Engineering enzymes to help solve the planet’s plastic problem
Researchers have developed a new enzyme engineering platform to improve plastic degrading enzymes through directed evolution.
Science & Technology
Vanilla cultivation on fallow land promotes biodiversity
How can biodiversity be preserved whilst securing the economic livelihood of smallholder farmers growing vanilla in Madagascar? There is a way, according to a new study. The research team shows that vanilla plantations established on fallow land do not…
Tweaking turbine angles squeezes more power out of wind farms
New algorithm forces turbines in wind farms to be team players, boosting energy output overall.
Alcohol use can alter gut microbes, but not in the way you might think
In mouse studies, researchers find that excess alcohol consumption alters gut microbiome but latter is not directly or significantly linked to liver disease.
Astronomers confirm star wreck as source of extreme cosmic particles
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope confirms one supernova remnant as a launch site for some of our galaxy’s highest-energy protons.
Repurposed drug could help patients with motor neuron disease
A drug typically used to treat enlarged prostates and high blood pressure has shown promise as a potential new therapy for motor neuron disease (MND) — also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — according to a new study.
Stormwater management ponds may not hold the solution for depleting wetlands
Relying on stormwater management (SWM) ponds to restore the depleting wetlands is not sustainable and lacks the critical ecosystem services vital for biodiversity, a new study found.
COVID-19 genomic recombination is uncommon but disproportionately occurs in spike protein region, study shows
An analysis of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes finds that recombination of the virus is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is most often in the spike protein region, the area which allows the virus to attach to and infect host cells.
Study finds that sound plus electrical body stimulation has potential to treat chronic pain
A team has found that electrical stimulation of the body combined with sound activates the brain’s somatosensory cortex, increasing the potential for using the technique to treat chronic pain and other sensory disorders.
First stars and black holes
Just milliseconds after the universe’s Big Bang, chaos reigned. Atomic nuclei fused and broke apart in hot, frenzied motion. Incredibly strong pressure waves built up and squeezed matter so tightly together that black holes formed, which astrophysicist…
Vegetarian women are at a higher risk of hip fracture
A study of over 26,000 middle-aged UK women reveals those with a vegetarian diet had a 33% higher risk of hip fracture compared to regular meat-eaters.