Researchers analyzed more than 500,000 motion-sensor camera trap images taken at a Northern California reserve in the years before and after the Mendocino Complex Fire to understand how the blaze impacted small- and medium-sized mammals. The study is one of the first to compare wildlife observations made before and after...
Bot inspired by baby turtles can swim under the sand
This robot can swim under the sand and dig itself out too, thanks to two front limbs that mimic the oversized flippers of turtle hatchlings. It's the only robot that is able to travel in sand at a depth of 5 inches. It can also travel at a speed of...
PFAS reduce the activity of immune cells, study suggests
Because they are persistent, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are also known as 'chemicals for eternity'. They can lead to liver damage, thyroid disorders, obesity, hormonal disorders, and cancer. A team of researchers has now shown that PFAS can also reduce the activity of human immune cells and thus impair...
Life on Earth didn’t arise as described in textbooks
No, oxygen didn't catalyze the swift blossoming of Earth's first multicellular organisms. The result defies a 70-year-old assumption about what caused an explosion of oceanic fauna hundreds of millions of years ago.
What causes mudslides and floods after wildfires? Hint: It’s not what scientists thought
Scientists once assumed that flooding and mudslides after wildfires were linked to the waxy coating that builds up on charred soil, preventing water absorption. Researchers found that water flow came from absorbed water in both burnt and unburnt areas, suggesting that water was, in fact, being absorbed into burnt ground....
Immune cells in single file
There is news from the immune system: Dendritic cells migrate in a network along the outside of blood vessels. Local cytokines keep this dynamic network stable.
All about the Benjamins: Researchers decipher the secrets of Benjamin Franklin’s paper money
During his career, Benjamin Franklin printed nearly 2,500,000 money notes for the American Colonies using what the researchers have identified as highly original techniques.
In Florida, endangered coral finds a way to blossom
In a new study, researchers have found that the restoration efforts of the critically endangered species elkhorn coral depend largely on the animal's location, microbiome, and the right conditions to provide an abundance of food.
Building better lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery
Pharmaceutical scientists and biologists are teaming up to make the next generation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for drug delivery. Combining structural biology with cutting edge pharmaceutical science, the team is designing LNPs that can precisely deliver vaccines and therapeutics to target tissues while improving the product's shelf life and duration...
Form and function of island and mainland plants
Oceanic islands provide useful models for ecology, biogeography and evolutionary research. Many ground-breaking findings -- including Darwin's theory of evolution -- have emerged from the study of species on islands and their interplay with their living and non-living environment. Now, an international research team has investigated the flora of the...