Explore the latest scientific discoveries, science news, breakthroughs and developments from around the world.
Natural history collections around the world collectively hold more than 1 billion specimens, spanning a wide variety of times and places. These include species that are extinct or come from areas now transformed beyond recognition, providing data that cannot be found anywhere else.
The goal was to build a faster way to search for new antibiotics. The search turned up something unexpected. FIU biochemistry professor Fenfei Leng and a group of researchers set out to develop the first high-throughput screening method specifically designed to identify compounds that can poison bacterial DNA gyrase, an enzyme that bacteria need to survive.
Students in Cornell's Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) have released mission results for two unique light-sail experiments. These sails are slightly larger than a pizza box and harness momentum from photons to accelerate to high velocities. With ChipSats onboard—gram-scale spacecraft that fit in the palm of your hand—the sails can become free-flyers. They origami-fold into CubeSats for launch and completely separate when deployed, allowing them to be far smaller and lighter than traditional solar sails. The ChipSats provide all ground communications and steering capabilities for a fraction of the mass and cost.
Inclusion has become one of the most prominent concepts in contemporary education policy in England. Its position at the center of the Department for Education's ambitions can be seen in recent guidance on the creation of "inclusion bases," spaces that support students with additional needs in mainstream schools.
A KAUST-led team has developed the AI tool Unify to help scientists compare similar cell types across distant species. This comparison can help researchers assess which findings from animal studies may be most relevant to human health. Their study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
A new study has found a sustainable and scalable way to improve the durability of plant-based packaging; it's a discovery that researchers say could help curb the environmental footprint of plastic. Researchers used advanced plasma technology to apply layered, protective coatings to the surface of cellulosic nanofibril (CNF) films, with the goal of reducing water absorption and improving moisture resistance.
This year's El Niño has the potential to be one of the strongest in living memory, and the evidence is showing up around the world.
When NASA's Perseverance rover reached the inner edge of Mars' Jezero Crater in September 2023, mission scientists were surprised by what they found. The geologic area, called the "Margin Unit," stretches along the shoreline of an ancient Martian lake, so they expected sedimentary rocks, which would have formed as layers of sand piled on top of each other over millennia. Composed of clay and silt, sedimentary rocks on Earth are good at preserving past microbial life. The scientists were especially intrigued by strong signals of carbonate minerals detected by Mars orbiters. On Earth, carbonates frequently form in shallow ocean and lake environments capable of supporting life.
Families of babies and toddlers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face complex and fragmented support systems when trying to find suitable child care, often at a considerable emotional cost.
Gliomas are a major cause of cancer-related deaths in younger adults. About 7,000 patients harbor a common genetic mutation that affects the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 1. This mutated enzyme, called mIDH1, can produce a molecule that can reprogram both the tumor cells and the environment in which they grow. The molecule, known as 2-hydroxyglutarate, can also circulate in the blood and reprogram immune cells in the bone marrow.
Lab mice who spend time in space seem to bear offspring with reduced reproductive capacity, a new study suggests. But what that might mean for human astronauts and their families is still unclear.The research, published June 30 in the journal PNAS, looked at female mice that had spent extended periods on the International Space Station (ISS). These mice had similar levels of fertility as Earth-bound mice. However, their children and grandchildren produced smaller-than-average litters, had fewer litters overall and had lower levels of key reproductive hormones, among other measurable differences. "The offspring of those that came back from space were altered in their behavior, their muscle, t...
A Texas A&M University researcher helped shape the first major update in more than two decades to the International Dyslexia Association's definition of dyslexia. The revised definition reflects advances in dyslexia research and could influence how schools, policymakers and others identify and support students with learning disabilities.