Perseverance's first major successes on Mars – an update from mission scientists

In the short time since NASA's Perseverance rover landed in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, it's already made history.

New method for predicting the response of ecosystems to marine heatwaves

Marine heatwaves, driven by climate change, are becoming more frequent and intense worldwide. Although we know that heatwaves kill marine organisms and have devastating effects on ecosystems, there is currently no way to predict these effects or help ecosystems adapt.

Student sex work is happening, and universities need to respond with health services

As university and college semesters unfold, a small but increasing percentage of students will likely also be taking on a largely under-reported and overlooked form of part-time employment: sex work.

Volcanic grit, water shortage threaten La Palma's bananas

"It's worse than a plague," curses Pedro Antonio Sanchez, fuming over the volcanic grit coating his bananas, the main source of wealth on the Canaries' island of La Palma.

Ten ways we can better respond to the pandemic in a trauma-informed way

Fear is one of the central emotional responses during the pandemic. Every day brings a new level of stress: concerns about getting sick, the stigma of testing positive, financial difficulties due to not being able to work, separation from loved ones in lockdown (or being locked in an unsafe household). The list goes on.

Feral horses will rule one third of the fragile Kosciuszko National Park under a proposed NSW government plan

The New South Wales government has released a draft plan to deal with feral horses roaming the fragile Kosciuszko National Park. While the plan offers some improvements, it remains seriously inadequate.

With the increased number of Javan rhinos, what is the next conservation goal for these animals?

It's incredible that the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus) can still be found on the island of Java, one of the world's most densely populated islands. It's even more remarkable that the rhino population in Indonesia has tripled since the 1960s.

What makes us human? The answer may be found in overlooked DNA

Our DNA is very similar to that of the chimpanzee, which in evolutionary terms is our closest living relative. Stem cell researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now found a previously overlooked part of our DNA, so-called non-coded DNA, that appears to contribute to a difference which, despite all our similarities, may explain why our brains work differently. The study is published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Total synthesis of the sesquiterpene agarozizanol B

Starting from available chemicals, a German team of researchers successfully completed the total synthesis of agarozizanol B, an interesting natural substance found in agarwood. As described in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the key sequence in the relatively short synthetic pathway is a photochemical reaction cascade that involves a series of complex rearrangements of polycyclic intermediates.

Scientists pinpoint evolutionary genes that allow lizards to give birth like mammals

Scientists studying the evolution of birth in lizards, from egg-laying to live births, have pinpointed the evolutionary genes from which the species is evolving to 'build' a new mode of reproduction.

Deep roots of Australia's geology revealed

A new study has shown for the first time how Australia's rich geological history is reflected deep below the Earth's surface.

Mathematical model offers new insights into spread of epidemics

Mathematical models have been widely used to guide government decisions on the COVID-19 pandemic, from forecasting outcomes to even testing potential interventions.

New biomarker for severe COVID-19

During the pandemic, it has become evident that people with cardiovascular disease and obesity are at much higher risk of developing very severe, even fatal COVID-19 disease. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have identified some metabolic processes that SARS-CoV-2 uses to attack lung tissue. The results, which are published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, could one day be used to treat COVID-19, and potentially for other viruses like the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and HIV-1.

Newly returned moon rock samples chronicle the dying days of lunar volcanism

Billions of years ago, lakes of lava on the surface of the moon eventually dried to form the vast dark patches—the lunar maria—visible today on the lunar nearside. Now, thanks to rock samples recently returned to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission, scientists have a new estimate for when one of the last of those lava flows ran dry.

Extreme drought in Brazil triggers fatal sand storms

Unusually powerful sandstorms have left at least six people dead in Sao Paulo in recent weeks, local media said, as southeastern Brazil grapples with severe drought.

A novel neural network to understand symmetry, speed materials research

Understanding structure-property relations is a key goal of materials research, according to Joshua Agar, a faculty member in Lehigh University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. And yet currently no metric exists to understand the structure of materials because of the complexity and multidimensional nature of structure.

Pacific's urgent call to climate action as crunch talks loom

Pacific island leaders have urged industrialised nations to bring plans for real action, not good intentions, to upcoming climate talks, painting a grim picture of the environmental horrors they face.

Americans agree misinformation is a problem, poll shows

Nearly all Americans agree that the rampant spread of misinformation is a problem.

Remnants of Black church uncovered in Colonial Williamsburg

The brick foundation of one of the nation's oldest Black churches has been unearthed at Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum in Virginia that continues to reckon with its past storytelling about the country's origins and the role of Black Americans.

Deep-learning algorithm aims to accelerate protein engineering

Proteins are the molecular machines of all living cells and have been exploited for use in many applications, including therapeutics and industrial catalysts. To overcome the limitations of naturally occurring proteins, protein engineering is used to improve protein characteristics such as stability and functionality. In a new study, researchers demonstrate a machine learning algorithm that accelerates the protein engineering process. The study is reported in the journal Nature Communications.

Team discovers invasive-native crayfish hybrids in Missouri

In a study of crayfish in the Current River in southeastern Missouri, researchers discovered—almost by chance—that the virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis, was interbreeding with a native crayfish, potentially altering the native's genetics, life history and ecology. Reported in the journal Aquatic Invasions, the study highlights the difficulty of detecting some of the consequences of biological invasions, the researchers say.