New research has found that isolated Perth tiger snake populations, such as those surrounded by urban development or seawater, are more likely to resort to inbreeding than those in less ‘cut off’ communities. A research team including lead author PhD candidate Mr Damian Lettoof and project supervisor Research Associate Dr Brenton von Takach, both from…

Researchers have discovered that ozone — a component of outdoor and indoor air — can react with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, on glass or cotton surfaces to produce new compounds, which they characterized for the first time. Smoking emits reactive chemicals that remain in the air (so-called secondhand smoke) or deposit onto…

A 5-minute soak in a 40% solution of household bleach decontaminated stainless steel wires coated with chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions, according to a new study. The scientists used the wires to model knives and saws that hunters and meat processors use when handling deer, elk and moose — all of which are susceptible to…

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals 40 different cell types in Stylophora pistillata, a reef-building stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific oceans. The calcium carbonate skeleton of stony coral colonies are the main habitat for a huge diversity of marine species. The study has detected the presence of specialized immune cells in corals or any cnidaria. The…

Carbon capture and storage describes the process of injecting carbon dioxide from industrial sources into underground geological reservoirs, theoretically for thousands of years. Researchers used supercomputers to understand how carbon dioxide storage works at the level of micrometer-wide pores in rock. They found that two factors greatly impact the amount of carbon dioxide that can…

A new study finds that the barking hyraxes are a separate species from their shrieking neighbors. The newly described species, Dendrohyrax interfluvialis, populates the wet and dry forests that lie between the two rivers in coastal regions of southeastern Ghana, southern Togo and Benin, and southwestern Nigeria. The researchers based their conclusion on the distinctive…

An international team of researchers has developed an enzyme produced from agricultural waste that could be used as an important additive in laundry detergents. By using an enzyme produced from a by-product of mustard seeds, they hope to develop a low-cost naturally derived version of lipase, the second largest commercially produced enzyme, which is used…

Aedes aegypti are the primary vector for mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever. However, the effects of climate change-related weather anomalies on mosquito populations is not well understood. A new study suggests that early interventions may prevent disease transmission even as extreme climate events may increase the abundance of Ae. aegypti populations. Temperature and rainfall…

Researchers have found a new way to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 by testing the air passing through building ventilation systems. The discovery could lead to earlier detection of the virus, improved quarantine protocols, reduced transmission and fewer outbreaks. Dr. Sinan Sousan, an assistant professor in Brody’s Department of Public Health and Research Faculty…

Data from a GPS network in Colombia have revealed a shallow and fully locked part on the Caribbean subduction zone in the country that suggests a possible large earthquake and tsunami risk for the northwest region. The locked patch south of Cartagena city is capable of generating a magnitude 8.0 earthquake every 600 years, said…