ScienceDaily: Environment - May 16, 2025
Top environment research news
Key player in childhood food allergies identified: Thetis cells
Thetis cells, a class of immune cells first described in 2022, play an essential and previously unknown role in suppressing inflammatory responses to food, a new study finds.
World's largest bat organoid platform paves the way for pandemic preparedness
Until now, most research has used either generalized cell samples or organoids made from just one type of tropical fruit bat, and only from a single organ. But a breakthrough has arrived: a research team has now created the world's most comprehensive bat organoid platform. These 'mini-organs' are grown from five common bat species found across Asia and Europe and represent four different organs -- airway, lungs, kidneys, and small intestine.
Improved model system allows researchers to study embryo development
Research improves upon a popular experimental model of mammal development and in doing so, reveals more of the inner workings of a critical period during the formation of an embryo.
Scientists track down mutation that makes orange cats orange
Many an orange cat-affiliated human will vouch for their cat's, let's say, specialness. But now scientists have confirmed that there is, in fact, something unique about ginger-hued domestic felines. In a new study, researchers have discovered the long-posited but elusive genetic mutation that makes orange cats orange -- and it appears to occur in no other mammal.
Digital reconstruction reveals 80 steps of prehistoric life
A dinosaur's 40-second journey more than 120 million years ago has been brought back to life by a research team using advanced digital modelling techniques.
'Rogue' immune cells explain why a gluten-free diet fails in some Celiac patients
Researchers have discovered why some people with Celiac disease continue to suffer debilitating symptoms despite strictly avoiding gluten.
As industries seek innovative solutions for carbon capture, scientists have turned to advanced materials that efficiently trap and store carbon dioxide (CO ) from industrial emissions. A recent study sheds light on the gas adsorption physics of so-called Calgary Framework 20 (CALF-20), a zinc-based metal-organic framework (MOF). While applying a combination of advanced techniques, the scientists reveal the material's unique adaptability under varying conditions.
New study finds that tea and chocolate may help lower blood pressure
We might have another reason to enjoy our daily cup of tea or small piece of dark chocolate, as a new study has found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols -- found in cocoa, tea, apples and grapes -- may improve blood pressure and the health of our blood vessels.
Should we protect non-native species? A new study says maybe
A new study found that over a quarter of the world's naturalized plant species are threatened in parts of their native range -- raising questions about the role non-native populations may play in global conservation efforts.
Drinking water, select foods linked to PFAS in California adults
A new study examined associations between diet, drinking water, and 'legacy' PFAS -- chemicals that were phased out of production in the US in the 2000s -- with blood samples from California residents. PFAS exposure was associated with consumption of seafood, eggs, and brown rice, but fewer other foods than suggested by earlier studies. PFAS levels were elevated among people who lived in areas where these chemicals were detectable in their drinking water supply, but lower than levels found in highly contaminated communities.
Yellow fever vaccination: How strong immune responses are triggered
Researchers show how specific immune cells are activated by the vaccine -- an important starting point for the development of new vaccines.
What behavioral strategies motivate environmental action?
A collaborative study tested 17 strategies in an 'intervention tournament.' Interventions targeting future thinking, such as writing a letter for a child to read in the future, are the most effective ways to motivate climate action.
Engineers tackle sunlight intermittency in solar desalination
A team of engineers has developed a system that could transform desalination practices, making the process more adaptable, resilient and cheaper. The new system is powered by sunlight and uses a creative approach to heat recovery for extended water production -- with and without sunshine.
Rediscovering the first known cellular receptor
Scientists are aiming to determine the composition and topology of physiological Ashwell-Morell receptor ligands. Their findings will help uncover the receptor's still-hidden secrets.
Marsupial research reveals how mammalian embryos form
Researchers have revealed insight into why embryos erase a key epigenetic mark during early development, suggesting this may have evolved to help form a placenta.
Satellite data from ship captures landslide-generated tsunami
New research demonstrates shipborne navigation systems have potential to improve tsunami detection and warning.
Traditional methods of assessing damage after a disaster can take weeks or even months, delaying emergency response, insurance claims and long-term rebuilding efforts. New research might change that. Researchers have developed a new method that combines remote sensing, deep learning and restoration models to speed up building damage assessments and predict recovery times after a tornado. Once post-event images are available, the model can produce damage assessments and recovery forecasts in less than an hour.
