ScienceDaily: Environment - January 18, 2025
Top environment research news
Researchers (plus dogs) discover new truffle species
Researchers, citizen scientists and their 'truffle dogs' -- have discovered two new species of truffle. Tuber canirevelatum, meaning the 'dog-found' truffle, was named in honor of truffle dogs and Monza, the dog who discovered it with her trainer Lois Martin. The other, Tuber cumberlandense, was named for the Cumberland Plateau where it was found by Margaret Townsend and her truffle dog, Luca.
Bacteria in polymers form cables that grow into living gels
Experiments and modeling reveal the unexpected structure that can be seen in bacteria grown in mucus samples and biofilms.
Rotavirus protein NSP4 manipulates gastrointestinal disease severity
Researchers have improved our understanding of how rotavirus, the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in children, makes people sick. The study is among the first to show that the rotavirus protein NSP4 is both necessary and sufficient for multiple aspects of rotavirus infection by disrupting calcium signaling not only within infected cells but also in nearby uninfected cells. These disruptions in calcium signaling affect rotavirus disease severity, providing new insights into how NSP4's function influences rotavirus virulence. The findings suggest that manipulating NSP4 could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat rotavirus infections.
Direct measurements can reduce uncertainty in soil carbon credit markets
Scientists find a 'measure and remeasure' approach is a feasible method of verifying soil carbon storage in croplands for climate mitigation.
Three million years ago, our ancestors were vegetarian
Human ancestors like Australopithecus -- which lived around 3.5 million years ago in southern Africa -- ate very little to no meat, according to new research. This conclusion comes from an analysis of nitrogen isotope isotopes in the fossilized tooth enamel of seven Australopithecus individuals. The data revealed that these early hominins primarily relied on plant-based diets, with little to no evidence of meat consumption.
Reading the genome and understanding evolution: Symbioses and gene transfer in leaf beetles
Scientists explored the evolutionary success of leaf beetles, the most diverse herbivores on Earth. They showed that symbioses with bacteria have evolved repeatedly and independently in different beetle lineages, and contribute significantly to the efficient digestion of plant food. These symbiotic relationships provide clues as to how genetic material was exchanged between bacteria and beetles. Key findings highlight the role of horizontal gene transfer, the incorporation of foreign bacterial genetic material into the beetle genome, which is thought to be the result of earlier symbioses. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of microbial partnerships and genetic exchange in shaping the dietary adaptations of leaf beetles, which facilitated the evolutionary success of leaf beetles.
Microbial cell factories may help get to the root of understudied plant molecules
A new tool could make it easier to study scarce plant molecules. Researchers have developed so-called microbial cell factories -- using E. coli and yeast -- to produce a special class of plant hormones, known as strigolactones, at unprecedented levels. By amplifying production of strigolactones, which occur in such low amounts in plants, researchers now have the ability to study these elusive plant molecules in much greater depth than before. The work could help improve sustainable agricultural practices by offering deeper insights into how plants make and use their natural hormones to adapt and survive.
Increasingly common since 1980, persistent multi-year droughts will continue to advance with the warming climate, warns a new study. This publicly available forty-year global quantitative inventory seeks to inform policy regarding the environmental impact of human-induced climate change. It also detected previously 'overlooked' events.
Quantum engineers 'squeeze' laser frequency combs to make more sensitive gas sensors
Scientists use devices known as frequency comb lasers to search for methane in the air above oil and gas operations and to screen for signs of infection in human breath. A new study could help make these sensors even more precise.
How climate change may alter hydrology of grassland ecosystems
New research reveals that drought and increased temperatures in a CO2-rich climate can dramatically alter how grasslands use and move water. The study provides the first experimental demonstration of the potential impacts of climate change on water movement through grassland ecosystems, which make up nearly 40% of Earth's land area and play a critical role in Earth's water cycle.
The ins and outs of quinone carbon capture
Engineering researchers have developed carbon capture systems that use molecules called quinones, dissolved in water, as their capturing compounds. A new study provides critical insights into the mechanisms of carbon capture in these safer, gentler, water-based electrochemical systems, paving the way for their further refinement.
Gene-edited soil bacteria could provide third source of nitrogen for corn production
If corn was ever jealous of soybean's relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, advancements in gene editing could one day even the playing field. A recent study shows that gene-edited bacteria can supply the equivalent of 35 pounds of nitrogen from the air during early corn growth, which may reduce the crop's reliance on nitrogen fertilizer.
