ScienceDaily: All - November 26, 2023
Today's top research news
Decoding cell fate: Key mechanism in stem cell switch identified
Stem cells can differentiate to replace dead and damaged cells. But how do stem cells decide which type of cell to become in a given situation? Using intestinal organoids, scientists identified a new gene, Daam1, that plays an essential role, switching on the development of secretory cells in the intestine. This finding opens new perspectives in cancer research.
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Separating out signals recorded at the seafloor
Research shows that variations in pyrite sulfur isotopes may not represent the global processes that have made them such popular targets of analysis and interpretation. A new microanalysis approach helps to separate out signals that reveal the relative influence of microbes and that of local climate.
'Dolomite Problem': 200-year-old geology mystery resolved
For 200 years, scientists have failed to grow a common mineral in the laboratory under the conditions believed to have formed it naturally. Now, researchers have finally pulled it off, thanks to a new theory developed from atomic simulations. Their success resolves a long-standing geology mystery called the 'Dolomite Problem.' Dolomite -- a key mineral in the Dolomite mountains in Italy, Niagara Falls, the White Cliffs of Dover and Utah's Hoodoos -- is very abundant in rocks older than 100 million years, but nearly absent in younger formations. The lessons learned from the Dolomite Problem can help engineers manufacture higher-quality materials for semiconductors, solar panels, batteries and other tech.
How shipwrecks are providing a refuge for marine life
New research has highlighted how the estimated 50,000 wrecks around the UK coastline are protecting the seabed, and the species inhabiting it, in areas still open to bottom-towed fishing.
A fifth higher: Tropical cyclones substantially raise the Social Cost of Carbon
Extreme events like tropical cyclones have immediate impacts, but also long-term implications for societies. A new study now finds: Accounting for the long-term impacts of these storms raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20 percent, compared to the estimates currently used for policy evaluations. This increase is mainly driven by the projected rise of tropical-cyclone damages to the major economies of India, USA, China, Taiwan, and Japan under global warming.
AI recognizes the tempo and stages of embryonic development
How can we reliably and objectively characterize the speed and various stages of embryonic development? With the help of artificial intelligence! Researchers present an automated method.
Study provides fresh insights into antibiotic resistance, fitness landscapes
A new study suggests that E. coli bacteria may have a higher capability to evolve antibiotic resistance than previously believed. Researchers mapped possible mutations in an essential E. coli protein involved in antibiotic resistance and found that 75% of evolutionary paths led to high antibiotic resistance, challenging existing theories about fitness landscapes in evolutionary biology. This discovery may have broader implications for understanding adaptation and evolution in various fields.
