Using nanopore DNA sequencing technology, researchers have managed to scan a single protein: by slowly moving a linearized protein through a tiny nanopore, one amino acid at the time, the researchers were able to read off electric currents that relate to the information content of the protein. The new single-molecule...
Montana Lake study reveals how invasive species affect native food webs
Invasive species cause biodiversity loss and about $120 billion in annual damages in the U.S. alone. Now, thanks to a new collaborative study, there is greater insight into how invasive species progressively affect native food webs in mountain lakes.
Green transition creates new risks and rewards
Different countries face different risks and opportunities as the world switches from fossil fuels to renewable energy, researchers say.
Revealing the ramifications of ocean acidification for coralline algae
Researchers have revealed that most coralline algae experience negative effects from ocean acidification. Analysis of previous studies showed that changes in ocean chemistry can lead to declines in calcification rates, abundance, growth, and recruitment of coralline algae, but some species showed greater resilience than others. Ocean acidification was revealed as...
Single molecule controls unusual ants’ switch from worker to queen-like status
Depending on the outcome of social conflicts, ants of the species Harpegnathos saltator do something unusual: they can switch from a worker to a queen-like status known as gamergate. Now, researchers have made the surprising discovery that a single protein, called Kr-h1, responds to socially regulated hormones to orchestrate this...
Nanoscale self-assembling salt-crystal ‘origami’ balls envelop liquids
Mechanical engineers have devised a technique of 'crystal capillary origami' where salt crystals spontaneously encapsulate liquid droplets. The process offers a new method of nanostructure encapsulation for applications in food industries, drug delivery and even medical devices.
Underground tests dig into how heat affects salt-bed repository behavior
Scientists have just begun the third phase of a years-long experiment to understand how salt and very salty water behave near hot nuclear waste containers in a salt-bed repository.
Experimental drug boosts immunotherapy effectiveness in pancreatic cancer in mice
An experimental drug enhanced the benefit of an immunotherapy to fight pancreatic cancer in mice by increasing the number of immune cells in the immediate vicinity of the tumor, leading to a reduction in tumor growth, and in some mice, eliminating their cancer.
Pangolin trafficking: Nigeria’s illegal trade
With Asian species dangerously depleted, global black markets have turned to Africa, and Nigeria has become the continent's pangolin trafficking 'hub'. Just Nigeria-linked pangolin seizures in the last decade alone amount to at least 800,000 -- but possibly close to a million -- animals, according to a new study. The...
Impaired wild mice survive and thrive as well as unimpaired counterparts
A new study assessed 26 years of monitoring data on wild populations of white-footed mice -- representing more than 27,244 animals -- and found that mice with missing or deformed limbs, tails, or eyes persisted at a rate similar to their unimpaired counterparts.