Dung data: Manure can help to improve global maps of herbivore distribution
Detailed livestock models are important for land-use planning, disaster relief and food insecurity.
Mind's eye: Pineal gland photoreceptor's 2 genes help fish detect color
Researchers have elucidated how a single photoreceptor in the pineal gland of zebrafish detects color.
Scientists have unveiled insights into how HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, skillfully hijacks cellular machinery for its own survival. By dissecting the molecular interplay between the virus and its host, the researchers identified novel strategies that HIV-1 employs to ensure its replication while suppressing the host's cellular defenses.
Sophisticated early warning system: How bacteria respond to threats
Researchers have discovered that bacteria can sense threats in advance through a general danger signal. Bacteria detect when nearby cells are dying and proactively form a protective biofilm. Understanding how bacteria communicate and respond to threats is crucial for combating infections.
Volcanic eruption caused Neolithic people to sacrifice unique 'sun stones'
4,900 years ago, a Neolithic people on the Danish island Bornholm sacrificed hundreds of stones engraved with sun and field motifs. Archaeologists and climate scientists can now show that these ritual sacrifices coincided with a large volcanic eruption that made the sun disappear throughout Northern Europe.
Asteroid impact sulfur release less lethal in dinosaur extinction
Previous studies have posited that the mass extinction that wiped the dinosaurs off the face of the Earth was caused by the release of large volumes of sulfur from rocks within the Chicxulub impact crater 66 million years ago. A new study questions this scenario. Using groundbreaking empirical measurements of sulfur within the related Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary layer, the international team has demonstrated that the role of sulfur during the extinction has been overestimated.
Thawing permafrost threatens up to three million people in Arctic regions
In an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, an international team examined the social risks for Arctic regions associated with thawing permafrost. They identified five key risks related to infrastructure, transport and supply, water quality, food security and health. The scientists found that the thawing permafrost posed an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and release of contaminants, and interruptions of supply routes.
The synchronization of data from two natural climate archives -- a speleothem from the Herbstlabyrinth Cave in Hesse (Germany) and ice cores from Greenland -- offers new insights into the chronology of abrupt climate changes in Central Europe. According to the analysis, the devastating eruption of the Laacher See volcano in what is now Rhineland-Palatinate occurred earlier than previously assumed and hence could not have triggered the sudden-onset cold period of approximately 13,000 years ago, geoscientists have found.
Robots should be repurposed rather than recycled to combat rising scale of e-waste, scientists warn
The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, researchers have advised.
A new study analyzing a lake formed by a glacier surge in the Karakoram Mountains has revealed how satellite images can be used to monitor the potential for lake drainage hazards.
Pioneering research exposes huge loss of glaciers in one of the fastest-warming places on Earth
A new study has revealed the alarming extent glaciers have shrunk over the past 40 years in a global warming hotspot -- and the biggest retreat has occurred in recent years.
Biochar reduces the risks of DDT-contaminated soil
DDT soil pollution is still a major problem in many parts of the world. Researchers have developed a new method to manage ecological risks from the toxin by binding it with biochar. When they mixed biochar into contaminated soil at a former tree nursery, DDT uptake by earthworms in the soil was halved. This method may enable the growing of certain crops on land that is currently considered unusable due to the environmental risks.
East Asia meets Europe in Lower Austria
Researchers carried out an archeogenetic study of human remains from more than 700 individuals from the Early Middle Ages. Two large burial sites, Modling and Leobersdorf, have been genetically analyzed in their entirety. The surprising result was that the individuals from Leobersdorf were mostly of East Asian origin, while those buried in Modling mostly had European ancestry. Both communities lived next to each other for at least six generations.
Cavity-nesting birds decorate with snake skin to deter predators
When a bird drapes its nest with snake skin, it isn't just making an interesting decor choice. Researchers find that for some birds, it keeps predators at bay.
New study provides insight into how some species thrive in dark, oxygen-free environments
A new study sheds light on how a species of foraminifera, single-celled organisms found in almost all marine habitats, thrives in a dark, oxygen-free environment.
DNA motors found to switch gears
Scientists have discovered that the protein machines that shape our DNA can switch direction. Until now, researchers believed that these so-called SMC motors that make loops into DNA could move in one direction only. The discovery is key to understanding how these motors shape our genome and regulate our genes.
