For The Better

Plant material that lies to rot in soil isn’t just valuable as compost. In fact, agricultural crop residue plays a crucial role in sequestering carbon, which is vital for reducing global CO2 emissions.

Ancient sediments from caves have already proven to preserve DNA for thousands of years. The amount of recovered sequences from environmental sediments, however, is generally low, which complicates analyses. A study has now successfully retrieved three…

In the vicinity of black holes, space is so warped that even light rays may curve around them several times. This phenomenon may enable us to see multiple versions of the same thing. While this has been known for decades, only now do we have an exact, …

Mathematicians have created a new modeling toolkit which predicts the impact of COVID-19 at a local level with unprecedented accuracy.

Forest clearance in Southeast Asia is accelerating, leading to unprecedented increases in carbon emissions, according to new research. The findings show that forests are being cut down at increasingly higher altitudes and on steeper slopes in order to …

A new study sheds light on how the specter of dementia and chronic pain reduce people’s desire to live into older ages. Among Norwegians 60 years of age and older the desire to live into advanced ages was significantly reduced by hypothetical adverse l…

Researchers examined the number of households unable to pay for damages from coastal flooding to reveal how sea-level rise could threaten the fabric of Bay Area communities over the next 40 years.

A recent trial has shown that nose drops of modified ‘friendly’ bacteria may protect against meningitis.

Scientists reveal that during hematopoietic regeneration, RNA expressed from a part of the genome considered ‘junk DNA’ is used by hematopoietic stem cells to get activated and proliferate. The study shows that these so-called transposable elements mak…

Researchers found that a four-week training course made a substantial difference in helping special education teachers anticipate different ways students with learning disabilities might solve math problems.

An international study of parks and gardens finds even the humble roadside verge plays an important role in the environment and for our health.

A new study reviews progress on high-pressure studies on properties of iron-based superconductor (ISBC) families, and examines the use of pressure as a versatile method for exploring new materials.

Human Usher syndrome is the most common form of hereditary deaf-blindness. Researchers have now identified a novel pathomechanism leading to Usher syndrome. They have discovered that the Usher syndrome type 1G protein SANS plays a crucial role in regul…

Scientists combine two promising photocatalysts to obtain higher solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency and durability in a water splitting cell.

When it comes to post-menopausal hormone therapy, the type, route and duration all play a role in reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

A novel method of gene therapy is helping children born with a rare genetic disorder called AADC deficiency that causes severe physical and developmental disabilities. The study offers new hope to those living with incurable genetic and neurodegenerati…

Imagine sitting out in the sun, reading a digital screen as thin as paper, but seeing the same image quality as if you were indoors. It could soon be a reality. A new type of reflective screen – sometimes described as ‘electronic paper’ – offers optima…

Scientists have produced the first fine-detail molecular blueprints of a bacterial enzyme known as Lit, which is suspected to play a ‘stealthy’ role in the progression of infection by reducing the immune response. Blueprints such as these allow drug de…

The blood-brain barrier protects the brain and is notoriously hard to get past for drug delivery, making it difficult to treat disorders in the central nervous system. In a mice study, a team of researchers used a novel approach to study the barrier an…

Researchers have identified a specialized protein that appears to help prevent tumor cells from entering the bloodstream and spreading to other parts of the body.