The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body's tissues and organs. An international research team has made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such mechanisms. The findings could form the basis for new therapies for...
Socioeconomics shape children’s connection to nature more than where they live
The income and education levels of a child's environment determine their relationship to nature, not whether they live in a city or the countryside. The results run counter to the assumption that growing up in the countryside automatically increases our connection to nature, and yet the study also shows that...
Chlamydia can settle in the intestine
Chlamydiae are sexually transmitted pathogens that can apparently survive in the human gut for a long time.
Innovative field experiments shed light on biological clocks in nature
A new study has used a series of innovative field experiments to show how plants combine circadian clock signals with environmental cues under naturally fluctuating conditions.
Revealing DNA behavior in record time
Studying how single DNA molecules behave helps us to better understand genetic disorders and design better drugs. Until now however, examining DNA molecules one-by-one was a slow process. Biophysicists have developed a technique that speeds up screening of individual DNA molecules at least a thousand times. With this technology, they...
New gels could protect buildings during wildfires
Researchers have developed a sprayable gel that creates a shield to protect buildings from wildfire damage. It lasts longer and is more effective than existing commercial options.
Mosquitoes sense infrared from body heat to help track humans down
While a mosquito bite is often no more than a temporary bother, in many parts of the world it can be scary. One mosquito species, Aedes aegypti, spreads the viruses that cause over 100,000,000 cases of dengue, yellow fever, Zika and other diseases every year. Another, Anopheles gambiae, spreads the...
Fighting coastal erosion with electricity
New research has systematically demonstrated that a mild zap of electricity can strengthen a marine coastline for generations -- greatly reducing the threat of erosion in the face of climate change and rising sea levels. The new process forms natural cement between grains of sand, transforming it into solid, immoveable...
Tarantulas have surprising partnerships with other species and their hairiness may be a defense mechanism
A new study reveals that tarantulas are often on friendly terms with amphibians, reptiles, and even army ants, which are known to feed on spiders. The researchers suggest that the dense hair covering tarantulas may have in fact evolved as a defense mechanism against these predatory ants.
Gut molecule slows fat burning during fasting
In a struggle that probably sounds familiar to dieters everywhere, the less a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) worm eats, the more slowly it loses fat. Now, scientists have discovered why: a small molecule produced by the worms' intestines during fasting travels to the brain to block a fat-burning signal during...