Category Archive for "News & Archives"

Death toll from Hurricane Maria estimated to be larger than previously thought

The number of people who died as a result of Hurricane Maria -- which hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017 -- may be as high as 1,139, surpassing the official death count of 64, according to researchers. The researchers used official government records to calculate the number, which took into account not just those…

How to make the gene-editing tool CRISPR work even better

Among the most significant scientific advances in recent years are the discovery and development of new ways to genetically modify living things using a fast and affordable technology called CRISPR. Now scientists at The University of Texas at Austin say they've identified an easy upgrade for the technology that would lead to more accurate gene…

First North American co-occurrence of Hadrosaur and Therizinosaur tracks found in Alaska

An international team of paleontologists and other geoscientists has discovered the first North American co-occurrence of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks in the lower Cantwell Formation within Denali National Park, suggesting that an aspect of the continental ecosystem of central Asia was also present in this part of Alaska during the Late Cretaceous. This comprehensive cross-disciplinary…

The Trump administration wants to roll back the Endangered Species Act. These 10 animals might not be here today without it.

Since it was passed 45 years ago, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has protected thousands of plants and animals that humans have pushed from their habitats and driven close to extinction. Today, there are more than 2,300 plants and animals with protected status in the US and abroad, with the Louisiana pine snake becoming the…

Underground Lake of Liquid Water Detected on Mars

Just a mile or so beneath the surface, near the south pole of Mars, there is a reservoir of briny water sloshing and churning below layers of ice and rock. This subglacial lake, discovered by a ground-penetrating radar on the Mars Express spacecraft, is about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) wide and perhaps no more than…

Scientists reverse aging-associated skin wrinkles and hair loss in a mouse model

Wrinkled skin and hair loss are hallmarks of aging. What if they could be reversed? Keshav Singh, Ph.D., and colleagues have done just that, in a mouse model developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. When a mutation leading to mitochondrial dysfunction is induced, the mouse develops wrinkled skin and extensive, visible hair loss…

Discovery of kidney cancer driver could lead to new treatment strategy

University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists have uncovered a potential therapeutic target for kidney cancers that have a common genetic change. Scientists have known this genetic change can lead to an overabundance of blood vessels, which help feed nutrients to the tumors. Their latest finding shows a potential new cancer-driving pathway. More…

Australian experiment wipes out over 80% of disease-carrying mosquitoes

In an experiment with global implications, Australian scientists have successfully wiped out more than 80% of disease-carrying mosquitoes in trial locations across north Queensland. The experiment, conducted by scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and James Cook University (JCU), targeted Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which spread deadly diseases such as dengue fever…

Gene-editing technique cures genetic disorder in utero

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University have for the first time used a gene editing technique to successfully cure a genetic condition in a mouse model. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, present a promising new avenue for research into treating genetic conditions during fetal development. An estimated 8 million children are born each…

Coastal scientists have developed a new global framework to more accurately assess how mangroves along different types of coastlines from deltas to lagoons store carbon in their soil. They found that previous studies have underestimated the blue carbon levels in mangroves by up to 50 percent in some regions and overestimated levels by up to…

Category Archives: News & Archives

Death toll from Hurricane Maria estimated to be larger than previously thought

How to make the gene-editing tool CRISPR work even better

First North American co-occurrence of Hadrosaur and Therizinosaur tracks found in Alaska

The Trump administration wants to roll back the Endangered Species Act. These 10 animals might not be here today without it.

Underground Lake of Liquid Water Detected on Mars

Scientists reverse aging-associated skin wrinkles and hair loss in a mouse model

Discovery of kidney cancer driver could lead to new treatment strategy

Australian experiment wipes out over 80% of disease-carrying mosquitoes

Gene-editing technique cures genetic disorder in utero

How mangroves help keep the planet cool