ScienceDaily Environment Headlines
for Saturday, July 17, 2010
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Fungi's genetic sabotage in wheat discovered (July 16, 2010) -- Using molecular techniques, scientists have shown how the subversion of a single gene in wheat by two fungal foes triggers a kind of cellular suicide in the grain crop's leaves. ... > full story
Mice cages can alter rodents’ brains and skew research results, study finds (July 16, 2010) -- Researchers have found that the type of cage lab mice are kept in can physically change their brains and dramatically alter test data. ... > full story
Old theory of phytoplankton growth overturned, raise concerns for ocean productivity (July 16, 2010) -- A new study concludes that an old, fundamental and widely accepted theory of how and why phytoplankton bloom in the oceans is incorrect. The findings challenge more than 50 years of conventional wisdom about the growth of phytoplankton, which are the ultimate basis for almost all ocean life and major fisheries. And they also raise concerns that global warming, rather than stimulating ocean productivity, may actually curtail it in some places. ... > full story
Record-breaking carbon dioxide storage capacity enhances ability to capture CO<sub>2</sub> (July 16, 2010) -- Chemists report the "ultimate porosity of a nano material" and records for carbon dioxide storage capacity and porosity in an important class of materials known as MOFs. Porosity in materials is essential for capturing carbon dioxide. This research could lead to cleaner energy and the ability to capture heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions before they reach the atmosphere, which contribute to global warming, rising sea levels and the increased acidity of oceans. ... > full story
New radiation mechanism may ward off cancer, oil spills and terrorism (July 16, 2010) -- Radiation similar to that used to treat cancer may someday help clean up environmental disasters such as the Gulf oil spill and detect explosive powder hidden underneath clothing. ... > full story
Human sperm gene is 600 million years old, scientists discover (July 16, 2010) -- There is one sex-specific gene so vital, its function has remained unaltered throughout evolution and is found in almost all animals, according to new research. The gene, called Boule, is responsible for sperm production and appears to be the only gene exclusively required for sperm production from an insect to a mammal. All animal sperm production likely comes from a common prototype. ... > full story
Reinventing the wheel -- naturally (July 16, 2010) -- Humans did not invent the wheel. Nature did. While the evolution from the Neolithic solid stone wheel with a single hole for an axle to the sleek wheels of today's racing bikes can be seen as the result of human ingenuity, it also represents how animals, including humans, have come to move more efficiently and quicker over millions of years on Earth, according to an expert. ... > full story
Hungry cells, on a binge, know their own limits (July 16, 2010) -- Cells that consume parts of themselves can stop this process autonomously as well, according to new research. The self-cannibalism is part of the normal digestive process of the cell, but also a survival mechanism in times of famine. This is what makes it difficult for doctors to 'starve out' cancer cells, for instance. ... > full story
Global warming slows coral growth in Red Sea (July 16, 2010) -- In a pioneering use of computed tomography (CT) scans, scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have discovered that carbon dioxide (CO2)-induced global warming is in the process of killing off a major coral species in the Red Sea. ... > full story
Rescuing fruit flies from Alzheimer's disease (July 16, 2010) -- Fruit fly males -- in which the activity of an Alzheimer's disease protein is reduced by 50 percent -- show impairments in learning and memory as they age, scientists have found. What's more, the researchers were able to prevent the age-related deficits by treating the flies with drugs such as lithium, or by genetic manipulations that reduced nerve-cell signaling. ... > full story
Insight into why low calorie diet can extend lifespan -- even if adopted later in life (July 16, 2010) -- Research is providing new insight into why a restricted diet can lead to a longer lifespan and reduced incidence of age-related diseases for a wide variety of animals. Scientists have known for some time that a restricted diet can extend the lifespan of certain animals but this work shows how it affects aging mechanisms - and significantly has also shown that the effects occur even if the restricted diet is adopted later in life. ... > full story
What plant genes tell us about crop domestication (July 16, 2010) -- Archeobotanists argue that plant domestication involved much trial and error in many different geographic regions over a long period of time. A genetic technique that allows domesticated and wild strains of the same plant to be compared shows that domestication requires only simple genetic changes. Yet the findings don't contradict the archeobotanical data. ... > full story
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