ScienceDaily: Environment
January 4, 2025
Top environment research news
Oldest-known evolutionary ‘arms race’
A new study presents what is believed to be the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ocean covering what is now South Australia between a small, shelled animal distantly related to brachiopods and an unknown marine animal capable of piercing its shell.
Image: Pattarapong Kumlert/Shutterstock.com
Scientists unveil surprising human vs mouse differences in a major cancer immunotherapy target
Much of our knowledge of the protein PD-1, a leading cancer treatment target, comes from studies in mice. In a comprehensive assessment of PD-1, researchers have found that PD-1 in mice is significantly weaker than the human version, providing new information on how cancer treatments are developed.
Farmers are receiving less of what consumers spend on food, as modern food systems increasingly direct costs toward value-added components like processing, transport, and marketing. A study shows that this effect shapes how food prices respond to agricultural climate policies: While value-added components buffer consumer price changes in wealthier countries, low-income countries — where farming costs dominate — face greater challenges in managing food price increases due to climate policies.
Some bacteria evolve like clockwork with the seasons
Each year, most species of bacteria in a Wisconsin lake rapidly evolved, apparently in response to dramatically changing seasons, and then evolved back.
Pollinators, pollen and varieties determine fruit quality
Pollination by animals contributes to a third of global food production, but little research has been done into the extent to which the identity of pollinators, pollen and crop varieties influence fruit quality when it comes to the nutritional, sensory and commercial value of crops. Pollinators influence the quality of crops through their movement patterns on the plantations and through the plant variety they visit. Researchers argue that the blanket promotion of pollinators has so far been too much of a priority — at the expense of plant quality, which could be improved by taking into account the species-specific behavior of pollinators and the distribution patterns of crop varieties in the field.
Researchers discover class of anti-malaria antibodies
Antibodies that bind to a previously untargeted portion of the malaria parasite could lead to new monoclonal antibody treatments and vaccines for malaria.
Zebrafish protein unlocks dormant genes for heart repair
Researchers have successfully repaired damaged mouse hearts using a protein from zebrafish. They discovered that the protein Hmga1 plays a key role in heart regeneration in zebrafish. In mice, this protein was able to restore the heart by activating dormant repair genes without causing side effects, such as heart enlargement. This study marks an important step toward regenerative therapies to prevent heart failure.
Africa: Better roads promote greater dietary diversity
A balanced diet is important for reducing hunger and malnutrition. Researchers thus advocate that small farmers in low- and middle-income countries should try to produce as many different foods as possible for their own consumption. However, a study is now questioning this recommendation to some extent. It suggests that good access to regional markets is more important than farmers growing a large diversity of crops on their own smallholding. Better-functioning markets increase the variety of foods available locally, which benefits the population as a whole.
Psychedelic drug therapy may address mental health concerns in people with cancer and addiction
One or two doses of psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, may improve the mental health of cancer patients when accompanied by psychotherapy, a new study suggests. A second new study found that treatment with psilocybin resulted in lasting, positive personality changes in patients with alcohol use disorder.
Water treatment: catching steroid hormones with nanotubes
Steroid hormones are among the most widespread aquatic micropollutants. They are harmful to human health, and they cause ecological imbalances in aquatic environments. Researchers investigated how steroid hormones are degraded in an electrochemical membrane reactor with carbon nanotube membranes. They found that adsorption of steroid hormones on the carbon nanotubes did not limit the hormones’ subsequent degradation.
Big leap forward for environmentally friendly ‘e-textiles’ technology
A research team has shown wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) can be both sustainable and biodegradable.
Officials assess threat of H5N1 avian flu
Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) remains a low risk to the general public, and public health experts in the United States believe that available treatments and vaccines, as well as those in development, are sufficient to prevent severe disease.
Chemists create eco-friendly method to make chlorine-based materials for drugs and chemicals
Chlorine plays an essential part in daily life, from keeping pools clean to preserving food. Now, a team of chemists developed a more environmentally friendly way to integrate chlorine into chemical building blocks for medications, plastics, pesticides and other essential products while reducing costs.
