Researchers have cracked the code behind how plants make mitraphylline, a rare cancer-fighting molecule. Their discovery of two critical enzymes explains how nature builds complex spiro-shaped compounds. The work paves the way for sustainable, lab-based production of valuable natural medicines. Supported by international collaborations, the findings spotlight plants as powerful...
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Tracking Microplastics From Sea to Body
On the edge of California’s Monterey Bay, ecologist Matthew Savoca and a team of volunteers sift through sand and seawater for microplastics, one of the planet’s most pervasive forms of pollution.
Can Solar Farms Become Future Refuges for Bumblebees?
Solar farms could become important refuges for bumblebees in Britain, a new study reveals - though their benefits only go so far.
Glowing shark and hidden crab found deep off Australia
In a stunning glimpse into the mysteries of the deep, scientists have uncovered two new marine species off Western Australia—a glowing lanternshark and a tiny porcelain crab. The discoveries, made from specimens collected during a 2022 CSIRO research voyage, highlight both the dazzling adaptations of life in the deep sea...
Study Finds Sea-Level Projections From the 1990s Were Spot On
Global sea-level change has now been measured by satellites for more than 30 years, and a comparison with climate projections from the mid-1990s shows that they were remarkably accurate, according to two Tulane University researchers whose findings appear in Earth's Future, an open-access journal published by the American Geophysical Union.
UAlbany Chemists Create New High-Energy Compound to Fuel Space Flight
University at Albany chemists have created a new high-energy compound that could revolutionize rocket fuel and make space flights more efficient.
Tiny Cell Messengers in Obese Individuals Accelerate Alzheimer’s Linked Plaque Buildup in the Brain
Obesity has long been acknowledged as a risk factor for a wide range of diseases, but a more precise link between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease has remained a mystery – until now.
New Imaging Tech Promises to Help Doctors Better Diagnose and Treat Skin Cancers
A University of Arizona research team will receive nearly $2.7 million from the NIH's Common Fund Venture Program to advance next-generation imaging technologies that allow deeper, clearer views inside the body without the need for invasive procedures.
Tree-ring Data Sheds Light on Past and Present Summer Climate Extremes
A new study led by scientists at the University of Arizona used historical tree-ring data to study a key driver for widespread, extreme summer weather events: locked jet stream wave patterns that are often preceded by winter La Niña conditions in the Pacific.
Concrete “Battery” Developed at MIT Now Packs 10 Times the Power
Improved carbon-cement supercapacitors could turn the concrete around us into massive energy storage systems.