Environment

A researcher has found evidence that the treeless, rugged, grassland landscape of the Falkland Islands was home to a lush, diverse rainforest up to 30 million years ago. A researcher from the University of Southampton (UK) has found evidence that the treeless, rugged, grassland landscape of the Falkland Islands was home to a lush, diverse

A research team has developed a computational workflow for analyzing large data sets in the field of metabolomics, the study of small molecules found within cells, biofluids, tissues, and entire ecosystems. A research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has developed a computational workflow for analyzing large data sets in the

Researchers have found microplastics less than 300 m in size in coral skeletons. The team developed a new protocol to extract and detect microplastics and applied it to coral samples from the Gulf of Thailand. The finding may also explain the 'missing plastic problem,' where about 70% of plastic in the oceans cannot be found.

Researchers have shown that they can generate a strong immune response against HIV with two doses of a vaccine given one week apart. One major reason why it has been difficult to develop an effective HIV vaccine is that the virus mutates very rapidly, allowing it to evade the antibody response generated by vaccines. Several

Diastatic yeasts can spoil craft beer through hyperattenuation, which boosts the alcohol content and causes bottles to explode. Killer toxins, which are produced by other yeast strains, hint at a remedy. When diastatic strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or brewer's yeast, land in the wrong place, they can become a craft beer brewer's nightmare. Diastatic yeasts

Findings suggest that new genes can form by repurposing fragments of ancestral genes while incorporating entirely new coding regions (the protein-coding parts of the DNA). This innovative concept bridges the gap between entirely new gene formation from noncoding regions and the more traditional model in which new functions can arise from duplicated genes. Where do

A study reveals that current methods of designing and evaluating wildlife corridors may not be adequate to ensure wildlife protection, and suggests that Best Management Practices should include analyzing corridors with a smarter and more thorough framework. Researchers tested different wildlife corridor designs against black bear movement data in Florida and found that each achieved

A new study highlights the role of natural killer T cells in influencing the immune response to dengue virus, potentially reducing the severity of subsequent infections. As the dengue virus continues to be a significant global health concern, an international research team led by Duke-NUS Medical School has identified a critical link between the body's

Scientists have discovered the cuisine preferences of two resident killer whale populations, also known as orcas: the Alaska residents and the southern residents, which reside primarily in the Salish Sea and off the coast of Washington, British Columbia, Oregon and northern California. The two populations show broad preference for salmon, particularly Chinook, chum and coho.

An international group of researchers says two decades of research have generated sufficient knowledge about the sources and effects of microplastics to allow world leaders to agree measures to address them. The argument comes 20 years after the first ever study to coin the term microplastics to describe the microscopic fragments of plastics in our

Linnaeus collected 643 different plant species that were then fed to horses, cows, pigs, sheep and goats. The results were carefully compiled but not analyzed until now, 275 years later. Are cows pickier eaters than goats? To answer this question, Carl Linnaeus collected 643 different plant species that were then fed to horses, cows, pigs

Lavas from hotspots - -whether erupting in Hawaii, Samoa or Iceland -- likely originate from a worldwide, uniform reservoir in Earth's mantle, according to an evaluation of volcanic hotspots. Lavas from hotspots -- whether erupting in Hawaii, Samoa or Iceland -- likely originate from a worldwide, uniform reservoir in Earth's mantle, according to an evaluation