The team reduced the complexity of nuclear pores down to a single, artificial Nucleoporin that they call 'NupX'. This protein is based on the average properties of a class of Nucleoporins rich in the amino acid motif Glycine-Leucine-Phenylalanine-Glycine. In these simulation snapshots, each particle represents a whole amino acid. Credit: University of Groningen The...
A single use of a facial exfoliator can release 5,000 -100,000 microplastics to the environment. Credit: NJIT It's estimated that an average-sized wastewater treatment plant serving roughly 400,000 residents will discharge up to 2,000,000 microplastic particles into the environment each day. Yet, researchers are still learning the environmental and human health impact of these...
Among three cactus varieties researched by the University of Nevada, Reno as drought-tolerant crops for biofuel, Opuntia ficus-indica produced the most fruit while using up to 80% less water than some traditional crops. Credit: John Cushman, University of Nevada, Reno. Could cactus pear become a major crop like soybeans and corn in the near...
A soil scientist from RUDN University studied the decomposition of organic matter in rice paddies--the sources of CO2 and methane emissions. Both gases add to the greenhouse effect and affect climate warming in subtropical regions. The emissions increase when the roots of plants influence microbial communities in the soil. This influence, in turn, depends...
The Okinawan Least Horseshoe Bat, one of the endemic species found in central and southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Credit: Kyoto University/Island Bat Research Group Here's a fun fact: Japan has more bat species than any other order of mammal in the country, and a third of these are endemic. But the bad news...
A new study has solved the mystery of how and why columns of the methane gas can stream out of methane hydrates. Both the bubble tubes and the inverted droplets are encased in clear gas hydrate. Credit: Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2017. Methane, the...