Researchers reveal how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements. The findings not only provide novel insights into this fundamental biological mechanism but also have potential practical applications. Gyrases are biomedical targets for the treatment of bacterial infections and the similar human versions of the enzymes are targets for many anti-cancer drugs....
Researchers identify new genetic risk factors for persistent HPV infections
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to cancer, and a new finding suggests that certain women may have a genetic susceptibility for persistent...
Africa’s iconic flamingos threatened by rising lake levels
It is one of the world's most spectacular sights -- huge flocks or 'flamboyances' of flamingos around East Africa's lakes -- as seen in the film Out of Africa or David Attenborough's A Perfect Planet. But new research has revealed how the lesser flamingo is at danger of being flushed...
PFAS Exposure From High Seafood Diets May Be Underestimated
Study stresses the need to set safety standards for “forever chemicals” in seafood.
Food Scientists are Finding Ways to Preserve Food Quality and Ensure Food Safety
Sometimes the processing that makes food safe can compromise flavor and nutrients, but food scientist Jennifer Acuff is looking for a way to make food safe and minimize loss of quality.
Addressing the Colorado River Crisis
Sustaining the American Southwest is the Colorado River. But demand, damming, diversion, and drought are draining this vital water resource at alarming rates.
Rock permeability, microquakes link may be a boon for geothermal energy
Using machine learning, researchers have tied low-magnitude microearthquakes to the permeability of subsurface rocks beneath the Earth, a discovery that could have implications for improving geothermal energy transfer.
Flamingos Threatened by Rising African Lake Levels
New research led by King’s College London has revealed how the Lesser Flamingo is in danger of being flushed from its historic feeding grounds, with serious consequences for the future of the species.
Nanoscale movies shed light on one barrier to a clean energy future
New research is shedding light on one barrier to a clean energy future: corrosion. Using nanoscale imaging techniques, researchers have captured high-resolution videos of tiny crystals of ruthenium dioxide -- a key ingredient used to produce clean-burning hydrogen -- as they are eaten away by their acidic environment. The research...
Oxidant pollutant ozone removes mating barriers between fly species
Researchers show that ozone levels, such as those found in many places on hot summer days today, destroy the sex pheromones of fruit fly species. As a result, some natural mating boundaries maintained by species-specific pheromones no longer exist. The research team has shown in experiments that flies of different...