Science & Technology
Common weed may be ‘super plant’ that holds key to drought-resistant crops
A common weed harbors important clues about how to create drought resistant crops in a world beset by climate change. Scientists describe how Portulaca oleracea, commonly known as purslane, integrates two distinct metabolic pathways to create a novel t…
‘Simple yet powerful’: Seeing cell secretion like never before
A research team has developed an assay that is versatile, low-cost and adaptable to any laboratory setting and has the potential to provide a more comprehensive look at proteins secreted by cells than the widely used existing assays.
Locusts can ‘sniff’ out human cancer
Researchers have shown that locusts can not only ‘smell’ the difference between cancer cells and healthy cells, but they can also distinguish between different cancer cell lines.
New study explores cell receptor crucial for cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of death around the world. A primary contributor to these afflictions is high blood pressure, or hypertension. While treatments exist for the condition, which affects tens of millions of Americans, these r…
Researchers gain insights into the genetic and molecular machinery that predisposes individuals to Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers have achieved an unprecedented understanding of the genetic and molecular machinery in human microglia — immune cells that reside in the brain — that could provide valuable insights into how they contribute to the development and progress…
New recommendations aim to ease patient access to lung cancer clinical trials
A clinical trial is only as powerful as its participants. For years, researchers have struggled to fill clinical trials and enroll sufficiently diverse groups of patients for results to reflect the broader population, in part because of stringent guide…
The many ways nature nurtures human well-being
A systematic review of 301 academic articles on ‘cultural ecosystem services’ has enabled researchers to identify how these nonmaterial contributions from nature are linked to and significantly affect human well-being. They identified 227 unique pathwa…
Nutrition solution can help heat-stressed cows as US warms
Rising temperatures pose major challenges to the dairy industry — a Holstein’s milk production can decline 30 to 70% in warm weather — but a new study has found a nutrition-based solution to restore milk production during heat-stress events, while al…
When a task adds more steps, this circuit helps you notice
By tracking feedback during tasks, the anterior cingulate cortex notices when a new step has become necessary and signals the motor cortex to adjust, a new neuroscience study shows.
The value of seagrass to the planet’s future is far greater than appreciated
Experts at the forefront of efforts to restore the UK’s coastal seagrass meadows say the remarkable plant’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development goals deserves to be reassessed. Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows actually contributes t…
Ragweed allergy: Aggressiveness of pollen is determined by its place of origin and by the environment
The different geographic and climatic regions from which ragweed pollen originates, as well as the degree of environmental pollution, may influence the severity of allergic reactions such as hay fever and asthma. Pollen from plants in different areas e…
Signs of disturbance in nearby dwarf galaxies indicate an alternative gravity theory
According to the standard model of cosmology, the vast majority of galaxies are surrounded by a halo of dark matter particles. This halo is invisible, but its mass exerts a strong gravitational pull on galaxies in the vicinity. A new study challenges t…
How learning about wellbeing can benefit university students’ own wellbeing
Studying wellbeing science as part of their courses could be a key way of improving how today’s students cope with the barrage of stressors they face. Students are a high-risk population for mental ill-health and face increasing academic demands, lonel…
Digital support for reduced alcohol consumption
A digital support tool on your phone can help if you want to reduce your alcohol consumption. Researchers have developed and evaluated a digital tool which helps individuals reduce their alcohol intake on their own.
A brain mechanism underlying the evolution of anxiety
New research using genome editing technology has allowed scientists to create a model and assess a gene mutation associated with neuropsychiatric disorders in humans. The study has revealed how the mutation functions in the brain and affects anxiety an…
B vitamins can potentially be used to treat advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Scientists have found that elevated blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine correlate strongly with the severity of an advanced form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. They also found vitamin B12 and folic acid could be used to prevent and…
New study calculates retreat of glacier edges in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park
As glaciers worldwide retreat due to climate change, managers of national parks need to know what’s on the horizon to prepare for the future. A new study has measured 38 years of change for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park south of Anchorage and …