Mussel bed surveyed before World War II still thriving
A mussel bed in Northern California is as healthy and biodiverse as it was about 80 years ago, when two young students surveyed it shortly before one was sent to fight in World War II. Resampling the site reveals a thriving mussel bed community that also shows the mark of climate change.
Research using non-toxic bacteria to fight high-mortality cancers prepares for clinical trials
Scientists have made 'exciting,' patient-friendly advances in developing a non-toxic bacterial therapy, BacID, to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly into tumors. This emerging technology holds promise for very safe and more effective treatment of cancers with high mortality rates, including liver, ovarian and metastatic breast cancer.
Early humans adapted to harsh conditions more than a million years ago
A long-standing question about when archaic members of the genus Homo adapted to harsh environments such as deserts and rainforests has been answered in a new research paper.
NASA celebrates Edwin Hubble's discovery of a new universe
For humans, the most important star in the universe is our Sun. The second-most important star is nestled inside the Andromeda galaxy. Don't go looking for it -- the flickering star is 2.2 million light-years away, and is 1/100,000th the brightness of the faintest star visible to the human eye. Yet, a century ago, its discovery by Edwin Hubble opened humanity's eyes as to how large the universe really is, and revealed that our Milky Way galaxy is just one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe ushered in the coming-of-age for humans as a curious species that could scientifically ponder our own creation through the message of starlight.
Clouds have a surprising effect on surface warming
Researchers have discovered that changes in clouds are slightly mitigating global warming. While greenhouse gases continue to cause temperatures to rise, a reduction in low-cloud cover over land has brought about a modest reduction of the amount of heat being trapped close to ground level.
Pesticide impacts on bees more complex than expected
A new study shows distinct effects of neonicotinoid pesticide exposure in different bumble bee body parts, explaining why pesticides have diverse harmful effects and highlighting the need for more sensitive safety testing. The study shows pervasive effects 'akin to aging or cancer',
New research helps eliminate dead zones in desalination technology and beyond
Engineers have found a way to eliminate the fluid flow 'dead zones' that plague the types of electrodes used for battery-based seawater desalination. The new technique uses a physics-based tapered flow channel design within electrodes that moves fluids quickly and efficiently, potentially requiring less energy than reverse osmosis techniques currently require.
Mosquitoes can be extra-bitey in droughts
Mosquitoes can survive prolonged droughts by drinking blood, which helps to explain why rates of mosquito-borne illness don't always decline in dry periods.
The proteins that make cell-to-cell cargo transport possible
Scientists have revealed the secret to the structural integrity of tiny particles that transport cargo from cell to cell through blood vessels and bodily fluids: special proteins that keep their membranes intact as they negotiate shifting electrical impulses in different biological environments.
This fast and agile robotic insect could someday aid in mechanical pollination
New insect-scale microrobots can fly more than 100 times longer than previous versions. The new bots, also significantly faster and more agile, could someday be used to pollinate fruits and vegetables.
Conquest of Asia and Europe by snow leopards during the last Ice Ages uncovered
Scientists have identified fossils of snow leopards. The discovery has allowed them to trace the evolutionary history of the species during the Quaternary period and to propose how it dispersed from the Tibetan plateau to the Iberian Peninsula, far from the high and icy Himalayan mountains.
Protein protects biological nitrogen fixation from oxidative stress
A research team has discovered how the 'Shethna protein II' protects the nitrogen-fixing enzyme nitrogenase from damage. The oxygen sensor protein could help to make nitrogenase usable in biotechnology, thereby reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Coyote genes may show urban evolution at work
A new study outlines the ways by which city life may be shaping the evolution of urban coyotes, the highly adaptable carnivores spotted in alleyways from Berkeley, Calif., to the Bronx, in New York.
Invasive pike use marine corridors to colonize new Alaska territory
Northern pike are moving through salt water to invade freshwater habitats in Southcentral Alaska, according to a new study. It's the first known documentation that northern pike are traveling through estuaries, where fresh water from rivers mixes with the ocean, to colonize new territory in North America.
Diversified cropping systems boost nitrogen supply but not soil carbon
Longer, more diverse rotations of crops fertilized with livestock manure have many environmental benefits, but carbon sequestration isn't one of them, according to a new study.
Is eating more red meat bad for your brain?
People who eat more red meat, especially processed red meat like bacon, sausage and bologna, are more likely to have a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia when compared to those who eat very little red meat, according to a new study.
