ScienceDaily: Environment - September 22, 2023
Top environment research news
Conversations with plants: Can we provide plants with advance warning of impending dangers?
Plant scientists have engineered a light-controlled gene expression system (optogenetics system) from a prokaryotic system into a eukaryotic system that is tailored for plants.
Romolo Tavani/shutterstock.com
We could sequester CO2 by 're-greening' arid lands, plant scientists say
Reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere will take more than cutting emissions -- we will also need to capture and store the excessive volumes of already-emitted carbon. A team of plant scientists argue that arid lands such as deserts could be one answer to the carbon-capture problem.
Balanophora shed one third of its genes as it evolved into a streamlined parasitic plant -- an extreme degree of genome shrinkage even among parasites. Along the way this subtropical plant developed the ability to induce the host plant to grow into the parasite's own flesh -- forming chimeric organs that mix host and parasite tissues.
Dinosaur feathers reveal traces of ancient proteins
Palaeontologists have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in fossil feathers that sheds new light on feather evolution.
How climate warming could disrupt a deep-rooted relationship
Trees depend on fungi for their well-being. As climate change and global warming cause higher temperatures and amplified drought, little is known about how these important fungi will respond. To investigate this issue, a research team conducted a climate change experiment where they exposed boreal and temperate tree species to warming and drought treatments to better understand how fungi and their tree hosts respond to environmental changes. Their findings revealed that the combined effects of warming and water stress will likely result in major disturbances of ectomycorrhizal networks and may harm forest resilience and function.
No shortcuts: New approach may help extract more heat from geothermal reservoirs
Geothermal heat offers a promising source of renewable energy with almost zero emissions, but it remains a relatively expensive option to generate electricity. A new technique may help prevent 'short-circuits' that can cause geothermal power plants to halt production, potentially improving the efficiency of geothermal power, the researchers said.
Scientists regenerate neurons that restore walking in mice after paralysis from spinal cord injury
In a new study in mice, researchers have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury. The neuroscientists have shown that re-growing specific neurons back to their natural target regions led to recovery, while random regrowth was not effective.
New recycling method fights plastic waste
Almost 80% of plastic in the waste stream ends up in landfills or accumulates in the environment. Scientists have now developed a technology that converts a conventionally unrecyclable mixture of plastic waste into useful chemicals, presenting a new strategy in the toolkit to combat global plastic waste.
Unzipping mRNA rallies plant cells to fight infection
Living things from plants to humans must constantly adjust the chemical soup of proteins -- the workhorse molecules of life -- inside their cells to adapt to stress or changing conditions. Now, researchers have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism that helps explain how they do it. A team now reveals hairpin-like structures of mRNA that, by zipping and unzipping, help cells change the mix of proteins they produce when under stress.
Riddle of varying warm water inflow in the Arctic now solved
In the 'weather kitchen,' the interplay between the Azores High and Icelandic Low has a substantial effect on how much warm water the Atlantic transports to the Arctic along the Norwegian coast. But this rhythm can be thrown off for years at a time. Experts finally have an explanation for why: Due to unusual atmospheric pressure conditions over the North Atlantic, low-pressure areas are diverted from their usual track, which disrupts the coupling between the Azores High, the Icelandic Low and the winds off the Norwegian coast. This finding is an important step toward refining climate models and more accurately predicting the fate of Arctic sea ice in the face of progressing climate change.
Structure of crucial receptor in brain development, function
Scientists have revealed the molecular structure of a type of receptor that's crucial to brain development and function. 'This study shows the dominant assemblies and states of the GABA receptor. That's really the huge breakthrough -- nobody had been able to figure out which of the hundreds of thousands of these assemblies are most highly populated,' said the senior author.
How to tackle the global deforestation crisis
New research examines the 'revolution' in the study of deforestation brought about by satellites, and analyzing which kinds of policies might limit climate-altering deforestation.
Sustainable energy for aviation: What are our options?
Scientists and industry leaders worldwide are looking for answers on how to make aviation sustainable by 2050 and choosing a viable sustainable fuel is a major sticking point. Aerospace engineers took a full inventory of the options to make a data-driven assessment about how they stack up in comparison. He reviewed over 300 research projects from across different sectors, not just aerospace, to synthesize the ideas and draw conclusions to help direct the dialogue about sustainable aviation toward a permanent solution.
'Garbatrage' spins e-waste into prototyping gold
Building on work in human-computer interaction that aims to incorporate sustainability and reuse into the field, researchers introduce 'garbatrage,' a framework for prototype builders centered around repurposing underused devices.
