of miles as they swirl around the low pressure of the storm's eye. In such a complicated situation, predicting how powerful a hurricane will grow