Researchers discover a unique two-component molecular motor that uses a kind of renewable chemical energy to pull vesicles toward membrane-bound organelles.
How seaweed has been misleading scientists about reef health
For decades, scientists have used the amount of seaweed at the ocean's surface as a proxy for the health of coral reefs below. However, a new global study of more than 1,200 marine locations over a 16-year period reveals that this approach has been misleading -- and may even have...
Happy worms have healthy eggs
Researchers have exposed roundworms (a well-established model organism in biological research) to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of drugs used for treating depression and anxiety. Surprisingly, this treatment improved the quality of aging females' egg cells.
Researchers develop an additive to efficiently improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells
Perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) are a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells because of their high power-conversion efficiency and low cost. However, one of the major challenges in their development has been achieving long-term stability. Recently, a research team made a breakthrough by developing an innovative multifunctional and non-volatile...
Biofortification of microgreens with zinc could mitigate global ‘hidden hunger’
When the seeds of plants such as pea and sunflower are biofortified with zinc, the seedlings they quickly produce -- harvested as microgreens -- could both help to mitigate global malnutrition and boost the odds of people surviving a catastrophe.
Scientists discover the dynamics of an ‘extra’ chromosome in fruit flies
Most chromosomes have been around for millions of years. Now, researchers have revealed the dynamics of a new, very young chromosome in fruit flies that is similar to chromosomes that arise in humans and is associated with treatment-resistant cancer and infertility. The findings may one day lead to developing more...
Chimpanzees combine calls to communicate new meaning
Similar to humans, chimpanzees combine vocalizations into larger communicatively meaningful structures. UZH researchers suggest that this ability might be evolutionarily more ancient than previously thought.
Research reveals longstanding cultural continuity at oldest occupied site in West Africa
Stone tools recovered from near the Senegalese coast extend occupation of the region back to 150 thousand years ago and are comparable to those seen across Africa at this time, but uniquely persist in the region until 10 thousand years ago.
Frenchman mountain dolostone: 500 million-year-old grand canyon rock layer finally gets a name
A research team outlines how it identified and bestowed a moniker upon a previously unexplored 500 million-year-old Grand Canyon formation: The Frenchman Mountain Dolostone. The newly named rock layer has lain hidden in plain sight throughout the Grand Canyon for millennia, but -- until now -- geologists had not named...
Astronomers spot a star swallowing a planet
Scientists have observed a star swallowing a planet for the first time. Earth will meet a similar fate in 5 billion years.