Night-time collisions with robotic lawnmowers are a significant animal welfare and conservation problem for hedgehogs as these often suffer serious or even fatal injuries. In order to make the operation of robotic lawnmowers hedgehog-safe, researchers are developing special hedgehog dummies and standardized tests to prevent fatal collisions.
Sydney researchers have found that Levofloxacin substantially reduces risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis. This discovery offers new hope against a disease that infects more than 400,000 people annually.
RNA research: Ribozyme structure revealed
Researchers have now uncovered the 3D structure of the RNA enzyme SAMURI. Their study provides insights into the development of ribozymes and the evolution of catalytically active RNA.
Octopus arms have segmented nervous systems to power extraordinary movements
New research has revealed that the nervous system circuitry that controls arm movement in octopuses is segmented, giving these extraordinary creatures precise control across all eight arms and hundreds of suckers to explore their environment, grasp objects, and capture prey.
Protein shapes can help untangle life's ancient history
The three-dimensional shape of a protein can be used to resolve deep, ancient evolutionary relationships in the tree of life, according to a new study. It is the first time researchers use data from protein shapes and combine it with data from genomic sequences to improve the reliability of evolutionary trees, a critical resource used by the scientific community for understanding the history of life, monitor the spread of pathogens or create new treatments for disease. Crucially, the approach works even with the predicted structures of proteins that have never been experimentally determined. The findings open the door to using the massive amount of structural data being generated by tools like AlphaFold 2 and help open new windows into the ancient history of life on Earth.
The hunt narrows for ebolavirus hosts
Scientists have developed a tool to narrow down potential host species of filoviruses like Ebola and better prioritize wildlife surveillance.
Songbirds socialize on the wing during migration
Evidence from over 18,300 hours of recorded flight calls suggests songbirds may 'talk' to other species as they migrate, forming social connections and -- just maybe -- exchanging information about the journey.
Nord Stream methane spread across the southern Baltic Sea
Methane from the destroyed Nord Stream pipelines spread over a large part of the southern Baltic Sea and remained for several months.
'Perfect storm' of mutations drives infection-triggered autoimmune disease
Researchers have uncovered how chronic hepatitis C infection leads to autoimmune disease, which opens new paths for treatments
Detecting hidden genetic relationships in animal populations
Understanding biological relationships is often critical when studying animal populations. Researchers have now developed a transformative approach that identifies stretches of DNA that two individuals inherited from a common ancestor. The team successfully applied their new tool to a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques. The results show that even for low-quality sequencing data, this method can accurately determine relatedness among pairs of individuals, even without prior knowledge of pedigrees within the population. This breakthrough helps to reveal previously unknown pairs of relatives and provides rich insights into population structure in the wild.
Bird flu is mutating, but antivirals still work
Researchers have identified nine mutations in a bird flu strain from a person in Texas. Bad news: this strain is more capable of causing disease and replicates better in the brain. Good news: approved antivirals are still effective.
Critical ocean current has not declined in the last 60 years
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has not slowed down since the mid-20th century based on the North Atlantic air-sea heat fluxes over that time. This finding contrasts with studies that have estimated a decline in the AMOC, likely because previous studies rely on sea surface temperature measurements to understand how the AMOC has changed. However, sea surface temperature is not a reliable way to reconstruct the AMOC, according to the authors. Although the AMOC has not declined yet, scientists agree that the Atlantic overturning will slow in the future -- but whether the system can collapse entirely and when this collapse would happen is still up for debate. Such a scenario would have catastrophic consequences globally.
How crickets co-exist with hostile ant hosts
Researchers have identified the behavioral strategies that parasitic cricket species employ to infiltrate and inhabit host ant colonies. Their research demonstrates that these crickets use 'distancing' and 'dodging' behaviors, adapting their evasive responses to host ant actions. These findings illuminate how social parasitic crickets achieve successful coexistence within hostile ant host colonies.
Calls to curb invasive species spread via untreated water transfer
Experts are warning of the risks of spreading invasive and non-native species when moving large volumes of untreated lake, reservoir and river water.
Small-scale fisheries essential to global nutrition, livelihoods
Small-scale fisheries play a significant but overlooked role in global fisheries production and are key to addressing hunger and malnutrition while supporting livelihoods around the world, according to new research. The study rigorously quantified how marine and inland small-scale fisheries contribute to aquatic harvests and nutritional and socioeconomic security on a global scale.
How cryogenic microscopy could help strengthen food security
A research team reports on a novel observation of a plant protection mechanism in response to salt stress. The study opens new avenues of research to strengthen food security.