The advent of agriculture was a significant turning point in the history of modern humans, beyond which humans started living a sedentary life and formed a so-called ‘civilization.’ However, the environmental factors responsible for this revolutionary change in human lifestyle have been unclear for quite long. A new study on finely layered mud at the…

Hydrocarbons and petroleum are almost synonymous in environmental science. After all, oil reserves account for nearly all the hydrocarbons we encounter. But the few hydrocarbons that trace their origin to biological sources may play a larger ecological role than scientists originally suspected. A team of researchers at UC Santa Barbara and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution…

The number of solar panels within shortest distance from a house is the most important factor in determining the likelihood of that house having a solar panel, when compared with a host of socio-economic and demographic variables. This is shown in a new study by scientists using satellite and census data of the city of…

Scientists have detected infection by at least three variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in six northeast Ohio locations, the research team has reported. Previous research led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture had shown evidence of antibodies in wild deer. This study, published today (Dec. 23, 2021) in Nature,…

Most coral reef biodiversity consists of tiny organisms living deep within the three-dimensional reef matrix. New research reveals that the species which dominate experimental coral reef communities shift due to climate change, but the total biodiversity does not decline under future ocean conditions of warming and acidification predicted by the end of the century. New…

Researchers have discovered that bacteria from the plant microbiota are adapted to their host species. They show how root-associated bacteria have a competitive advantage when colonizing their native host, which allows them to invade an already established microbiota. Plants, including crops such as rice and wheat, obtain their essential mineral nutrients and water through their…

An immune system that mistakes our good gut bacteria for an enemy can cause a dangerous type of inflammation in the intestines called colitis. An immune system that looks the other way while gut microbes spill past their assigned borders is equally dangerous. Understanding how the immune system learns to make a brokered peace with…

Researchers have discovered that the viral protein NS1 from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alters the activity of immune genes, sabotaging the immune response to RSV infection. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have figured out how the virus undermines the body’s defenses, a step toward understanding why the virus is capable…

A novel bioinformatics pipeline identifies both previously known and novel viruses. The pipeline was developed in close collaboration between virologists and bioinformaticians. The researchers believe they have succeeded to address many challenges typically encountered in viral metagenomics. Previously, the Viral Zoonooses Research Unit, led by Professor Olli Vapalahti, has published two examples of novel and…

While tropical forests remain threatened and their future is uncertain, the importance of understanding how well individual protected areas avoid deforestation increases. Tropical forests are unique environments that have huge species diversity and also act as important reservoirs of organic carbon, thereby counteracting climate change. However, their area is diminishing due to deforestation, which gives…