ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Scientific breakthrough will help design antibiotics of the future
• 'Red effect' sparks interest in female monkeys
• New data about endangered marsh harrier distribution in Europe
• Cystic Fibrosis lung infection: Scientists open black box on bacterial growth
• Plastic nanoparticles also harm freshwater organisms
• High-speed evolution in the lab: Geneticists evaluate cost-effective genome analysis
• NASA begins sixth year of airborne Antarctic ice change study
• How a molecular Superman protects genome from damage
• Impact of offshore wind farms on marine species
• Sperm wars: New insights from evolutionary biology
• Misfolded proteins clump together in a surprising place
• Diabetic sweetener obtained from tropical tree
• Digital archaeology changes exploration of the past
• Weight gain study suggests polyunsaturated oil healthier option
• Canary for climate change: How past extinctions have influenced modern distribution, population size of existing species

Scientific breakthrough will help design antibiotics of the future Posted: 17 Oct 2014 07:13 AM PDT Computer simulations have been used to show how bacteria are able to destroy antibiotics -- a breakthrough which will help develop drugs which can effectively tackle infections in the future.

'Red effect' sparks interest in female monkeys Posted: 17 Oct 2014 07:12 AM PDT Recent studies showed that the color red tends increase our attraction toward others, feelings of jealousy, and even reaction times. Now, new research shows that female monkeys also respond to the color red, suggesting that biology, rather than our culture, may play the fundamental role in our "red" reactions.

New data about endangered marsh harrier distribution in Europe Posted: 17 Oct 2014 06:53 AM PDT The use of ringing recoveries -- a conventional method used to study bird migration -- in combination with more modern techniques such as species distribution modelling and stable isotope analysis is useful to understand better bird distribution patterns and origin considering place and time of the year.

Cystic Fibrosis lung infection: Scientists open black box on bacterial growth Posted: 17 Oct 2014 06:31 AM PDT Researchers have shown for the first time how bacteria can grow directly in the lungs of Cystic fibrosis patients, giving them the opportunity to get tremendous insights into bacteria behavior and growth in chronic infections.

Plastic nanoparticles also harm freshwater organisms Posted: 17 Oct 2014 06:29 AM PDT Organisms can be negatively affected by plastic nanoparticles, not just in the seas and oceans but in freshwater bodies too. These particles slow the growth of algae, cause deformities in water fleas and impede communication between small organisms and fish.

High-speed evolution in the lab: Geneticists evaluate cost-effective genome analysis Posted: 17 Oct 2014 06:29 AM PDT Life implies change. And this holds true for genes as well. Organisms require a flexible genome in order to adapt to changes in the local environment. Researchers want to know why individuals differ from each other and how these differences are encoded in the DNA. In two review papers, they discuss why DNA sequencing of entire groups can be an efficient and cost-effective way to answer these questions.

NASA begins sixth year of airborne Antarctic ice change study Posted: 16 Oct 2014 04:28 PM PDT NASA is carrying out its sixth consecutive year of Operation IceBridge research flights over Antarctica to study changes in the continent's ice sheet, glaciers and sea ice. This year's airborne campaign, which began its first flight Thursday morning, will revisit a section of the Antarctic ice sheet that recently was found to be in irreversible decline.

How a molecular Superman protects genome from damage Posted: 16 Oct 2014 02:06 PM PDT A new role for the RNAi protein Dicer has been found in preserving genomic stability. Researchers discovered that Dicer helps prevent collisions during DNA replication by freeing transcription machinery from active genes. Without Dicer function, transcription and replication machinery collide, leading to DNA damage and massive changes across the genome -- changes that are associated with aging and cancer.

Impact of offshore wind farms on marine species Posted: 16 Oct 2014 09:36 AM PDT Offshore wind power is a valuable source of renewable energy that can help reduce carbon emissions. Technological advances are allowing higher capacity turbines to be installed in deeper water, but there is still much unknown about the effects on the environment. Scientists have now reviewed the potential impacts of offshore wind developments on marine species and make recommendations for future monitoring and assessment as interest in offshore wind energy grows around the world.

Sperm wars: New insights from evolutionary biology Posted: 16 Oct 2014 09:33 AM PDT Why do male animals need millions of sperms every day in order to reproduce? And why are there two sexes anyway?

Misfolded proteins clump together in a surprising place Posted: 16 Oct 2014 09:32 AM PDT A surprising finding about the aggregates of misfolded cellular proteins has been made. Patients with Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease, and cystic fibrosis may have something in common: cells in their disease-affected tissues may produce misfolded proteins that are incapable of functioning normally, scientists say. In a recent article, they report where the misfolded proteins clump together in a cell, and how the cell can prevent the passage of these defective molecules to its daughter cell.

Diabetic sweetener obtained from tropical tree Posted: 16 Oct 2014 05:54 AM PDT Students in Mexico developed a process for producing erythritol from sapodilla, a tropical tree from which chewing gum was initially extracted. They managed to create this "zero calorie" sweetener, suitable for people with diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Digital archaeology changes exploration of the past Posted: 15 Oct 2014 04:06 PM PDT New ways of documenting and sharing artifacts are being explored in recent study. Archaeologists are now using the tools of the 21st century to explore the past, researchers say, and are exploring how structured light 3D scanning can capture both the surface and geometry of artifacts. This technology will eventually help put artifacts that have been excavated in pieces back together again, they hope. The same technology can produce three-dimensional models of artifacts, allowing researchers around the world to study pieces online.

Weight gain study suggests polyunsaturated oil healthier option Posted: 15 Oct 2014 01:52 PM PDT Rapid weight gain from eating foods rich in saturated fats quickly increased bad cholesterol levels, even in otherwise healthy and normal-weight adults in their mid-20s. The opposite was true in those who ate products made with polyunsaturated fats, even though they gained equal weight in the same amount of time.

Canary for climate change: How past extinctions have influenced modern distribution, population size of existing species Posted: 15 Oct 2014 11:33 AM PDT Wing-propelled diving seabirds, as well as their extinct relatives, may have served as an indicator species for environmental changes and faunal shifts, researchers suggest. The findings also elucidate how past extinctions have influenced the modern distribution and population size of existing species.

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