Herpes virus might drive Alzheimer’s pathology
Viral infections may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
Increased wildfire activity may be a feature of past periods of abrupt climate change
A new study investigating ancient methane trapped in Antarctic ice suggests that global increases in wildfire activity likely occurred during periods of abrupt climate change throughout the last Ice Age.
Dogs trained to sniff out spotted lanternflies could help reduce spread
Growers and conservationists have a new weapon to detect invasive spotted lanternflies early and limit their spread: dogs trained to sniff out egg masses that overwinter in vineyards and forests.
New method turns e-waste to gold
A research team has developed a method for extracting gold from electronics waste, then using the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to organic materials.
Newborn brain circuit stabilizes gaze
An ancient brain circuit, which enables the eyes to reflexively rotate up as the body tilts down, tunes itself early in life as an animal develops, a new study finds.
Bats surf storm fronts during continental migration
Birds are the undisputed champions of epic travel — but they are not the only long-haul fliers. A handful of bats are known to travel thousands of kilometers in continental migrations across North America, Europe, and Africa. The behavior is rare and difficult to observe, which is why long-distance bat migration has remained an enigma. Now, scientists have studied 71 common noctule bats on their spring migration across the European continent, providing a leap in understanding this mysterious behavior. Ultra-lightweight, intelligent sensors attached to bats uncovered a strategy used by the tiny mammals for travel: they surf the warm fronts of storms to fly further with less energy.
Genetics of alternating sexes in walnuts
Biologists have revealed genetics behind the alternating sexes of walnut trees. The research reveals a mechanism that has been stable in walnuts and their ancestors going back 40 million years — and which has some parallels to sex determination in humans and other animals.
These bacteria perform a trick that could keep plants healthy
Engineers showed that some types of soil bacteria can influence a plant’s balance of growth and defense. The bacteria produce an enzyme that can lower a plant’s immune activity and allow its roots to grow longer than they would otherwise.
Study traces Ebola’s route to the skin surface
Researchers have traced a cellular route Ebola virus (EBOV) uses to traverse the inner and outer layers of skin and emerge onto the skin’s surface. The study identifies new cell types within the skin that are targeted by EBOV during infection and shows that human skin specimens actively support EBOV infection. Overall, the findings, suggest that the skin’s surface may be one route of person-to-person transmission.
Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans — including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis.
Key players in brain aging: New research identifies age-related damage on a cellular level
Scientists have identified the molecular changes that occur in the brains of aging mice and located a hot spot where much of that damage is centralized. The cells in the area are also connected with metabolism, suggesting a connection between diet and brain health.
Ancient DNA unlocks new understanding of migrations in the first millennium AD
Waves of human migration across Europe during the first millennium AD have been revealed using a more precise method of analysing ancestry with ancient DNA, in research led by the Francis Crick Institute.
Enhanced Raman microscopy of cryofixed specimens: Clearer and sharper chemical imaging
A team has reported a Raman microscopy technique that produced images up to eight times brighter than those achieved with conventional Raman techniques. Imaging of frozen biological samples reduced the noise introduced by the motion of material over long acquisition times. The technique is expected to broaden understanding in many areas of the biological sciences by allowing high-quality images and chemical information to be captured without the need for staining.
A new species of black, slender moray eel has chosen the road less traveled, thriving in dim and muddy river mouths, unlike most of its marine relatives. It is found across the Central Indo-Pacific, including within the cave of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. This new moray eel is named after the underworld god Hades for its distinctive habitat, unique behaviors, and most notably, its deep, dark coloration.
Researchers have shown that people 60 years or older with weakened immunity do not respond as strongly to vaccines against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as people in the same age group with normal immune function.
Urgent action needed to protect the Parma wallaby
The creation of more fox-free safe havens and greater collaboration between government and landowners is needed to ensure the survival of a species of wallaby, an expert argues. The Parma wallaby, also known as the white-throated wallaby, is listed as a vulnerable species in Australia, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as Near Threatened. The marsupial is found along the Great Dividing Range in northern New South Wales.