Artificial intelligence and genetics can help farmers grow corn with less fertilizer
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to determine which genes collectively govern nitrogen use efficiency in plants such as corn, with the goal of helping farmers improve their crop yields and minimize the cost of nitrogen fertilizers.
The increasing frequency of once-in-a-decade agricultural and ecological drought has underscored the urgency of studying hydrological changes. A research team has analyzed the estimated changes in land water storage over the past 40 years by utilizing space geodetic observation technology and global hydrological change data. This innovative method has revealed a rapid depletion in global soil moisture, resulting in a significant amount of water flowing into the oceans, leading to a rise in sea levels. The research provides new insights into the driving factors behind the alarming reduction in terrestrial water storage and rise in sea levels.
Tiny gas bubbles reveal secrets of Hawaiian volcanoes
Using advanced technology that analyzes tiny gas bubbles trapped in crystal, a team of scientists has precisely mapped how magma storage evolves as Hawaiian volcanoes age.
Climate change is turning coastal lagoons into 'salty soup'
The impacts of human activity and climate change are coalescing to make coastal lagoons saltier, changing the microbial life they support and the function they play in their ecosystems, according to new research.
Dexterity and climbing ability: how ancient human relatives used their hands
Scientists have found new evidence for how our fossil human relatives in South Africa may have used their hands. Researchers investigated variation in finger bone morphology to determine that South African hominins not only may have had different levels of dexterity, but also different climbing abilities.
The ripple effect of small earthquakes near major faults
When we think of earthquakes, we imagine sudden, violent shaking. But deep beneath the Earth's surface, some faults move in near silence. These slow, shuffling slips and their accompanying hum -- called tremors -- don't shake buildings or make headlines. But scientists believe they can serve as useful analogs of how major earthquakes begin and behave.
Microplastics in Texas bays are being swept out to sea
When researchers went searching for microplastics in sediments pulled from the bottom of Matagorda Bay and its surrounding inlets, they didn't find much. Most of their samples contained only tens to hundreds of microplastic particles for each kilogram of sediment. This is hundreds to thousands of times less than other bayside environments around the world.
Fossil tracks show reptiles appeared on Earth up to 40 million years earlier
The origin of reptiles on Earth has been shown to be up to 40 million years earlier than previously thought -- thanks to evidence discovered at an Australian fossil site that represents a critical time period. Scientists have identified fossilized tracks of an amniote with clawed feet -- most probably a reptile -- from the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago.
Genome of near-extinct northern white rhino offers hope for reviving the species
The northern white rhinoceros is one of the rarest animals on Earth, with just two females left and no natural way for the species to reproduce. Now, scientists have mapped the entire genome of a northern white rhino. This represents a crucial step toward bringing the critically endangered species back from the edge using advanced reproductive technologies. The complete genome can be used as a reference to analyze the health of previously developed northern white rhinoceros stem cells. Eventually, those stem cells may be able to generate sperm and eggs to yield new rhinos.
New hope against superbugs: Promising antibiotic candidate discovered
An international team of researchers has discovered saarvienin A, a new type of glycopeptide antibiotic. Their findings introduce a compound with strong activity against highly resistant bacterial strains.
Uncovering compounds that tame the heat of chili peppers
When biting into a chili pepper, you expect a fiery sensation on your tongue. This spiciness is detected because of capsaicinoid compounds. But for some peppers, despite high levels of capsaicinoids, the heat is mysteriously dull. Now, researchers have identified three compounds that lessen peppers' pungency. These results challenge the reliability of the century-old Scoville scale, which traditionally bases its rating on two capsaicinoids.
Making connections: A three-dimensional visualization of musculoskeletal development
Using a new fluorescent mouse model with advanced imaging techniques, researchers have successfully visualized how musculoskeletal components are integrated into the functional locomotor system during embryonic development.
Australia's oldest prehistoric tree frog hops 22 million years back in time
Scientists have now discovered the oldest ancestor for all the Australian tree frogs, with distant links to the tree frogs of South America.
An ink that boosts coral reef settlement by 20 times
With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it's too late. Researchers demonstrate that the ink could boost coral settlement by more than 20 times, which they hope could contribute to rebuilding coral reefs around the world.
Archaeopteryx is the fossil that clearly demonstrated Darwin's views. It's the oldest known fossil bird, and it helps show that all birds -- including the ones alive today -- emerged from dinosaurs. And while the first Archaeopteryx fossil was found more than 160 years ago, scientists are continuing to learn new things about this ancient animal. A set of feathers never before seen in this species help explain why it could fly when many of its non-bird dinosaur cousins could not.