Ancient Amazonians intentionally created fertile 'dark earth'
A new study suggests patches of fertile soil in the Amazon, known as dark earth, were intentionally produced by ancient Amazonians as a way to improve the soil and sustain large and complex societies.
Archaeologists discover world's oldest wooden structure
Half a million years ago, earlier than was previously thought possible, humans were building structures made of wood, according to new research.
Genetically modifying individual cells in animals
Researchers have developed a method that lets them genetically modify each cell differently in animals. This allows them to study in a single experiment what used to require many animal experiments. Using the new method, the researchers have discovered genes that are relevant for a severe rare genetic disorder.
Efficient next-generation solar panels on horizon following breakthrough
A scientific breakthrough brings mass production of the next generation of cheaper and lighter perovskite solar cells one step closer.
Slow growth in crocodile ancestors pre-dated their semi-aquatic lifestyle
A groundbreaking study is reshaping our understanding of crocodile evolution by pinpointing the onset of slow growth rates to the Late Triassic period, much earlier than the previously assumed Early Jurassic timeline. The research highlights newly discovered fossil crocodile ancestors (known as crocodylomorphs) that exhibited slow growth rates, similar to modern-day crocodilians. Intriguingly, these early crocodylomorphs were not the lethargic, semi-aquatic creatures we are familiar with today; they were small, active, and fully terrestrial. The study also suggests that this slow-growth strategy was not a mere evolutionary quirk but a survival mechanism, as only the slow-growing crocodylomorphs managed to survive the End-Triassic mass extinction. This stands in stark contrast to the fast-growing dinosaurs of the same era, setting the stage for the divergent evolutionary paths that would later define their modern descendants.
Artificial Intelligence tools shed light on millions of proteins
A research team has uncovered a treasure trove of uncharacterized proteins. Embracing the recent deep learning revolution, they discovered hundreds of new protein families and even a novel predicted protein fold.
Urban light pollution linked to smaller eyes in birds
The bright lights of big cities could be causing an evolutionary adaptation for smaller eyes in some birds, a new study indicates. Researchers found that two common songbirds, the Northern Cardinal and Carolina Wren, that live year-round in the urban core of San Antonio, Texas, had eyes about 5% smaller than members of the same species from the less bright outskirts. Researchers found no eye-size difference for two species of migratory birds, the Painted Bunting and White-eyed Vireo, no matter which part of the city they lived in for most of the year. The findings have implications for conservation efforts amid the rapid decline of bird populations across the U.S.
Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons
As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. Now, by mimicking a desert-dwelling chameleon, a team has developed an energy-efficient, cost-effective coating. The material could keep buildings cool in the summers -- or warm in the winters -- without additional energy.
A newly identified virus emerges from the deep
Marine virologists analyzed sediment from the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth, and identified a new bacteriophage.
Scientists have synthesized spider silk from genetically modified silkworms, producing fibers six times tougher than the Kevlar used in bulletproof vests. The study is the first to successfully produce full-length spider silk proteins using silkworms. The findings demonstrate a technique that could be used to manufacture an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic commercial fibers such as nylon.
Newfound brain circuit explains why infant cries prompt milk release
Hearing the sound of a newborn's wail can trigger the release of oxytocin, a brain chemical that controls breast-milk release in mothers, a new study in rodents shows. Researchers found that once prompted, this flood of hormones continues for roughly five minutes before tapering off, enabling mothers to feed their young until they are sated or begin crying again.
New research brings greater understanding of Asian winter monsoon
Scientists have discovered a new technique which will shed light on the phenomena of winter monsoons -- the heavy autumn and winter rainfalls which can cause floods and landslides across southeast Asia.
Prehistoric fish fills 100 million year gap in evolution of the skull
X-rays of an ancient jawless fish shows earliest-known example of internal cartilage skull, unlike that of any other known vertebrate.
Behavior is the secret to success for a range expansion
While many species are undergoing drastic declines in their numbers and geographic ranges, other species seem to be thriving. Researchers investigating the great-tailed grackle, a bird that has been establishing new populations across North America in the past few decades, reveal that behavior might play a key role in their success. They found that the population on the range's edge is more persistent and has more variability in flexibility, and that this species has shifted toward living more in urban, arid environments.
Study shows life near the golf course isn't easy for alligators
Living on a golf course dramatically changes alligator feeding habits.