How do monkeys recognize snakes so fast?
A researcher has found that the rapid detection of snakes by monkeys is because of the presence of snake scales as a visual cue. His findings highlight an evolutionary adaptation of primates to identify snakes based on specific visual features. Understanding these mechanisms provides insight into the evolution of visual processing related to threat detection.
Scientists discover a ‘Goldilocks’ zone for DNA organization, opening new doors for drug development
In a discovery that could redefine how we understand cellular resilience and adaptability, scientists have unlocked the secret interactions between a primordial inorganic polymer of phosphate known as polyphosphate (polyP), and two basic building blocks of life: DNA and the element magnesium. These components formed clusters of tiny liquid droplets — also known as condensates — with flexible and adaptable structures.
Fly vs. wasp: Stealing a defense move helps thwart a predator
Many flies are plagued by parasitic wasps, which lay their eggs in fly larvae, turning them into surrogate wombs for wasp larvae. One common fly has successfully fought off its wasp predator by stealing a gene from bacteria that originated in bacteriophage. Biologists inserted that gene into other flies, making these flies resistance to wasps. This discovery shows that horizontal gene transfer may be more common in animals that people thought.
Virus that threatened humanity opens the future
Scientists have developed an innovative therapeutic platform by mimicking the intricate structures of viruses using artificial intelligence (AI).
Six new tree species named: 3 from Panama, 3 from Colombia
Researchers have named six new tree species based on comparisons made among collections of dried plant specimens from across the Neotropics. Of these six, three of the new species have only been found in Panama: Matisia petaquillae, Matisia changuinolana and Matisia aquilarum. The new species from Colombia identified in the same report are Matisia genesiana, Matisia mutatana and Matisia rufula.
Climate change impacts not only life on land but also the largely unexplored deep-sea ecosystem, home to unique and largely unexplored fauna. Deep-sea animals, which have adapted to stable and extreme environments, are particularly vulnerable to changes in temperature and food availability. This raises a crucial question: What environmental factors are most important for deep-sea ecosystems, and how might they be disrupted?
Individual leopards can be identified by their roars
In the first large-scale paired camera trap and autonomous recording survey for large African carnivores, researchers were able to identify individual leopards by their vocalizations with 93% accuracy.
How the freezer factors into lowering food waste
Putting extra holiday cookies and leftovers in the freezer will not only extend their shelf life — it could also put a dent in the U.S. household tendency to throw away edible food, a new study suggests.
Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire
A new study finds gases harmful to human health lingered for weeks following the fire.
Three years after the Dec. 30, 2021, Marshall Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County, two new studies offer insight into what happens to air quality and health in the aftermath of urban wildfires.
Researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer
Researchers have made a meaningful advance in the simulation of molecular electron transfer — a fundamental process underpinning countless physical, chemical and biological processes. The study details the use of a trapped-ion quantum simulator to model electron transfer dynamics with unprecedented tunability, unlocking new opportunities for scientific exploration in fields ranging from molecular electronics to photosynthesis.
Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp
Researchers have developed a new material for sodium-ion batteries, sodium vanadium phosphate, that delivers higher voltage and greater energy capacity than previous sodium-based materials. This breakthrough could make sodium-ion batteries a more efficient and affordable alternative to lithium-ion, using a more abundant and cost-effective resource.
Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more
New research reveals that right whales can survive for more than 130 years — almost twice as long as previously understood.
Research points the way to lifesaving antiparasitic drugs while unlocking a scientific mystery
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that afflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 people around the world every year.
Researchers discover replication hubs for human norovirus
Combining bioinformatics and experimetal approaches, researchers have discovered replication hubs for human norovirus, the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis accounting for an estimated 685 million cases and approximately 212,000 deaths globally per year. The findings could lead to designing antiviral drugs to prevent, control or treat these serious infections.
Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication
Researchers developed a biosensing technique that eliminates the need for wires. Instead, tiny, wireless antennas use light to detect minute electrical signals in the solution around them.
Geothermal aquifers offer green potential but quality checks required
A research team has revealed that to use the aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system safely over the long term it is crucial to investigate the groundwater quality before operating the system and to continuously monitor the water quality.
Programming cells: Revolutionizing genetic circuits with cutting-edge RNA tools
Researchers have developed a new technology that improves the precision and integration density of synthetic genetic circuits.
A tropical disease in Switzerland: Call for coordinated action on Chagas disease
Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of Chagas disease in Switzerland. Although typically found in Latin America, Chagas disease affects between 2,000 and 4,000 people in Switzerland. The review underscores the need for improved screening and healthcare strategies to eliminate Chagas disease in Switzerland.
Water and gruel — not bread: Discovering the diet of early Neolithic farmers in Scandinavia
At a Neolithic settlement on the Danish island Funen dating back 5,500 years, archaeologists have discovered both grinding stones and grains from early cereals. However, new research reveals that the inhabitants did not use the stones to grind the cereal grains. Instead of making bread, they likely prepared porridge or gruel from the grains.
Growing safer spuds: Removing toxins from potatoes
Scientists have discovered a way to remove toxic compounds from potatoes and tomatoes, making them safer to eat and easier to store. The breakthrough could cut food waste and enhance crop farming in extreme environments, like outer space.
Using field sensors, various ecological modelling technologies and deep learning algorithms, a French research team has developed a method for mapping the risk of collisions between animals and vehicles along transport infrastructures. In the future, it could contribute to collision management in autonomous vehicles thanks to connected infrastructures.
Dripstones offer insights into climate dynamics in Europe
Investigations into precipitation patterns in eastern Central Europe since the end of the last ice age have shown that dynamic processes in atmospheric circulation, such as the North Atlantic jet stream, influence regional changes in precipitation. The researchers analyzed dripstones from caves in Romania, which act as a natural climate archive that allows conclusions to be drawn about precipitation variability over a period of approximately 20,000 years.
ESA and NASA satellites deliver first joint picture of Greenland Ice Sheet melting
Scientists have delivered the first measurements of Greenland Ice Sheet thickness change using data from ESA and NASA ice satellite missions. With global warming causing the Greenland Ice Sheet to melt and flow more rapidly, raising sea levels and disturbing weather patterns across our planet, precise measurements of its changing shape are of critical importance for tracking and adapting to the effects of climate warming.
AI-driven approach reveals hidden hazards of chemical mixtures in rivers
Artificial intelligence can provide critical insights into how complex mixtures of chemicals in rivers affect aquatic life — paving the way for better environmental protection.
We know a lot about how much fossil-derived carbon is emitted to the atmosphere but less about how much is stored in human-made products. Ecological economists estimate that each year, humans add around 400 million tons of fossil carbon to long-lasting products such as plastics, buildings, and human infrastructure. Although these products could be considered a ‘carbon sink,’ proper waste management is essential to prevent them from becoming environmental hazards.
Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows
Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth’s most prolific pollinators — and new research suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.
Changes in store for atmospheric rivers
Communities up and down the West Coast of the United States can expect atmospheric rivers to evolve as the climate warms. But residents in Southern California will see much different changes than residents in more northerly locations like Seattle
First results from 2021 rocket launch shed light on aurora’s birth
Scientist have begun to reveal the particle-level processes that create the type of auroras that dance rapidly across the sky. The Kinetic-scale Energy and momentum Transport experiment — KiNET-X — lifted off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on May 16, 2021, in the final minutes of the final night of the nine-day launch window.
Brain inflammation alters behavior according to sex, mouse study finds
Inflammation in the hippocampus — the brain’s memory center — significantly alters motivation and behavior in mice, according to new research.
Shiitake-derived functional food shows suppression of liver fibrosis progression
A research team found out how AHCC, a standardized extract of cultured Lentinula edodes mycelia, might be able to suppress the progression of liver fibrosis.
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