For The Better

Succinic acid is an important precursor for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and also serves as a component in biodegradable plastics. It is currently derived mainly from petroleum-based processes. Researchers are using the marine bacterium Vibrio …

In the context of trade-offs between land use and biodiversity, geographers have simulated land saving potentials for agriculture.

A research team has provided an important clue to the origin of the element Ytterbium in the Milky Way, by showing that the element largely originates from supernova explosions. The groundbreaking research also provides new opportunities for studying t…

Researchers have determined that a gene linked to feeling touch may moonlight as an olfactory gene. That’s the conclusion drawn from studying a very small, transparent worm that shares many similarities with the human nervous system.

Study shows how blocking cellular housekeeping system leads to buildup and spread of abnormal protein aggregates in the brain.

Falls are a leading cause of hospitalization and institutionalization for older adults in the U.S. and fall prevention efforts are an important part of geriatric education and health.

Scientists have been trying to build devices that could diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) through odor compounds on the skin. Now, researchers have developed a portable, artificially intelligent olfactory system, or ‘e-nose,’ that could someday diagnos…

A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy, as captured in a new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.

A rare exoplanet which orbits around two stars at once has been detected using a ground-based telescope. The planet, called Kepler-16b, has so far only been seen using the Kepler space telescope. It orbits around two stars, with the two orbits also orb…

Smoking by mothers during the period immediately before and after conception is linked to a delay in embryonic development, smaller fetuses at the time of the 20-week ultrasound scan, and lower birth weight.

A research team has estimated concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in breast milk — and raise the need for more research.

Scientists depict the early development of pain-sensing and movement-sensing neurons in the face and throat. The findings reveal a previously unexplored feature of brain and cranial nerve development underlying eating, swallowing, and speech.

A new study shows how certain RNA molecules control the repair of damaged DNA in cancer cells, a discovery that could eventually give rise to better cancer treatments.

A chemical used in electric vehicle batteries could also give us carbon-free fuel for space flight, according to new research.

Stretchy films and squishy gels help make wearable electronics, soft robotics and biocompatible tissues a reality. But too much force can cause these polymers to break apart without warning. To detect stress before it’s too late, researchers show they …

Space travel can be agonizingly slow: For example, the New Horizons probe took almost 10 years to reach Pluto. Traveling to Proxima Centauri b, the closest habitable planet to Earth, would require thousands of years with even the biggest rockets. Now, …