The EDGE: ScienceDaily Environment Headlines -- for Friday, July 15, 2011

ScienceDaily Environment Headlines

for Friday, July 15, 2011

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Editing the genome: Scientists unveil new tools for rewriting the code of life (July 15, 2011) -- Researchers have unveiled genome-engineering technologies capable of fundamentally re-engineering genomes from the nucleotide to the megabase scale. Treating the chromosome as both an editable and an evolvable template, the researchers have demonstrated methods to rewrite a cell's genome through powerful new tools for biotechnology, energy and agriculture. ... > full story

Fast-shrinking Greenland glacier experienced rapid growth during cooler times (July 15, 2011) -- Large, marine-calving glaciers have the ability not only to shrink rapidly in response to global warming, but to grow at a remarkable pace during periods of global cooling, according to geologists working in Greenland. ... > full story

Brainy lizards pass test for birds (July 15, 2011) -- Tropical lizards may be slow. But they aren't dumb. They can do problem-solving tasks just as well as birds and mammals, a new study shows. A new experiment tested Puerto Rican anoles on several cognitive tasks and found they can learn and remember to solve a problem they've never faced before. ... > full story

'Dry rot' genome offers lessons for biofuel pretreatment processes: Breaking down cellulose without blasting lignin (July 15, 2011) -- Dry rot due to the fungus Serpula lacrymans causes millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and buildings around the world. Now a comparative analysis involving Serpula lacrymans, the second brown rot fungus to have its genome sequenced, sheds light on the mechanism by which Serpula breaks down cellulose and the role of brown rot fungi in the global carbon cycle. ... > full story

Enzymes for cell wall synthesis conserved across species barriers (July 14, 2011) -- Plants have neither supportive bone tissue nor muscles, and yet they can form rigid structures like stalks and even tree trunks. This is due to the fact that plant cells are enveloped by a stable cell wall. The main component of the plant cell wall is cellulose, which represents almost 50 percent of the total cell wall material and, at one billion tons per year, is the most frequently produced macromolecule in nature. Very little is known about the way in which cellulose is produced, and the knowledge that is available has mainly been obtained from the model plant thale cress which, although easy to study, is of no economic significance. Researchers have now succeeded in showing that knowledge obtained in thale cress can be applied to other plant species. ... > full story

Loss of large predators has caused widespread disruption of ecosystems (July 14, 2011) -- The decline of large predators and other "apex consumers" at the top of the food chain has disrupted ecosystems all over the planet, according to a review of recent findings conducted by an international team of scientists. The study looked at a wide range of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems and concluded that "the loss of apex consumers is arguably humankind's most pervasive influence on the natural world." ... > full story

Cancer gene therapy from camels (July 14, 2011) -- Nanobodies produced from camel blood have unique properties, which can be used in future drug development. New research confirms that camel blood can help scientists in the fight against cancer. ... > full story

Life in 'inner space': Joint mission to film marine life three kilometers down (July 14, 2011) -- Undiscovered ‘alien’ life forms that thrive without sunlight in temperatures approaching boiling point may soon come to light, thanks to a groundbreaking Irish-led marine research mission aboard the national research vessel RV Celtic Explorer. In collaboration with scientists from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, the researchers are due to sail from Galway for the mid-Atlantic Ridge July 13. The voyage is being filmed for the National Geographic Channel for inclusion in an upcoming series about the ocean. ... > full story

Print your own teeth: Rapid prototyping comes to dentistry (July 14, 2011) -- What if, instead of waiting days or weeks for a cast to be produced and prosthetic dental implants, false teeth and replacement crowns to be made, your dentist could quickly scan your jaw and "print" your new teeth using a rapid prototyping machine known as a 3-D printer? ... > full story

Brain network connections revealed (July 14, 2011) -- New research has revealed that the brain is characterized by a highly consistent, weighted network among the functional areas of the cortex, which are responsible for such functions as vision, hearing, touch, movement control and complex associations. The study in primates has revealed that such cortical networks and their properties are reproducible from individual to individual. ... > full story

