Scientists measured a sediment plume stirred up by a protoype of a deep-sea-mining vehicle to help gauge the impact of such vehicles if they are used to mine minerals like nickel and cobalt. The vehicle created a dense sediment plume that remained relatively low, staying within 2 meters of the...
Mosquitoes that can’t spread malaria engineered by scientists
Scientists have engineered mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, preventing transmission of the disease to humans.
Greek volcano mystery: Archaeologist narrows on date of Thera eruption
Archaeologists hope to settle one of modern archaeology's longstanding disputes: the date of a volcanic eruption on the Greek island of Santorini, traditionally known as Thera.
Now you don’t have to wait for smoke to know where fires are likely to occur
Scientists have developed a way to forecast which of the Great Basin's more than 60 million acres have the highest probability of a large rangeland fire. The forecasts come from a model developed by the researchers that combines measures of accumulated annual and perennial grass vegetation that is potential fire...
Improved air quality accelerates global warming in recent decades
An international research team has used satellite data to demonstrate that concentrations of pollutant particles have decreased significantly since the year 2000. This is desirable due to their impact on health. But it is also of great significance for another reason, since it has reduced the particles' cooling effect on...
Chemical cocktail in skin summons disease-spreading mosquitoes
Mosquitoes that spread Zika, dengue and yellow fever are guided toward their victims by a scent from human skin. The exact composition of that scent has not been identified until now.
Gel treats gum disease by fighting inflammation
A topical gel that blocks the receptor for a metabolic byproduct called succinate treats gum disease by suppressing inflammation and changing the makeup of bacteria in the mouth, according to a new study.
Fish to help in search for MS drugs
The zebrafish serves as a model organism for researchers around the world: it can be used to study important physiological processes that also take place in a similar form in the human body. It is therefore routinely used in the search for possible active substances against diseases. Researchers have now...
Plant breeding: Using ‘invisible’ chromosomes to pass on packages of positive traits
The ideal crop plant is tasty and high-yielding while also being resistant to diseases and pests. But if the relevant genes are far apart on a chromosome, some of these positive traits can be lost during breeding. To ensure that positive traits can be passed on together, researchers have used...
Climate change may impact marine environments more than anything else
Promoting the sustainable development of marine environments requires planning, just as we have long had spatial planning for land-based activities. Now researchers are showing that marine planning must take climate change into consideration.