The Alongshan virus was discovered in China only five years ago. Now researchers have found the novel virus for the first time in Swiss ticks. It appears to be at least as widespread as the tickborne encephalitis virus and causes similar symptoms. The team is working on a diagnostic test...
Reading the room: Humans struggle to identify aggression in dogs, other humans
Researchers showed participants videos of human, dog, and macaque pairs to determine how well humans assess social interactions.
Built to last: The perovskite solar cells tough enough to match mighty silicon
Researchers have demonstrated a new way to create stable perovskite solar cells, with fewer defects and the potential to finally rival silicon's durability.
Meteorites plus gamma rays could have given Earth the building blocks for life
Even as detailed images of distant galaxies from the James Webb Space Telescope show us more of the greater universe, scientists still disagree about how life began here on Earth. One hypothesis is that meteorites delivered amino acids -- life's building blocks -- to our planet. Now, researchers have experimentally...
Meet Squeegee: A new contamination detection tool for low microbial biomass microbiomes
One of the major challenges in microbiome science has been distinguishing what is a potential environmental contaminant from a true, bona fide microbiome signal in low biomass studies -- studies that contain little microbial DNA like breastmilk, placenta or amniotic fluid. For instance, it can be challenging to differentiate between...
Warming climate spurs harmful oxygen loss in lakes
New research shows a continually warming world is leading to extended, late-summer weeks of water stratification in lakes, which prompts oxygen deprivation in the water -- provoking conditions called hypoxia (low oxygen) and anoxia (no oxygen) -- and negative consequences for fish and other species.
New antimalarial drug requires higher doses to cure infection
A new antimalarial drug is being introduced at a dose that is too low to be effective for all patients who need it, according to a new report.
‘Unwinding’ chromosomes: A unique perspective on determinants of chromosomal width
Mitotic chromosomes are pivotal for the inheritance of genetic material. Now, it is already known that chromosomes vary in dimensions among organisms. But what governs mitotic chromosomal size and degree of DNA compaction? Scientists investigated mitotic chromosome formation to find answers and have revealed that within a species, the chromosomal...
How neurons regulate their excitability autonomously
Nerve cells can regulate their sensitivity to incoming signals autonomously. A new study has now discovered a mechanism that does just that.
Researchers propose new structures to harvest untapped source of freshwater
An almost limitless supply of fresh water exists in the form of water vapor above Earth's oceans, yet remains untapped, researchers said. A new study suggests an investment in new infrastructure capable of harvesting oceanic water vapor as a solution to limited supplies of fresh water in various locations around...