Environment

Testing for levels of microplastic contamination in marine plankton aims to help develop new ways to assess and manage the rising global pollution problem, experts say. Researchers examined the effects of five different chemical digestive aids on common plastics using low, medium and high levels of zooplankton. Testing for levels of microplastic contamination in marine

Fruit flies walking on minature treadmills are helping scientists learn how the nervous system enables animals to move in an unpredictable and complex world. The researchers engineered these small-scale machines from inexpensive parts. The treadmills are used in studies of how fruit flies recognize and deal with unexpected changes underfoot while they are walking. Fruit

High-quality feline induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have now been generated. The feline iPSCs are also footprint- and feeder-free. Further research using these stem cells is expected to elucidate the pathogenesis of cats' chronic kidney disease and develop therapeutic agents. A common image of cats today comes in the form of cute cat memes online

Wastewater treatment could be more effective using foamed plastic carriers in the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process, a research team has found. Their study showed that biofilm formation increased by 44 times compared with smooth plastic carriers. For the sake of the environment and our quality of life, effective treatment of wastewater plays a

The most frequently used mpox vaccine provides partial immunity to the disease but isn't always able to prevent severe symptoms or disease transmission. A new vaccine candidate from Moderna, mRNA-1769, more effectively limits symptoms and disease duration in primates that were infected with a lethal strain of the mpox virus when compared to a currently

Biologists have discovered a new species of paua mollusk (also known as abalone) off New Zealand. The naming of a new species of pāua (abalone mollusk) further highlights the importance of biodiversity research in Aotearoa. Described in a study led by the University of Otago -- Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and the Museum of New Zealand

A model developed by evolutionary mathematicians shows that as conditions for cooperation improve between two species, mutually beneficial behavior can unexpectedly become unbalanced. Cooperative behavior pools in one species, the other consumes the spoils. Darwin was puzzled by cooperation in nature -- it ran directly against natural selection and the notion of survival of the

Researchers are turning to zebrafish to unlock the secrets of place cells, which play a crucial role in forming mental maps of space, social networks, and abstract relationships. Until now, place cells have only been found in mammals and birds, leaving the question of how other species internally represent the external world largely unanswered. Researchers

Researchers have identified the seasonal and climate-based cycles of Valley fever, an emerging but dangerous fungal disease spread through dust in the air. Valley fever is an emerging fungal disease in the western United States that most often causes flu-like symptoms, but can also cause dangerous or even deadly complications. By analyzing data on reported

An atmospheric river brought warm, moist air to the coldest and driest corner of the planet in 2022, pushing temperatures 70 degrees above average. A new study reveals what happened to Antarctica's smallest animals. Summer 2024 is on track to be the hottest on record for hundreds of cities across the U.S. and globe. Even

Scientists have suspected that modern humans have more genes to digest starch than our hunter-gatherer ancestors, but the amylase locus of the genome is hard to study. Researchers have now developed new methods to isolate the multiple amylase genes and compare the locus to ancient genomes. They found that amylase gene number has increased from

Researchers have quantified the effect of dark brown carbon on snow melt. Wildfires leave potent climate heaters behind in their wake, particles that enhance the absorption of sunlight and warm the atmosphere. Dropped on snow like a wool poncho, these aerosols darken and decrease the surface reflectance of snowy places. But it was not yet