Environment

How can computer models help design microbial communities? Researchers examined the development perspectives of so-called synthetic biology. In a new article, they explain why computer-aided biology has an important role to play. How can computer models help design microbial communities? Within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre CRC1535 "MibiNet" coordinated by Heinrich Heine University

A new article analyzes in depth the physical problems associated with DNA packaging that have often been neglected in structural models of chromosomes. The study demonstrates that the multilaminar organization of DNA, proposed from previous experimental research, is fully compatible with the structural and functional properties of chromosomes. This organization can be explained by weak

Researchers have found that microbial communities in the mouse GI tract are unevenly distributed, which influences immune cell populations. Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center of Max Delbrück Center and Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin (ECRC) have found that different anatomical sections of the gastrointestinal tracts of mice carry different compositions of microbial communities.

Through genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9, researchers stably create euglena mutants that can produce wax esters with improved cold flow, making the esters suitable as feedstock for biofuels. News about biofuels sometimes mentions used cooking oil as a feedstock, but if these substances contain animal fat, they can solidify in colder temperatures. This happens because, chemically

A new study reveals that plant-derived secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) can act as mediators of plant-plant interactions. This research was conducted through the cooperation of chemical ecologists, plant ecophysiologists and atmospheric physicists. A new study published in Science reveals that plant-derived secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) can act as mediators of plant-plant interactions. This research was

Extremely clean air on the ground, warm air intrusions and sulphate aerosol at high altitudes -- a research project has gained new insights into clouds in Antarctica. Leipzig/Bremerhaven. Extremely clean air on the ground, warm air intrusions and sulphate aerosol at high altitudes -- a Leipzig research project has gained new insights into clouds in

Most rechargeable batteries that power portable devices, such as toys, handheld vacuums and e-bikes, use lithium-ion technology. But these batteries can have short lifetimes and may catch fire when damaged. To address stability and safety issues, researchers have designed a lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery that features an improved iron sulfide cathode. One prototype remains highly stable

In a new study, researchers have determined through both statistical analysis and in experiments that soil pH is a driver of microbial community composition -- but that the need to address toxicity released during nitrogen cycling ultimately shapes the final microbial community. Though a founding concept of ecology suggests that the physical environment determines where

A promising Lassa fever vaccine shows potential to prevent severe disease and death in animals. Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Maryland Baltimore, in collaboration with the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and the Geneva Foundation, have developed a promising new vaccine candidate that protects against Lassa

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) with its gigantic statues and treeless landscape has fascinated researchers for centuries. A new genetic study disproves the popular theory that the Rapanui population collapsed as a result of an 'ecocide' and shows that the Rapanui admixed with Indigenous Americans centuries before Europeans arrived on the island. Rapa Nui or Te

A new study found 22% of adults and 10% of children who participated in an air-quality study in California's San Joaquin Valley were breathing detectable levels of pesticides. Research from UC Davis Health found that 22% of adults and 10% of children who took part in an air-quality study in California's San Joaquin Valley were

Rapa Nui (Easter Island) with its gigantic statues and treeless landscape has fascinated researchers for centuries. A new genetic study disproves the popular theory that the Rapanui population collapsed as a result of an 'ecocide' and shows that the Rapanui admixed with Indigenous Americans centuries before Europeans arrived on the island. Rapa Nui or Te