ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Rainforest microbe can handle ionic liquids: New find could help reduce biofuel production costs
• Nearly one tenth of hemisphere's mammals unlikely to outrun climate change
• Anthropologists discover earliest form of wall art
• Measuring CO₂ to fight global warming, enforce future treaty
• Dip chip technology tests toxicity on the go
• Foxtail millet offers clues for assembling the switchgrass genome
• Color of robins' eggs determines parental care
• Pufferfish at the 'beak' of evolution: Why humans don't continuously replace their teeth
• Floating robots use GPS-enabled smartphones to track water flow
• Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country
• Virus 'barcodes' offer rapid detection of mutated strains
• Urban landscape's power to hurt or heal
• Plant protein discovery could boost bioeconomy
• Roadmap towards sustainable pole-and-line-caught tuna
• Cell biology: How ribosomes override their blockades
• DNA replication protein also has a role in mitosis, cancer
• Wasted milk is a real drain on our resources, study shows
• Scientists generate electricity from viruses
• Novel RNA transport mechanism: Ribonucleoprotein granules exit the nucleus via a budding mechanism

Rainforest microbe can handle ionic liquids: New find could help reduce biofuel production costs Posted: 14 May 2012 05:40 PM PDT Researchers have identified a tropical rainforest microbe that can endure relatively high concentrations of an ionic liquid used to dissolve cellulosic biomass for the production of advanced biofuels. They've also determined how the microbe accomplishes this, a discovery that holds broad implications beyond biofuels.

Nearly one tenth of hemisphere's mammals unlikely to outrun climate change Posted: 14 May 2012 12:31 PM PDT A safe haven could be out of reach for 9 percent of the Western Hemisphere's mammals, and as much as 40 percent in certain regions, because the animals just won't move swiftly enough to outpace climate change. In particular, many of the hemisphere's species of primates -- including tamarins, spider monkeys, marmosets and howler monkeys, some of which are already considered threatened or endangered -- will be hard-pressed to outpace climate change.

Anthropologists discover earliest form of wall art Posted: 14 May 2012 12:29 PM PDT Anthropologists working in southern France have determined that a 1.5 metric ton block of engraved limestone constitutes the earliest evidence of wall art. Their research shows the piece to be approximately 37,000 years old and offers rich evidence of the role art played in the daily lives of Early Aurignacian humans.

Measuring CO<sub>2</sub> to fight global warming, enforce future treaty Posted: 14 May 2012 12:29 PM PDT If the world's nations ever sign a treaty to limit emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide gas, there may be a way to help verify compliance. Using measurements from only three carbon-dioxide (monitoring stations in the Salt Lake Valley, the method could reliably detect changes in CO2 emissions of 15 percent or more, researchers report.

Dip chip technology tests toxicity on the go Posted: 14 May 2012 10:42 AM PDT Researchers have developed a portable "dip chip" that detects water toxicity quickly and accurately. Once perfected, the chip might be plugged into ordinary smartphones or PDA devices to provide a toxicity alert.

Foxtail millet offers clues for assembling the switchgrass genome Posted: 14 May 2012 10:42 AM PDT Scientists are interested in the perennial grass switchgrass as a prospective biofuels feedstock, but the plant genome is complex. Researchers have sequenced plant genomes of related candidate bioenergy crops such as sorghum and the model grass Brachypodium but they last shared a common ancestor with switchgrass more than 20 million years ago. The genome of a much closer switchgrass relative -- foxtail millet -- has now been described.

Color of robins' eggs determines parental care Posted: 14 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT A male robin will be more diligent in caring for its young if the eggs its mate lays are a brighter shade of blue.

Pufferfish at the 'beak' of evolution: Why humans don't continuously replace their teeth Posted: 14 May 2012 08:28 AM PDT Prickly pufferfish could hold the key to why humans do not continually replace their teeth and may lead to advances in dental therapies.

Floating robots use GPS-enabled smartphones to track water flow Posted: 14 May 2012 07:50 AM PDT A fleet of 100 floating robots took a trip down the Sacramento River on May 9, in a field test. The devices, equipped with GPS-enabled smartphones, demonstrated the next generation of water-monitoring technology, promising to transform the way government agencies track one of the state's most precious resources.

Steelhead trout lose out when water is low in wine country Posted: 14 May 2012 07:50 AM PDT The competition between farmers and fish for precious water in California is intensifying in wine country, suggests a new study by biologists. The study links higher death rates for threatened juvenile steelhead trout with low water levels in the summer and the acreage of vineyards upstream.

Virus 'barcodes' offer rapid detection of mutated strains Posted: 14 May 2012 07:49 AM PDT Researchers are developing a way to 'barcode' viral diseases to rapidly test new outbreaks for potentially lethal mutations.

Urban landscape's power to hurt or heal Posted: 14 May 2012 07:49 AM PDT Research shows that street furniture, barriers, parks, public spaces and neighborhood architecture can stir up powerful emotions in local residents. This should be taken into account in programs designed to reduce tensions and foster community cohesion.

Plant protein discovery could boost bioeconomy Posted: 14 May 2012 07:48 AM PDT Three proteins have been found to be involved in the accumulation of fatty acids in plants. The discovery could help plant scientists boost seed oil production in crops. And that could boost the production of biorenewable fuels and chemicals.

Roadmap towards sustainable pole-and-line-caught tuna Posted: 14 May 2012 07:44 AM PDT New research offers a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of tuna caught using the pole-and-line method.

Cell biology: How ribosomes override their blockades Posted: 14 May 2012 07:44 AM PDT Ribosomes are "protein factories" in the cells of all living things. They produce proteins based on existing genetic codes stored on special nucleic acid molecules. These molecules, also called messenger RNA (mRNA) due to the genetic information encoded on them, are read by ribosomes in a stepwise manner. Defined start and stop signals on the mRNA direct this process. If a stop signal is missing, protein formation cannot be completed and the ribosome's mode of operation is blocked.

DNA replication protein also has a role in mitosis, cancer Posted: 13 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Scientists have discovered that a protein known as Cdt1, which is required for DNA replication, also plays an important role in a later step of the cell cycle, mitosis. The finding presents a possible explanation for why so many cancers possess not just genomic instability, but also more or less than the usual 46 DNA-containing chromosomes.

Wasted milk is a real drain on our resources, study shows Posted: 13 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Milk poured down Britain's kitchen sinks each year creates a carbon footprint equivalent to thousands of car exhaust emissions, research shows.

Scientists generate electricity from viruses Posted: 13 May 2012 11:46 AM PDT Scientists have developed a way to generate power using harmless viruses that convert mechanical energy into electricity. The scientists tested their approach by creating a generator that produces enough current to operate a small liquid-crystal display. Their generator is the first to produce electricity by harnessing the piezoelectric properties of a biological material.

Novel RNA transport mechanism: Ribonucleoprotein granules exit the nucleus via a budding mechanism Posted: 10 May 2012 09:28 AM PDT The movement of genetic materials, such as RNA and ribosomes, from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a critical component in a cell's ability to make the proteins necessary for essential biological functions. Until now, it was believed the nuclear pore complex was the sole pathway between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm for these materials. New evidence reveals a novel budding mechanism, similar to the process used by some viruses, capable of exporting large ribonucleoprotein particles from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

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