Tsunami airglow signature could lead to early detection system (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have recorded an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii. Coupling of the ocean surface to the upper atmosphere enables tsunami imaging. The first ionospheric signature precedes the modeled ocean tsunami by one hour. ... > full story

New way to store sun's heat: Modified carbon nanotubes can store solar energy indefinitely, then be recharged by exposure to the sun (July 14, 2011) -- A novel application of carbon nanotubes shows promise as an innovative approach to storing solar energy for use whenever it's needed. Storing the sun's heat in chemical form -- rather than converting it to electricity or storing the heat itself in a heavily insulated container -- has significant advantages, since in principle the chemical material can be stored for long periods of time without losing any of its stored energy. The problem with that approach has been that until now the chemicals needed to perform this conversion and storage either degraded within a few cycles, or included the element ruthenium, which is rare and expensive. ... > full story

Unsolved mystery of kava toxicity (July 14, 2011) -- A major new review of scientific knowledge on kava -- a plant used to make dietary supplements and a trendy drink with calming effects -- has left unsolved the mystery of why Pacific Island people can consume it safely, while people in the United States, Europe and other Western cultures sometimes experience toxic effects. ... > full story

Genetically modified Atlantic salmon mating study reveals danger of escape to wild gene pool (July 14, 2011) -- If genetically modified Atlantic salmon were to escape from captivity they could succeed in breeding and passing their genes into the wild, researchers have found. Their research explores the potential reproductive implications of GM salmon as they are considered for commercial farming. ... > full story

Soil microbes accelerate global warming (July 14, 2011) -- More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes soil to release the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, new research shows. ... > full story

Spread of fungus-farming beetles is bad news for trees (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers have found that a subset of fungus-farming ambrosia beetles may be in the early stages of a global epidemic threatening a number of economically important trees, including avocados, poplars and oaks. ... > full story

Breathing restored after spinal cord injury in rodent model (July 14, 2011) -- Researchers bridged a spinal cord injury and biologically regenerated lost nerve connections to the diaphragm, restoring breathing in an adult rodent model of spinal cord injury. The work restored 80 to more than 100 percent of breathing function. ... > full story

Colorful boundary trespassers: Burrowing parrots crossed the Andes 120,000 years ago (July 14, 2011) -- The different populations of the South American burrowing parrot originated in Chile. The Andes of southern South America form a hostile mountain range with glaciers, salty deserts and high elevation steppes. Birds from more moderate climate zones cross this mountain range only rarely. Nevertheless, many species live on both sides of the Andes, as in the case of the burrowing parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus. ... > full story

Loss of large predators disrupting multiple plant, animal and human ecosystems (July 14, 2011) -- The enormous decline of large, apex predators and "consumers" ranging from wolves to lions, sharks and sea otters may represent the most powerful impacts humans have ever had on Earth's ecosystems, a group of 24 researchers say. The decline of such species around the world is much greater than previously understood and now affects many other ecological processes through what scientists call "trophic cascades," in which the loss of "top down" predation severely disrupts many other plant and animal species. ... > full story

Loss of top animal predators has massive ecological effects (July 14, 2011) -- A new study concludes that the decline of large predators and herbivores in all regions of the world is causing substantial changes to Earth's terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. The paper claims that the loss of apex consumers from ecosystems "may be humankind's most pervasive influence on nature." ... > full story

Latin American blueberries found to be 'extreme superfruits' (July 14, 2011) -- With antioxidant levels two to four times higher than the blueberries available in the US, two species native to Central and South America may challenge one of summer's favorite treats as a source of these disease-fighting substances. ... > full story

New clues to the structural dynamics of BK channels (July 14, 2011) -- BK channels (large-conductance, Ca2+-dependent K+ channels) are essential for the regulation of important biological processes such as smooth muscle tone and neuronal excitability. New research shows that BK channel activation involves structural rearrangements formerly not understood. ... > full story