Fast-track strain engineering for speedy biomanufacturing
Using engineered microbes as microscopic factories has given the world steady sources of life-saving drugs, revolutionized the food industry, and allowed us to make sustainable versions of valuable chemicals previously made from petroleum. But behind each biomanufactured product on the market today is the investment of years of work and many millions of dollars in research and development funding. Scientists want to help the burgeoning industry reach new heights by accelerating and streamlining the process of engineering microbes to produce important compounds with commercial-ready efficiency.
New recipes for origin of life may point way to distant, inhabited planets
Life on a faraway planet -- if it's out there -- might not look anything like life on Earth. But there are only so many chemical ingredients in the universe's pantry, and only so many ways to mix them. Scientists have now exploited those limitations to write a cookbook of hundreds of chemical recipes with the potential to give rise to life. Their ingredient list could focus the search for life elsewhere in the universe by pointing out the most likely conditions -- planetary versions of mixing techniques, oven temperatures and baking times -- for the recipes to come together.
Researchers discover a new species of larger benthic foraminifer from the Ryukyu Islands
An international group of researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of large foraminifer, shedding new light on the ecological evolution and biodiversity of coral reefs in the Ryukyu Islands.
16 strange new parasitoid wasp species discovered in Vietnam
Researchers have discovered 16 new species of strange-looking parasitoid wasps from the Loboscelidia group. The study also revealed for the first time the unique parasitic behavior of a captive female from one species, who after parasitizing her host egg, buried the egg in a hole in the soil.
Gene required for root hair growth, nitrate foraging found in grasses
Scientists have found a plant gene that drives the growth of root hairs, the tiny structures that help plants find water and nutrients in the soil. The gene, dubbed 'BUZZ,' causes faster-growing, denser webs of roots and may also determine how plants find and use nitrates, a prime source of nitrogen essential to plant growth. Nitrates are also used in fertilizers that can pollute the environment as runoff, and this genetic discovery could ultimately help plant scientists find ways to grow crops more sustainably.
Laser-based ice-core sampling for studying climate change
Researchers have developed a new laser-based sampling system for studying the composition of ice cores taken from glaciers. The new system has a 3-mm depth-resolution and is expected to help reconstruct continuous annual temperature changes that occurred thousands to hundreds of thousands of years ago, which will help scientists understand climate change in the past and present.
Range of pesticides, including neonicotinoids, found in pollen of different bee species
New research paints a worrying picture for the different species of bees that provide multi-million-euro pollination services in Ireland each yea. The work raises concerns about the potential wide-spread exposure to multiple chemicals from two pesticide categories (fungicides and neonicotinoid insecticides) and indicates that different bee species may be exposed differently to pesticides -- meaning that assessments of pesticide risk to honey bees may not be easily extrapolated to other bees.
Yogurt may be the next go-to garlic breath remedy
A new study conducted in a lab -- with follow-up human breath tests being planned -- showed that whole milk plain yogurt prevented almost all of the volatile compounds responsible for garlic's pungent scent from escaping into the air.
Cheap and efficient catalyst could boost renewable energy storage
Storing renewable energy as hydrogen could soon become much easier thanks to a new catalyst based on single atoms of platinum.
Glacier Loss Day indiÂcates record breakÂing glacier melt
In the summer of 2022, one of Tyrol's largest glaciers experienced its most significant loss of mass on record. Last year, the Hintereisferner in Tyrol, Austria, reached its Glacier Loss Day (GLD) earlier than ever before. The GLD serves as an indicator of a glacier's health throughout the year, similar to how the Earth Overshoot Day measures Earth's resource consumption.
Scientists develop method to detect deadly infectious diseases
Researchers have developed a way of detecting the early onset of deadly infectious diseases using a test so ultrasensitive that it could someday revolutionize medical approaches to epidemics. The test is an electronic sensor contained within a computer chip. It employs nanoballs -- microscopic spherical clumps made of tinier particles of genetic material -- and combines that technology with advanced electronics.
Tiny sea creatures reveal the ancient origins of neurons
A new study sheds new light on the origins of modern brain cells. Researchers find evidence that specialized secretory cells found in placozoans, tiny sea creatures the size of a grain of sand, have many similarities to the neuron, such as the genes required to create a partial synapse. From an evolutionary point of view, early neurons might have started as something like these cells, eventually gaining the ability to create a complete synapse, form axons and dendrites and create ion channels that generate fast electrical signals -- innovations which gave rise to the neuron in more complex animals such as jellyfish. Though the complete story of how the first neuron appeared remains to be told, the study demonstrates that the basic building blocks for our brain cells were forming in the ancestors of placozoans grazing inconspicuously in the shallow seas of Earth around 800 million years ago.