New global model shows how to bring environmental pressures back to 2015 levels by 2050
A new study finds that with bold and coordinated policy choices -- across emissions, diets, food waste, and water and nitrogen efficiency -- humanity could, by 2050, bring global environmental pressures back to levels seen in 2015. This shift would move us much closer to a future in which people around the world can live well within the Earth's limits.
New catalyst boosts efficiency of CO2 conversion
Researchers have developed an encapsulated cobalt-nickel alloy that significantly improves the efficiency and durability of high-temperature CO2 conversion, a promising technology for carbon recycling and sustainable fuel production.
CT scanning helps reveal path from rotten fish to fossil
Scientists confirm CT scanning doesn't interfere with natural decomposition processes, opening new windows into understanding how fossils form.
Palaeontologists discover 506-million-year-old predator
Palaeontologists have discovered a remarkable new 506-million-year-old predator from the Burgess Shale of Canada. Mosura fentoni was about the size of your index finger and had three eyes, spiny jointed claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth and a body with swimming flaps along its sides. These traits show it to be part of an extinct group known as the radiodonts.
Not all orangutan mothers raise their infants the same way
Sumatran orangutan mothers differ from one another in how they behave with and take care of their infants and how flexibly they adjust their mothering behaviors as their infants grow. Whilst mothers differed from one another in their maternal behaviors, they remained consistent in their behaviors with their different infants. Consistent differences among Sumatran orangutan mothers suggest that individual maternal personalities may exist, potentially influencing infant development.
New computer language helps spot hidden pollutants
Biologists and chemists have a new programming language to uncover previously unknown environmental pollutants at breakneck speed -- without requiring them to code.
A plant you've never heard of can do what scientists once thought impossible
A new study shows that an unassuming plant has some very unusual family dynamics.
With AI, researchers predict the location of virtually any protein within a human cell
Researchers developed a new machine learning method that, given a relevant amino acid sequence, can automatically predict the location of a protein in any human cell line down to the single-cell level. This advance could help clinicians identify certain diseases, streamline the process of drug discovery, and give biologists new insights into the effects of protein mutations.
Researchers report on ionospheric sporadic E layer (Es) activity during the Mother's Day geomagnetic storm. The team found that the Es layers were significantly enhanced over Southeast Asia, Australia and South Pacific, as well as the eastern Pacific regions during the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm. They also observed a propagation characteristic in the Es enhancement region wherein the clouds were first detected in high latitudes and detected successively in lower latitudes as time progressed.
Researchers develop living material from fungi
Fungi are considered a promising source of biodegradable materials. Researchers have developed a new material based on a fungal mycelium and its own extracellular matrix. This gives the biomaterial particularly advantageous properties.
Growth before photosynthesis: How trees regulate their water balance
In order for trees to grow, they need to control their water balance meticulously. A study shows how trees react to drought -- and revises previous perceptions.
Scientists define the ingredients for finding natural clean hydrogen
Researchers have detailed the geological ingredients required to find clean sources of natural hydrogen beneath our feet. The work details the requirements for natural hydrogen, produced by the Earth itself over geological time, to accumulate in the crust, and identifies that the geological environments with those ingredients are widespread globally. Hydrogen is $135 billion industry, essential for making fertilizer and other important societal chemicals, and a critical clean energy source for future low carbon emission technologies, with a market estimated to be up to $1000 billion by 2050. These findings offer a solution to the challenge of hydrogen supply, and will help industry to locate and extract natural hydrogen to meet global demands, eliminating the use of hydrocarbons for this purpose.
Scientists film the heart forming in 3D earlier than ever before
Researchers have identified the origin of cardiac cells using 3D images of a heart forming in real-time, inside a living mouse embryo.
'Loop'hole: HIV-1 hijacks human immune cells using circular RNAs
Researchers have identified a never-before-seen mechanism that enables HIV-1 to evade the body's natural defenses and use it to support its survival and replication. The 'loophole' is a biological process that involves circular RNAs and marks the first experimental evidence of HIV-1 generating them from an integrated retroviral genome. Findings point to a novel strategy the virus uses to survive, providing a new target in the fight against one of the world's most resilient pathogens.
