News

Scientists have worked out why conifer forests release so many fine particles into the atmosphere. Aerosol particles are particularly abundant when a-pinene, the molecule responsible for the characteristic pattern of pine trees, reacts with atmospheric ozone.

For some 15,000 years, dogs have been our hunting partners, workmates, helpers and companions. Could they also be our next allies in the fight against COVID-19? A new review paper adds to the consensus that trained medical scent dogs can effectively be used for screening individuals who may be infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The small, mobile laboratory could provide rapid coronavirus test results in regions of Africa where testing facilities and medical infrastructure fall far short of European standards.

Scientists have used genome-editing technology to replace a modern gene involved in neurodevelopment with its ancestor that was expressed in Neanderthal/Denisovan populations. The gene has been expressed in brain organoids to study its function. The study findings bring us one step closer to understanding how the modern human brain has evolved.

Global emissions of a potent substance notorious for depleting the Earth’s ozone layer, CFC-11, have fallen rapidly and are now back on the decline following a disturbing rise that began in 2013, according to new research.

Scientists report major discoveries on how a class of molecules called polyampholytes can safely freeze biological materials.

Local, sustainable production of animal feed is becoming a reality. A Trappist brewery are cultivating purple bacteria in brewery wastewater for use as a protein source that makes shrimp grow faster. Microbial proteins can reduce both our environmental impact and our dependency on imported proteins such as fish meal and soybean meal.

Researchers have developed a second-generation lung-on-chip model with life-size dimension alveoli in a stretchable membrane, made of purely biological material. The new model reproduces key aspects of the lung tissue architecture not found in previous lungs-on-chip, opening up new possibilities for basic pneumological research, understanding lung pathologies, drug screening and precision medicine.

A SISSA team of investigators has reported a new theory for how we sense the passage of time as we process sensory stimuli.

A study presents compelling new evidence about what a key protein called alpha-synuclein actually does in neurons in the brain.