Scientists examined the bitterness intensity of five medicines and two bitter modifiers in 338 adults of European descent and recent US and Canadian immigrants from Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Bitterness ratings differed by ancestry for two of the five drugs and the effectiveness of some modifiers. They also found...
Iron oxides act as natural catalysts to unlock phosphorus to fuel plant growth
Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers report iron oxides can drive the same conversion at comparable rates as enzymes. The study adds yet another missing piece to nature's mysterious phosphorus cycle that can be used to fuel plant...
White blood cells use brute force to dislodge bacteria
A vivid new image is taking shape in the world of cell biology: Imagine bacteria adhering to the surface of a cell, perhaps at the site of an injury or wound. In response, a white blood cell arrives at the scene. This cell encircles the pathogen with its membrane, forming...
Breakthrough with biofuel: How alcohol damages microbes that produce it
Researchers achieved a breakthrough in understanding the vulnerability of microbes to the alcohols they produce during fermentation of plant biomass.
Using computer science to save the bees
Researchers have created a system to help beekeepers monitor and analyze the health of their beehives and take corrective actions to prevent colony collapse -- when a majority of the worker bees abandon the colony and its queen. Beehives use thermoregulation to ensure the hive temperature stays between 33 and...
Ideal Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates in Corn Belt Have Been Climbing for Decades, Study Shows
The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, according to new Iowa State University research.
SwRI, U-Michigan Engineers Create More Effective Burner to Reduce Methane Emissions
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the University of Michigan (U-M) have published a new study showing an advanced new methane flare burner, created with additive manufacturing and machine learning, eliminates 98% of methane vented during oil production.
Warming Brings Heavy Snowfall to Greenland, Replenishing Some Lost Ice
A single storm in 2022 dumped enough snow on Greenland to replace 8 percent of ice lost that year.
Study establishes ‘ball and chain’ mechanism inactivates key mammalian ion channel
A new study has unveiled a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a 'ball-and-chain' channel-plugging mechanism. The findings boost the understanding of ion channel biology and could lead to new drugs that target these channels to treat disorders such...
1,400 species found in guts of Asian hornets
A study of Asian hornets has found about 1,400 different species in their guts.