Crucial third clue to finding new diamond deposits
Researchers studying diamond-rich rocks from Western Australia's Argyle volcano have identified the missing third key ingredient needed to bring valuable pink diamonds to the Earth's surface where they can be mined, which could greatly help in the global hunt for new deposits.
RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species
A new study shows the isolation and sequencing of more than a century-old RNA molecules from a Tasmanian tiger specimen preserved at room temperature in a museum collection. This resulted in the reconstruction of skin and skeletal muscle transcriptomes from an extinct species for the first time. The researchers note that their findings have relevant implications for international efforts to resurrect extinct species, including both the Tasmanian tiger and the woolly mammoth, as well as for studying pandemic RNA viruses.
Canopy gaps help eastern hemlock outlast invasive insect
Creating physical gaps in the forest canopy give eastern hemlocks more access to resources and help those trees withstand infestation by an invasive insect.
Almonds as part of a healthy weight loss diet
When it comes to weight loss, nuts can get a bad rap -- while they're high in protein, they're also high in fats, and this often deters those looking to shed a few kilos. But new research shows that you can eat almonds and lose weight too.
Remote work can slash your carbon footprint -- if done right
Remote workers can have a 54% lower carbon footprint compared with onsite workers, according to a new study, with lifestyle choices and work arrangements playing an essential role in determining the environmental benefits of remote and hybrid work.
The pace of climate-driven extinction is accelerating
Studying a lizard species in Arizona mountains, researchers found 70 years' worth of climate-related extinction occurred in only seven years.
Buried ancient Roman glass formed substance with modern applications
Researchers discover how molecules in ancient glass rearrange and recombine with minerals over centuries to form a patina of photonic crystals -- ordered arrangements of atoms that filter and reflect light in very specific ways -- an analog of materials used in communications, lasers and solar cells.
Tracking down the formation of cardenolides in plants
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena are investigating the previously largely unknown biosynthetic pathway that leads to the formation of cardenolides in plants. In a study published in the journal Nature Plants, they present two enzymes from the CYP87A family as key enzymes that catalyze the formation of pregnenolone, the precursor for the biosynthesis of plant steroids, in two different plant families. The discovery of such enzymes should help to develop platforms for the cheap and sustainable production of high quality steroid compounds for medical use.
The surprising origin of a deadly hospital infection
Surprising findings from a new study suggest that the burden of C. diff infection may be less a matter of hospital transmission and more a result of characteristics associated with the patients themselves.
Many pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19, are thought to have originated in wild animals before spilling into human populations.
Study finds significant chemical exposures in women with cancer
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like PFAS and phenols are implicated in hormone-mediated cancers of the breast, ovaries, skin and uterus. To learn more about the environmental exposures experienced by women who developed these cancers, researchers analyzed data from NHANES and found that women who reported having cancer had significantly higher levels of these chemicals in their bodies.
Why do some environmental shocks lead to disaster while others don't?
It's no longer just about stopping, but how we can live with climate change. To figure this out, we must delve into our cultures. A new study points out how our history could help guide the way.
What is the carbon footprint of a hospital bed?
Researchers completed an assessment of a hospital to reveal its total environmental footprint and specific carbon emission hotspots.
Step change in upconversion the key to clean water, green energy and futuristic medicine
Achieving photochemical upconversion in a solid state is a step closer to reality, thanks to a new technique that could unlock vital innovations in renewable energy, water purification and advanced healthcare.
Almost half of koala habitats will be under high bushfire threat by 2070
The research team generated a series of fire susceptibility maps. These show the proportion of Australia experiencing 'high' or 'very high' fire susceptibility increasing from 14.9% now to 15.66% by 2070 -- while fire susceptibility of areas suitable for the plants that koalas depend on is tipped to jump from 39.56% to 44.61% by 2070.
Golden future for thermoelectrics
Researchers discover excellent thermoelectric properties of nickel-gold alloys. These can be used to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy.
That smell: New gut microbe produces smelly toxic gas but protects against pathogens
Microbiologists have discovered a new intestinal microbe that feeds exclusively on taurine and produces the foul-smelling gas hydrogen sulfide. The researchers have thus provided another building block in the understanding of those microbial processes that have fascinating effects on health. This is also true of Taurinivorans muris: the bacterium shows a protective function against Klebsiella and Salmonella, two important pathogens.
What the French Revolution can teach us about inflation
Study finds that politics, public expectations fuel hyperinflation.
Pearl Harbor: Bombed battleships' boost for climate science
A new research paper tells the story of the recovery of World War II weather data from 19 US Navy ships thanks to the hard work of over 4,000 volunteers.