Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA play a central role in gene therapies and vaccines. They store and transmit biological information. In order for them to work in the body, they must enter the cells using chemical carrier systems. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon are
CRISPR is a powerful DNA-editing tool that has underpinned huge advancements in human health care in the last decade. It is a precision tool, but is not perfect, and misplaced DNA edits can compromise safety and efficacy, costing billions each year. Researchers at the MRC
The secretive reptile has confounded researchers for decades The post The Mystery of the Legless Lizards of Taiwan appeared first on Nautilus .
Beavers should be embraced as key allies in the fight against biodiversity loss according to scientists at the University of Stirling, after new research revealed the significant ecological benefits the animals bring to wetland habitats. Beaver populations across Europe and
The Phlegraean Fields volcanic complex, located beneath the metropolitan area of Naples—a city of 900,000 inhabitants in Italy—has been rising increasingly since 2005, accompanied by a growing number of small earthquakes. This development has been attracting increasing
Studying and designing novel materials is a central application of quantum mechanics. Chemists, materials scientists, and physicists focus on subtle interactions in quantum materials and to uncover them they rely on sophisticated computational and experimental techniques.
Quantum computing promises to transform our world in rapid, radical and revolutionary ways: solving in seconds problems that would take classical computers years, accelerating the discovery of new medicines, creating sustainable materials, optimizing complex systems, and
The structure of the plant communities that grow on the thawing permafrost in the Arctic is changing, with grasses displacing slower-growing shrubs. Although these grasses bind more carbon dioxide than previous plant communities, they lead to far more methane emissions over the
Heart to the left. Liver to the right. That's where you'll find these organs in a healthy human body, but surprisingly, in some people, the heart is on the right and the liver on the left. This normal or abnormal asymmetry can be traced back to your embryonic stage. In the
For the second consecutive year, winter sea ice in the Arctic reached a level that matches the lowest peak observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979. On March 15, Arctic sea ice extent reached 5.52 million square miles (14.29 million square kilometers), very close to
Employee referrals can aid hiring but carry hidden downsides. New research by Rellie Derfler-Rozin at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and Teodora Tomova Shakur of Texas Christian University finds that staff often see referred hires as less
A research team led by the University of Bern has decoded a mechanism by which an inconspicuous succulent regulates the uptake of carbon dioxide via the leaf surface so finely that it receives enough for photosynthesis without losing too much water—and can therefore conserve
Arctic sea ice reached its lowest level ever recorded, statistically tying last year's record, a leading US climate observatory for this geopolitically significant region said on Thursday.
As the war in the Middle East is currently reminding us once again, many countries around the world are heavily reliant on oil and gas. Lax climate policy and limited options for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere could cement this dependence for future generations. Scientists at
For decades, the massive stone circles of Rujm el-Hiri in the Golan Heights were considered a singular, mysterious anomaly—often dubbed "Israel's Stonehenge." However, new research led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) is rewriting that narrative. Using advanced
Everybody acts differently while they are being watched, especially by those with authority. Whether it's your boss sitting in the next cubicle next door or a cop car driving behind you, observation leads to behavioral changes. A new paper from Bret Johnson, associate professor
Particle accelerators reveal the heart of nuclear matter by smashing together atoms at close to the speed of light. The high-energy collisions produce a shower of subatomic fragments that scientists can then study to reconstruct the core building blocks of matter.
A Korean research team, led by Dr. Young Kyu Hwang, Dr. Kyung-Ryul Oh, and Dr. Jihoon Kim at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a circular low-carbon catalytic process that co-produces gluconic acid—a key ingredient in detergents and
Different forms of motivation affect how pupils perform in upper secondary school, a recent NTNU study shows. Pupils who believe they can improve through practice enjoy their subjects more and achieve better academic outcomes. The findings are published in the journal Frontiers
PathogenFinder2 is a new AI tool developed by researchers at DTU in Denmark, in collaboration with international partners, to determine whether an unfamiliar bacterium possesses genetic characteristics associated with the ability to cause disease. The research has been
The words on this page mean something because they are assembled in a particular order and follow the complex rules of grammar and syntax. Creating new chemical polymers follows a similar kind of structure, with rules about what elements and groups of atoms go together and how
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have found evidence that the spinning of a small comet slowed and then reversed its direction of rotation, offering a dramatic example of how volatile activity can affect the spin and physical evolution of small bodies in the
Picture a cockpit crew of two who met just minutes before takeoff, now descending through a turbulent midnight sky. They aren't looking at each other—their eyes scan the instruments in the cockpit and the horizon outside—and yet they move in perfect sync. This isn't just
Around the world, in nearly every delta, people can adapt to rising sea levels using today's technological capabilities, materials, and space, according to researchers from Utrecht University and Deltares. In their new study—the first global assessment of the physical solution
Venus is increasingly becoming a touch point for our studies of exoplanets, as missions like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) begin to characterize rocky exoplanets around other stars. Understanding the difference between
High-energy particles called galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) bombard unprotected objects in space, often causing damage. Earth, however, is protected by its magnetic field, which creates a protective shell around the planet that can deflect dangerous charged particles, like GCRs.
