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To illustrate the utility of their platform, they have engineered an enzyme that can successfully degrade poly(ethylene) terephthalate (PET), the plastic commonly used in plastic bottles. In recent years, the enzymatic recycling of plastics has emerged as an attractive and environmentally friendly strategy to help alleviate the problems associated with plastic waste. Although there are …

Engineering enzymes to help solve the planet’s plastic problem Read More »

“Our data suggest that sneezing is an adaptation that sponges evolved to keep themselves clean,” says Jasper de Goeij, a marine biologist at the University of Amsterdam and the senior author of the paper. While the field has known about this behavior for years, the authors of this paper show that these sneezes get rid …

Sponges ‘sneeze’ to dispose of waste Read More »

Meteorites from the Moon to Antarctica During her doctoral research at ETH Zurich, Patrizia Will analysed six samples of lunar meteorites from an Antarctic collection, obtained from NASA. The meteorites consist of basalt rock that formed when magma welled up from the interior of the Moon and cooled quickly. They remained covered by additional basalt …

One more clue to the Moon’s origin Read More »

Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) cause plants to grow more quickly, meaning they store more carbon. This storage — especially in huge forests like the Amazon — helps to limit rising CO2 levels, slowing climate change. However, plants also need nutrients to grow, and the new study shows that availability of a particular nutrient, …

Amazon’s growth limited by lack of phosphorus Read More »

That’s the main finding from a unique five-year experiment, led by a University of Michigan ecologist, that used infrared lamps and soil heating cables to study the projected impacts of near-term climate change on thousands of seedlings from nine tree species found in far northern forests, which are known as boreal forests. North America’s boreal …

Even modest climate change may lead to sweeping changes in northernmost forests Read More »

Blood samples show that children have elevated markers of inflammation, such as interleukin 6, if they were exposed to higher air pollution. Further, higher air pollution was linked to lower cardiac autonomic regulation in children, which impacts how fast the heart beats and how hard it pumps, according to the study. In the study, published …

Air pollution, including during wildfires, shows ill effects in children Read More »

The process for synthesizing the melamine material, published this week in the journal Science Advances, could potentially be scaled down to capture emissions from vehicle exhaust or other movable sources of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel burning makes up about 75% of all greenhouse gases produced in the U.S. The new material is …

A simple, cheap material for carbon capture, perhaps from tailpipes Read More »

Published today, AIMS’ Annual Summary Report on Coral Reef Condition for 2021/22 shows another year of increased coral cover across much of the Reef. In the 87 representative reefs surveyed between August 2021 and May 2022 under the AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP), average hard coral cover in the region north of Cooktown increased to …

Highest coral cover in central, northern Reef in 36 years Read More »

In the steaming jungles of Borneo, plants have evolved innumerable tricks to help them survive and outcompete their neighbours. The Slender Pitcher Plant, Nepenthes gracilis, is amongst the most ingenious: its elaborate cup-shaped leaves are equipped with a canopy-like hanging lid that turns into a deadly springboard for ants when it is hit by a …

Researchers reveal how an insect-eating plant uses rain energy to power its traps Read More »

Be aware that mold is essentially caused by moisture. Mold is a moisture problem. If you clean up the mold but don’t fix the dampness in the house, the mold will grow back later. Clean and dry standing water or water spots within 24 hours to prevent mold growth. Do you know that wall mountable …

What’s Underlying Reason of Mold? Read More »