Dust storms: New way to undercut dust emissions (July 14, 2011) -- There is literally a way to undercut dust emissions in the very driest parts of the Pacific Northwest's Columbia Plateau region, according to an agricultural scientist. ... > full story

Snow leopard population discovered in Afghanistan (July 13, 2011) -- Biologists have discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study. ... > full story

Insight into new drug resistance in hospital microbes (July 13, 2011) -- Hospitals struggle to prevent the infections that complicate treatment for cancer, joint replacement, heart surgery and other conditions. Hospital-acquired infections are often resistant to multiple antibiotics, leading to approximately 100,000 deaths and more than billion in additional health care costs yearly. New drugs are being developed to combat these infections, but resistance invariably emerges to these last-line drugs. Daptomycin, a new antibiotic approved by the FDA in 2003, is used to treat infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, including staph and microbes known as enterococci. ... > full story

Twin ARTEMIS probes to study moon in 3-D (July 13, 2011) -- Almost 2 years ago, two of five THEMIS satellites were boosted from their orbits around Earth toward the moon. The first transitioned into a lunar orbit on June 27, while the second is destined to arrive on Sunday, July 17, to begin mapping the moon's surface magnetic fields and magnetic environment in 3-D. The probes, renamed the ARTEMIS mission, will also look for evidence of plasmoids produced by magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetotail. ... > full story

Atomic structure discovered for a sodium channel that generates electrical signals in living cells (July 13, 2011) -- Scientists have determined the atomic structure of a sodium channel, a pore in membranes of excitable cells, such as brain or heart cells, that emit electrical signals. They gate charged particles crossing the cell membrane to generate electrical currents. These encode information in the brain and make heart muscle contract. Many medications and neurotoxins act on sodium channels. Never before have researchers obtained a high resolution crystal structure of all atoms of this complex protein molecule and their three dimensional relationships. ... > full story

Climate adaptation of rice (July 13, 2011) -- Rice -- which provides nearly half the daily calories for the world's population -- could become adapted to climate change and some catastrophic events by colonizing its seeds or plants with the spores of tiny naturally occurring fungi, new research shows. ... > full story

Molasses extract decreases obesity caused by a high-fat diet, research suggests (July 13, 2011) -- Experimental results suggests that dietary supplementation with molasses extract may provide a novel approach for weight management in humans. ... > full story

African and non-African populations intermixed well after migration out of Africa 60,000 years ago, genome studies show (July 13, 2011) -- Researchers have probed deeper into human evolution by developing an elegant new technique to analyze whole genomes from different populations. One key finding is that African and non-African populations continued to exchange genetic material well after migration out of Africa 60,000 years ago. This infers that interbreeding between these groups continued long after the original exodus. ... > full story

New understandings of circadian rhythms (July 13, 2011) -- A tiny plant called Arabidopsis thaliana just helped scientists unearth new clues about the daily cycles of many organisms, including humans. ... > full story

Popular fungicides failing, may cause hard choices for apple growers (July 13, 2011) -- Orchard growers have started finding that some of the most commonly used fungicides are no longer effective at controlling apple scab, according to a new study. ... > full story

Last dinosaur before mass extinction discovered (July 13, 2011) -- A team of scientists has discovered the youngest dinosaur preserved in the fossil record before the catastrophic meteor impact 65 million years ago. The finding indicates that dinosaurs did not go extinct prior to the impact and provides further evidence as to whether the impact was in fact the cause of their extinction. ... > full story

Cat litter to become an edible product? (July 13, 2011) -- Sepiolite is a porous clay material used for example in cat litter that absorbs more liquid than any other known mineral. A Franco-Spanish team of scientists has analyzed twenty different sepiolites extracted from mines around the world, using X-ray and electron diffraction. The results open the path to industrial synthesis of sepiolites and to the design of completely new materials for use in catalysis, energy storage and food. ... > full story

