Science News

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Plants can be genetically rewired to resist the devastating effects of disease – significantly reducing crop waste worldwide – according to new research into synthetic biology by the University of Warwick.Led by Professor Declan Bates from the Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB) and Professor Katherine Denby from the University of York, who is also an Associate member of WISB, researchers have developed a genetic control system that would enable plants to strengthen their defence response against deadly pathogens – so they could remain healthy and productive.

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Scripps Research scientists have solved a major problem in chemistry and drug development by using droplet-sized ‘miniecosystems’ to quickly see if a molecule can function as a potential therapeutic.

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Neutron facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are aiding scientists in research to boost the power and efficiency of thermoelectric materials. These performance increases could enable more cost-effective and practical uses for thermoelectrics, with wider industry adoption, to improve fuel economy in vehicles, make power plants more efficient, and advance body heat–powered technologies for watches and smartphones.

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Argonne material scientists have discovered a reaction that helps explain the behavior of a key electrolyte additive used to boost battery performance.

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Scientists have been able to prove the existence of small black holes and those that are super-massive but the existence of an elusive type of black hole, known as intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is hotly debated. New research coming out of the Space Science Center at the University of New Hampshire shows the strongest evidence to date that this middle-of-the-road black hole exists, by serendipitously capturing one in action devouring an encountering star.

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DHS S&T celebrates a milestone in public safety advancement with recent Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies including the Bloomberg Corporate Headquarters Security Program, the Soldier Field Security Program for SMG and the Chicago Park District, and Boeing’s Wave Glider.

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"This new method should allow us to explore a large ‘chemical space’ that had been essentially off-limits."

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Researchers have found a way to convert nanoparticle-coated microscopic beads into lasers smaller than red blood cells. These microlasers, which convert infrared light into light at higher frequencies, are among the smallest continuously emitting lasers of their kind ever reported and can constantly and stably emit light for hours at a time, even when submerged in biological fluids such as blood serum.

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Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) based at Berkeley Lab have pioneered a new way to synthesize DNA sequences through a creative use of enzymes that promises to be faster, cheaper, and more accurate. DNA synthesis is a fundamental tool in the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology, in which organisms can be engineered to do things like decompose plastic and manufacture biofuels and medicines. This discovery could dramatically accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.

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A team of chemical engineers has developed a more sustainable way of making tape by using plants. The new process allows for the manufacturing of tape adhesive using a substance paper manufacturers throw away. Their invention performs just as well as at least two major brands.

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The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Yale University have created a plan to preserve one of the last intact forest strongholds for the jaguar and other iconic species in Central America: the Moskitia Forest Corridor.

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Faculty member Glenn McClure has received a $50,000 National Science Foundation Innovation Corps-National Innovation Network Teams grant to explore the interpretation and representation of large amounts of data through non-speech audio such as music.

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“Pregaming” is defined as drinking alone or with other people before going to an event or get-together where alcohol may be present. Pregaming often involves rapid drinking, which can quickly produce high blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) that meet or exceed the legal limit for intoxication. It is a common, high-risk drinking activity among college students that remains largely unaffected by efforts to reduce its occurrence. This study sought to identify profiles of pregamers to characterize the specific risks associated with the behavior, and to develop more effective prevention strategies on college campuses.

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Solar energy is clean and abundant, but when the sun isn't shining, you must store the energy in batteries or through a process called photocatalysis. In photocatalytic water splitting, sunlight separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and oxygen can then be recombined in a fuel cell to release energy. Now, a new class of materials -- halide double perovskites -- may have just the right properties to split water, according to a newly published paper in Applied Physics Letters.

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Iowa, known for its farms, also claims fame to a dramatic, rolling landscape known as loess hills. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) June 15 Soils Matter blog post explains what formed this feature, and why its soil requires special care.

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Ecologists from the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science are forecasting a larger-than-average Chesapeake Bay "dead zone" in 2018, due to increased rainfall in the watershed this spring.

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Many people have opinions about alcoholism and alcoholics, but few have heard the stories of those afflicted with the disease. A plenary session at the 41st annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) in San Diego June 17-21 will feature three persons in recovery who have agreed to share their stories.

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Competition for faculty, staff, students and alumni to support entrepreneurship and innovation to advance IMSA’s mission to address one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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In 2017, IMSA adopted these 17 Sustainable Development Goals and started to incorporate them into curriculum spanning all subjects on campus.

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Developing the next generation to solve global challenges and living one of its founding principles to “significantly influence life on our planet.”