Only a few of the roughly one billion cars and trucks on global roads run on hydrogen. This could change after a breakthrough achieved by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, a new catalyst that can be used to produce cheaper and far more sustainable hydrogen powered vehicles. Hydrogen has held potential as an alternative […] Read more
Tag Archives Science Notes — page 7
Breakthrough could make hydrogen vehicles more feasible
Science Notes: Less platinum generates more promise for fuel cells' potential
Specialized cellular compartments discovered in bacteria
Science Notes: Discovery of bacterial “organs” could pave the way for a new generation of antibiotics
Researchers at McGill University have discovered bacterial organelles involved in gene expression, suggesting that bacteria may not be as simple as once thought. This finding could offer new targets for the development of new antibiotics. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to show that E. coli uses similar […] Read more
Researchers say free trade can help climate change hunger
Science Notes: Climate change will impact regions in different ways
Researchers from KU Leuven, the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and RTI International investigated the effects of trade on hunger in the world as a result of climate change. They found that international trade can compensate for regional food shortages and reduce hunger, particularly when protectionist measures and other barriers to trade are […] Read more
A GoPro for beetles
Science Notes: Camera backpack for insects could help researchers better understand insects
In the movie “Ant-Man,” the title character can shrink in size and travel by soaring on the back of an insect. Now researchers at the University of Washington have developed a tiny wireless steerable camera that can also ride aboard an insect, allowing a real-life view from the back of an insect. The camera, which […] Read more
Antibiotic use on crops more widespread than thought
Science Notes: Few monitoring systems exist, compared to extensive tracking of animal use
The world is more aware of the overuse of antibiotics and the development of resistance in bacterial populations. This has led to calls for greater control and monitoring of their use in both human and veterinary medicine. What is less well known is that antibiotics are routinely used in crop production and according to new […] Read more
New killing mechanism discovered in ‘game-changing’ antibiotic
Science Notes: AMR is seen as a threat to human health and prosperity
Scientists at the University of Liverpool and University of Utrecht have taken another step forward on their quest to develop a viable drug based on teixobactin – a new class of potent natural antibiotic capable of killing superbugs. Research published in Nature Communications provides fundamental new insights into how teixobactins kill bacteria, including the discovery of a […] Read more
Resistant trees found to resist ash borer
Science Notes: Gene editing could place resistance genes into ash species currently affected by EAB
An international team of scientists have identified candidate resistance genes that could protect ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a deadly pest that is expected to kill billions of trees worldwide. In the new study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, […] Read more
Water stress can constrain late-season photosynthesis
Science Notes: Remote sensing technology employed
Photosynthesis is regulated by plant phenology — how plant life cycles interact with the climate — and environmental conditions, both of which changed substantially in recent decades. Unlike early season photosynthesis, which is mostly driven by warming temperatures or the onset of the wet season, late-season photosynthesis can be limited by several factors, such as […] Read more
Crop breeding enhanced through machine learning
Science Notes: Artificial intelligence analyzes large numbers of seeds from a single image
The establishment of a method to rapidly create elite crop varieties via selective breeding is a matter of urgency to maintain the food supply. In order to select such cultivars, it is necessary to define and evaluate how to identify superior varieties. The shape of seeds is a trait closely linked to the quality and […] Read more
Coronavirus begs question: Why are bat viruses so deadly?
Science Notes: Bats' aggressive immune response may hold the key
University of California – Berkeley – It’s no coincidence that some of the worst viral disease outbreaks in recent years — SARS, MERS, Ebola, Marburg and likely the newly arrived 2019-nCoV virus — originated in bats. A new University of California, Berkeley, study finds that bats’ fierce immune response to viruses could drive viruses to […] Read more
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