Ancient algae: Genetically engineering a path to new energy sources? (July 13, 2011) -- A team of researchers is making a connection between prehistoric times and the present -- ancient algae that can produce their own biofuel -- that could result in genetically creating a replacement for oil and coal shale deposits. Their discovery could have fundamental implications for the future of Earth's energy supplies. ... > full story

Newly discovered molecule essential to resetting 'body clocks' (July 13, 2011) -- A new study exploring the mechanism behind resetting the internal "body clocks" of insects has found a new molecule essential to the resynchronization process. ... > full story

Intelligent street lighting saves up to 80% on energy (July 13, 2011) -- Scientists in the Netherlands are currently testing an intelligent street lighting system which uses up to 80% less electricity than the current systems and is also cheaper to maintain. ... > full story

Biologists identify new strategy used by bacteria during infection (July 13, 2011) -- Biologists identified a new way in which bacteria hijack healthy cells during infection, which could provide a target for new antibiotics. ... > full story

Landscape change leads to increased insecticide use in U.S. Midwest, study finds (July 13, 2011) -- The continued growth of cropland and loss of natural habitat have increasingly simplified agricultural landscapes in the U.S. Midwest. A new study concluded that this simplification is associated with increased crop pest abundance and insecticide use, consequences that could be tempered by perennial bioenergy crops. ... > full story

A novel enzymatic catalyst for biodiesel production (July 13, 2011) -- Continuous production of biodiesel can now be envisaged thanks to a novel new catalyst. Biofuel production provides an alternative to fossil fuels. Biodiesels, for instance, are processed products based on oils from oleaginous plants such as oilseed rape, palm, sunflower and soybeans. They result from a chemical reaction, catalyzed in either an acidic or preferably a basic medium, between a vegetable oil (90%) and an alcohol (10%). ... > full story

No substantial link between swine flu vaccine and Guillain-Barre syndrome, experts confirm (July 13, 2011) -- Adjuvanted vaccines used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic did not increase the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome substantially, if at all, finds a large Europe-wide study. ... > full story

Innovative system for producing carpets (July 13, 2011) -- In Europe 700 million square meters of carpets are produced each year, and in the United States the volume is ten times higher. Researchers have now developed an enzyme-based biological technology that paves the way for manufacturing carpets that are much lighter, sustainable, biodegradable, and 100% recyclable. A wool carpet manufactured using this innovative system is a completely natural and biodegradable product. At the end of its useful life the entire product can be shredded and turned into organic material, which can then be used, for example, as fertilizer for growing plants. ... > full story

Biologists discover an 'evening' protein complex that regulates plant growth (July 13, 2011) -- Farmers and other astute observers of nature have long known that crops like corn and sorghum grow taller at night. But the biochemical mechanisms that control this nightly stem elongation, common to most plants, have been something of a mystery to biologists -- until now. ... > full story

Pesticide pathways into the atmosphere (July 12, 2011) -- Scientists have found that herbicide volatilization consistently resulted in herbicide losses that exceed losses from field runoff. ... > full story

Border fences pose threats to wildlife on US-Mexico border, study shows (July 12, 2011) -- Current and proposed border fences between the United States and Mexico pose significant threats to wildlife populations, with those animals living in border regions along the Texas Gulf and California coasts showing some of the greatest vulnerability, a new study shows. ... > full story

Greener disaster alerts: Low-energy wireless sensor networks warn of hurricanes, earthquakes (July 12, 2011) -- New software allows wireless sensor networks to run at much lower energy, according to researchers. The technology could improve efficiency for hurricane and other natural disaster warning systems. ... > full story

One in 10 species could face extinction: Decline in species shows climate change warnings not exaggerated, research finds (July 12, 2011) -- One in 10 species could face extinction by the year 2100 if current climate change impacts continue, according to new research examining studies on the effects of recent climate change on plant and animal species and comparing this with predictions of future declines. ... > full story