Butterflies hover differently from other flying organisms, thanks to body pitch
Butterflies' flight trajectories often appear random or chaotic, but their hovering patterns can potentially provide critical design insights for developing micro aerial vehicles with flapping wings. Researchers studied how butterflies use aerodynamic force generation to achieve hovering, using high-speed cameras to observe wild-caught white cabbage butterflies and relying on a deep learning model to track the butterflies' body features and specific wing points during their flight sequences. They found the primary factor contributing to butterflies' hovering is their body pitch.
Echidna microbiome changes while mums nurse puggle
Research shows microbial communities in echidna pseudo-pouches undergo dramatic changes while the animal is lactating, which could help in creating an environment for their young, known as puggles, to thrive.
Summer in the city: Urban heat release and local rainfall
Stifling heat and sticky air often make summertime in the city uncomfortable. Due to the heat island effect, urban areas are significantly warmer than nearby rural areas, even at night. This, combined with more frequent extreme weather events caused by climate change, often render the city an unpleasant environment in the summer. Urbanization and climate change modify the thermal environment of urban areas, with an expectation that urban disasters from extremely hot weather and heavy rainfall will only become more severe. Mitigating potential damage involves reducing the intensity of the heat island effect and adapting to climate change. Motivated by this problem, a team of researchers set out to investigate how the reduction in urban heat release could help mitigate and control the rapid development of thunderstorms and local rainfall.
Flamingos create water tornados to trap their prey
Flamingos have developed an amazing variety of techniques to create swirls and eddies in the water to concentrate and eat brine shrimp and other organisms, a biologist found. They stomp dance to stir organisms from the bottom and concentrate them in whorls. The organisms are then drawn upward by a head jerk that forms a vortex. Meanwhile, their beak is chattering underwater to create vortices that funnel prey into their mouths.
From prehistoric resident to runaway pet: First tegu fossil found in the U.S.
Originally from South America, the charismatic tegu made its way to the United States via the pet trade of the 1990s. But a recent discovery shows these reptiles are no strangers to the region -- tegus were here millions of years before their modern relatives arrived in pet carriers.
Measles virus detected in Houston wastewater before cases were reported
An innovative outbreak detection program that tracks disease-causing viruses in wastewater identified the measles virus in Houston samples collected in early January 2025, before cases were reported.
Sunlight-powered system mimics plants to power carbon capture
Current methods of capturing and releasing carbon are expensive and so energy-intensive they often require, counterproductively, the use of fossil fuels. Taking inspiration from plants, researchers have assembled a chemical process that can power carbon capture with an energy source that's abundant, clean and free: sunlight.
Submarine robot catches an underwater wave
Engineers have taught a simple submarine robot to take advantage of turbulent forces to propel itself through water.
Vast Aztec trade networks behind ancient obsidian artifacts
Researchers analyzed 788 obsidian artifacts from Tenochtitlan, revealing that the Mexica (Aztec) Empire sourced this important material from at least eight different locations, including regions outside their political control. While 90% of artifacts were made from green obsidian from Sierra de Pachuca (especially for ceremonial purposes), the diversity of obsidian sources suggests sophisticated trade networks rather than just conquest-based acquisition. The study tracked changes in obsidian use from 1375-1520 CE, showing how the Mexica standardized ritual obsidian sources after consolidating power around 1430 CE, providing insights into the empire's economic networks and political influence.
Olympic anti-doping lab puts U.S. meat supply to the test
Scientists turned their sophisticated analytical capabilities for testing athlete samples for performance-enhancing drugs to research examining the U.S. meat supply. The study was designed to investigate concerns that residues of growth promoters used in meat production could potentially cause athletes to test positive.
Evidence of mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees
A team of researchers has identified distinct mother-offspring attachment types in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus). Drawing parallels with human psychology, the study provides compelling evidence that wild chimpanzee infants, like human children, develop critical secure and insecure-avoidant attachment patterns to their mothers. However, unlike humans and some captive chimpanzees, wild chimpanzees did not exhibit disorganized attachment characterized by high rates of aggression. This raises new questions about how this type of attachment may be shaped by survival and modern environmental pressures.
Invasive salmon, clams and seaweed are next threats to biodiversity in Britain
Pink salmon, Purple Asian clams, marine invertebrates that form spaghetti-like colonies and a nematode worm that causes extensive deaths of trees are among the new entries in experts' watchlist of invasive non-native species that could threaten Great Britain in the next 10 years. The latest version of the watchlist again includes known problem species such as the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet, raccoon and twoleaf watermilfoil.