A team of researchers led by the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated a programmable superconducting diode at the LaAlO3/KTaO3 (LAO/KTO) interface, an advance that holds potential to enhance/help usher in the future of next-generation electronics and quantum circuits. The
In a sperm whale birth recorded in more intimate detail than ever before, local whales huddled around the mother and lifted the calf to the surface.
A female sperm whale has been filmed giving birth for the first time, supported by 10 adult females who lifted the calf out of the water and protected it from predators
Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) has published two scientific studies presenting the most comprehensive documentation of a sperm whale birth ever recorded and the first quantitative evidence of cooperative birth assistance among non-primates. Published in Science
For decades, ever since biologists recognized the potential environmental harms from climate change, they have worried that plants will not be able to evolve fast enough to adapt to a rapidly warming planet. But the pace of research to understand how species respond has been
Using X-ray lasers, researchers at Stockholm University have been able to determine the existence of a critical point in supercooled water at around -63 °C and 1,000 atmospheres. Ordinary water at higher temperatures and lower pressures is strongly affected by the presence of
Anopheles darlingi mosquitoes—a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study
Pieces of jawbone and teeth found in Egypt have been identified as a new early ape species named Masripithecus moghraensis, which lived about 17 million years ago
Improving tsunami hazard assessments depends on understanding what happens at the moment an earthquake ruptures beneath the seafloor, especially near deep-ocean trenches where measurements are often scarce. When a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka
In a study published in Science, an international research team from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center (Egypt) and the University of Southern California (U.S.) describe Masripithecus moghraensis, a newly identified fossil ape that lived about 17–18 million
One of the most puzzling aspects of common chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis is how they become chronic. What allows an ongoing condition to stay dormant for months or even years, then seemingly spring back out of nowhere?
Skin conditions such as psoriasis often flare up in the same spots throughout one’s life. Now scientists think they know why
At cold temperatures, water has two different liquid phases, which become one at the critical point. The discovery could help explain water’s quirks.
Sperm whales are known to socialize, but scientists were stunned when they saw a group of sperm whales gather as one of them gave birth
Fossil jaw remains found in Egypt suggest that the earliest modern apes evolved in North Africa, not in East Africa where most fossils have been found.
The Arctic sea ice maximum this year effectively tied for the lowest ever on record, with major implications for polar ecosystems and global warming
Scientists at Curtin University have solved a long-standing mystery about how some of the world's best-preserved fossils formed in ancient oxygen-free ocean floor settings. The research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, focuses on a 183-million-year-old
Classifying ancient pottery has always depended on the trained judgment of an archaeologist. Identifying the subtle differences between piece types takes years of experience, and two experts will not always agree. Now, a team including researchers at Nagoya University in Japan
And not because they refuse to ask for directions The post Space Screws Up Sperm’s Ability to Navigate Properly appeared first on Nautilus .
Benzene, a compound linked with leukemia and other blood cancers, is leaking from gas stoves in Europe, a new study finds. According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe level of exposure to benzene, a compound that occurs naturally in crude oil and natural gas,
The Mangareva Islands are about 1,600 kilometers southeast of Tahiti in French Polynesia. They get their name (which means "floating mountains") from the way the sea spray breaking on the surrounding coral atolls, or motu, causes the ancient volcanic peaks to appear as if they
The analysis of a sediment core from an oasis lake in Chad provides new insights into the history of precipitation in the Sahara. The study, led by the University of Cologne, shows that a prolonged wet phase, which lasted from 14,800 to 5,500 years ago, was interrupted by
Some of the signs of aging in human cells originate in the cell nucleus, because the packaged form of DNA changes with age. This has now been demonstrated by PSI researchers. It means that older cells can no longer react appropriately to external stimuli, and this can even lead
A Jacuzzi for washing your tomatoes might seem odd, but new research finds that a bubble bath with a constant acoustic sound in the water may be the best chemical-free, gentle method for cleaning agricultural produce and possibly medical instruments and semiconductors. The
