Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research from University of British Columbia botanists. The finding, published today in Current Biology, greatly expands the range of corallicolids, suggesting the parasites infect a range of … Read more
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), have created a method that extracts over 80 per cent of the available protein in grain leftovers from brewing beer, commonly known as brewers’ spent grain. Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the solid residue from malted barley after brewing beer. It is the most significant byproduct of … Read more
Insect pheromones are odor molecules used for chemical communication within a species. Sex pheromones play a crucial role in the mating of many insects. Species-specific odors attract males and females of the same species. At the same time, they maintain the natural boundaries between species. The research team led by Nanji Jiang, Bill Hansson and … Read more
Over the last decade, researchers at University of Michigan continue to find that exposure to environmental toxins — from pesticides used in agriculture to volatile organic compounds in the manufacturing industry — is linked to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The buildup of exposures, which researchers call the ALS exposome, is possibly … Read more
Over the past 60 years, climate change has forced certain ant species, unable to tolerate higher temperatures, out of their original habitats in Gregory Canyon near Boulder, Colorado, according to a new research published April 9 in the journal Ecology. The resulting biodiversity change could potentially alter local ecosystems, according to first author Anna Paraskevopoulos, … Read more
Modern life relies on plastic. This lightweight, adaptable product is a cornerstone of packaging, medical equipment, the aerospace and automotive industries and more. But plastic waste remains a problem as it degrades in landfills and pollutes oceans. FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers have created a potential alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastic that is made from … Read more
Sunlight has a major influence on chemical processes. Its high-energy UV radiation in particular is strongly absorbed by all materials and triggers photochemical reactions of the substances present in the air. A well-known example is the formation of ground-level ozone when UV light hits nitrogen oxides. A research team led by Birgitta Schultze-Bernhardt from the … Read more
Forensic and environmental experts have teamed up to develop a new scientific method to pinpoint microplastic pollution ‘hotspots’ in open waters. A study by Staffordshire University, The Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean and Central Wyoming College trialled the technique in New York’s Long Island Sound. Professor Claire Gwinnett from Staffordshire University explained: “Long Island … Read more
Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture resistant and highly biodegradable even in sea water. The Kobe University development provides a platform for the industrial-scale, tunable production of a material that holds great potential for turning the plastic industry green. Plastic is a hallmark of our … Read more
It’s not the first study on microplastics in Antarctica that researchers from the University of Basel and the Alfred-Wegener Institute (AWI) have conducted. But analysis of the data from an expedition in spring 2021 shows that environmental pollution from these tiny plastic particles is a bigger problem in the remote Weddell Sea than was previously … Read more