Quantcast

Latest News

Tiny ‘Skyscrapers’ Help Bacteria Convert Sunlight Into Electricity

Researchers have made tiny ‘skyscrapers’ for communities of bacteria, helping them to generate electricity from just sunlight and water.

Are Strokes A Social Justice Issue? A New Study Suggests They Could Be.

A new study authored by three NAU researchers found that people with lower socioeconomic status and people from ethnic minority populations have a greater likelihood of severe stroke than white Americans or those of a higher socioeconomic status (SES).

What Happens When Phosphorous Runs Out? Hopefully We Never Find Out.

Modern agriculture is underpinned by a steady supply of fertilizer. However, one of the main ingredients of fertilizer, phosphorus, is running out, putting pressure and financial strain on farmers throughout the world.

Developing Future Diné Public Health Leaders Starts With Early, Culturally Significant Exposure

Successfully guiding Diné youth toward health and public health professions begins with two important ideas––start students in a program in high school and cultivate in them a love and understanding of their own cultural, strength-based assets.

Current Conservation Policies Risk Damaging Global Biodiversity, Warn Researchers

Rewilding, organic farming and the so-called ‘nature friendly farming’ measures included in some government conservation policies may accelerate global biodiversity loss, say two leading researchers.

Earliest Human Remains In Eastern Africa Dated To More Than 230,000 Years Ago

The age of the oldest fossils in eastern Africa widely recognised as representing our species, Homo sapiens, has long been uncertain. Now, dating of a massive volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reveals they are much older than previously thought.

Seawater Could Have Provided Phosphorous Required For Emerging Life

The problem of how phosphorus became a universal ingredient for life on Earth may have been solved by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town, who have recreated primordial seawater containing the element in the lab.

Researchers Find Cells That Regulate Appetite And Obesity In The Brainstem Of Mice

RESEARCH Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have characterized lower brainstem cell populations in mice that seem to play a key role in regulating appetite and obesity. Their ‘unbiased’ approach identified the cell populations responsible for regulating appetite using a data science approach to integrate single-cell sequencing with human genetics data. The scientists believe the approach will unlock more secrets about the neurological control of appetite and energy balance.

MRSA Arose In Hedgehogs Long Before Antibiotic Use

Scientists have found evidence that a type of the antibiotic-resistant superbug MRSA arose in nature long before the use of antibiotics in humans and livestock, which has traditionally been blamed for its emergence.

Human Land-Use And Climate Change Will Have Significant Impact On Animal Genetic Diversity, Study Finds

RESEARCH Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have made the first ever global assessment map of how future climate and land-use change impacts genetic diversity in mammals. The researchers hope the map will assist policy makers in prioritizing which areas should be preserved first.

Soil Microbes Use Different Pathways To Metabolize Carbon

Much of what scientists think about soil metabolism may be wrong. New evidence from Northern Arizona University suggests that microbes in different soils use different biochemical pathways to process nutrients, respire and grow.

NAU Global Change Ecologist Leads NASA Satellite Study Of Rapid Greening Across Arctic Tundra

As Arctic summers warm, Earth’s northern landscapes are changing. Using satellite images to track global tundra ecosystems over decades, a team of researchers finds the region has become greener as warmer air and soil temperatures lead to increased plant growth.

Larger, More Frequent Fires In The Boreal Forest Threaten Previously Protected Carbon Stores, NAU-Led Research Team Reports In Nature

Pools of old carbon in the soil of boreal forests historically safe from combustion are being released by more frequent and larger wildfires, a team led by researchers at Northern Arizona University announced in Nature this week.

Clean, Sustainable Fuels Made ‘From Thin Air’ And Plastic Waste

Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes – or even directly from the air – and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun.

Medical Cannabis Can Reduce Essential Tremor By Turning On Overlooked Cells In The Central Nervous System

ESSENTIAL TREMOR Medical cannabis can reduce essential tremor in mice. By injecting a specific synthetic cannabinoid into the spinal cord of mice suffering from essential tremor, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have shown that the drug can reduce involuntary shaking – as the cannabinoid activates a particular type of cell, the so-called astrocytes.

Shedding Light On Reptilian Health: Researchers Investigate Origins Of Snake Fungal Disease In U.S.

Although only recently recognized as an issue in wildlife ecology, snake fungal disease (SFD) is of emerging concern in the U.S., with parallels among other better-known wildlife fungal diseases such as white-nose syndrome in bats.

Covid-19 Vaccination Activates Antibodies Targeting Parts Of Virus Spike Protein Shared Between Coronaviruses

Could the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine reawaken previous antibody responses and point the way to a universal coronavirus vaccine?

Searching For The Needle In A Haystack: Are Agrochemicals Linked To Cancer?

Thousands of chemicals are released into the environment yearly for agricultural, industrial and health-related needs.

Reducing H. Pylori In Navajo Nation Tribal Members Through Testing And Education

How can you eliminate a pervasive, yet undiscussed, bacterial infection from the Navajo Nation? For a collaborative group of researchers, it requires dedication, hours of travel and unfailing commitment to present information in a respectful, culturally relevant way.