Technology Inventions

Wild chimpanzees alter the meaning of single calls when embedding them into diverse call combinations, mirroring linguistic operations in human language. Human language, however, allows an infinite generation of meaning by combining phonemes into words and words into sentences. This contrasts with the very few meaningful combinations reported in animals, leaving the mystery of human language evolution unresolved.

Scientists have discovered fossil evidence of an endangered, living tropical tree species. The unprecedented find was made in Brunei, a country on the large island of Borneo, and reveals a critical piece of the ancient history of Asia's rainforests, highlighting the urgent need for conservation in the region, according to researchers.

Researchers have developed a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new method also promises to facilitate advances in tissue engineering, bioadhesives and 3D bioprinting.

Millions of kilometers of rivers around the world are carrying antibiotic pollution at levels high enough to promote drug resistance and harm aquatic life, a new study warns. The study estimated the scale of global river contamination from human antibiotics use. Researchers calculated that about 8,500 tons of antibiotics -- nearly one-third of what people consume annually -- end up in river systems around the world each year even after in many cases passing through wastewater systems.

By creating a more true-to-life representation of DNA's environment, researchers have discovered that strand separation may take more mechanical force than the field previously believed.

A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in developing broadly protective, live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV). These innovative LAIV platforms offer potential to develop universal influenza vaccines that induce a more robust immune response against various virus subtypes, including both human and avian strains.

Researchers have developed two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen. The unique systems reveal new pathways to economically generate 'green' hydrogen, a sustainable and renewable energy source, and the potential to remediate nitrogenous waste in aquatic environments.

Modern HIV medicine is based on a common genetic mutation. Now, researchers have traced where and when the mutation arose -- and how it protected our ancestors from ancient diseases.

Metals and hormone-disrupting substances such as estrogens present a genuine risk to the sustainability of agriculture and water management in Europe. This research provides new insights into the distribution, availability, and risks associated with these pollutants, while also highlighting shortcomings in current regulations.

The Arctic landscape during the Cretaceous Period may have been dominated by the dinosaurs, but the rivers and streams held something more familiar. Alaska's fresh waters 73 million years ago were teeming with the ancient relatives of today's salmon, pike and other northern fish. A new article has named three new species of fish from that time period, including a salmonid, dubbed Sivulliusalmo alaskensis.

In a new study, researchers are investigating the interaction of major global change drivers on insects.

A research team used the German environmental satellite EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) to simultaneously detect the two key air pollutants carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in emission plumes from power plants -- with an unprecedented spatial resolution of just 30 meters. The newly developed method allows for tracking of industrial emissions from space with great precision and enables atmospheric processes to be analyzed in detail.

The marine bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis feeds on oil, multiplying rapidly in the wake of oil spills, and thereby accelerating the elimination of the pollution, in many cases. It does this by producing an 'organic dishwashing liquid' which it uses to attach itself to oil droplets. Researchers have now discovered the mechanism by which this 'organic dishwashing liquid' is synthesized.

More than a decade ago, researchers launched the BabySeq Project, a pilot program to return newborn genomic sequencing results to parents and measure the effects on newborn care. Today, over 30 international initiatives are exploring the expansion of newborn screening using genomic sequencing (NBSeq), but a new study highlights the substantial variability in gene selection among those programs.

A scientist decided to find out why a bacterial infection makes fruit flies promiscuous. What he discovered could help curb mosquito-borne diseases and manage crop pests.

Antarctic krill do not only react to external environmental influences such as light or food. They also use their internal clock to adapt to the extreme conditions of the polar environment.

New research shows that the gum disease bacterium P. gingivalis can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart. There, it quietly drives scar tissue buildup -- distorting the heart's architecture, disrupting electrical signals, and raising the risk of atrial fibrillation.

A team of researchers has developed a new strategy for identifying hazardous pollutants in soil -- even ones that have never been isolated or studied in a lab.

New research from a team of cognitive scientists and evolutionary biologists finds that chimpanzees drum rhythmically, using regular spacing between drum hits. Their results show that eastern and western chimpanzees -- two distinct subspecies -- drum with distinguishable rhythms. The researchers say these findings suggest that the building blocks of human musicality arose in a common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.

Wasp mothers have stunning brainpower when it comes to feeding their young, new research shows.

Researchers looked at PFAS serum concentrations in health care workers for the first time and were surprised by what they found.

A new study puts the spotlight on the rising burden of ischemic heart disease across Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and calls for localized, equity-focused interventions in these regions. The researchers identified region-specific, modifiable risk factors that influence the increasing prevalence of ischemic heart disease, such as toxic air pollution in East Asia and ultra-processed dietary dependence in Oceania.

New report shows drastic decline in endangered primates and calls for conservation measures.

Sulfur from sugarcane crops is flowing into wetlands in the Florida Everglades, creating toxic methylmercury, which accumulates in fish, a new study finds.

A new analysis of a fatal landslide that occurred on 13 February 2024 at the pler Gold Mine in Turkiye reveals that the site of the landslide had been slowly moving for at least four years prior to the failure.

Researchers showed that some spinach defensins can confer similar protection to citrus and potatoes -- and possibly other crops. The effects show significant progress toward recovering yield and improving quality in diseased plants.

Environmental engineers have developed critical methods to remove toxic selenium from water.

Mercury is released by environmental and human-driven processes. And some forms, specifically methylmercury, are toxic to humans. Therefore, policies and regulations to limit mercury emissions have been implemented across the globe. And, according to new research, those efforts may be working. Researchers found that atmospheric mercury levels have decreased by almost 70% in the last 20 years, mainly because human-caused emissions have been reduced.

A new study analyzes the results of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that showed that brick kiln owners in Bangladesh are willing and able to implement cleaner and more efficient business practices within their operations -- without legal enforcement -- if they receive the proper training and support, and if those changes are aligned with their profit motives. The study is the first to rigorously demonstrate successful strategies to improve efficiency within the traditional brick kiln industry.

Analysing the gene activity of every single bacterial cell in a colony? A new technique of single-cell transcriptomics developed in W rzburg can do this much more efficiently than other methods: It reliably detects 300 to 600 genes per bacterial cell with a high success rate of 95%, thereby surpassing the efficiency of established procedures.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, potato chips and packaged cookies, may be associated with adverse health outcomes. Study finds each additional 100 grams/day consumption of ultra-processed foods increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular events, cancer and more.

A glacier in Antarctica is committing 'ice piracy' -- stealing ice from a neighbor -- in a phenomenon that has never been observed in such a short time frame, say scientists.

How relatedness-to-nature is linked to well-being is determined by district-level socioeconomic status. A new analysis is based on survey results from two major Japanese metropolitan areas.

A long period of drought in North America has been recognized by scientists for decades. A new study links the severe climate to a change in Earth's orbit.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide from industry can be reduced by five per cent. But that requires companies and policy makers to take a holistic approach to energy efficiency and energy management and not solely focus on technological development.

A team of researchers has unveiled a cutting-edge Amphibious Robotic Dog capable of roving across both land and water with remarkable efficiency.

Why do cats generally live longer than dogs? New research suggests that longer lifespans of mammals like cats could be linked to their bigger brains and more complex immune systems.

Fishing pots fitted with LED lights catch significantly more shrimp and fish, new research shows.

A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in the interior. Furthermore, using newly granular data, the study finds that some cities are sinking at different rates in different spots, or sinking in some places and rising in others, potentially introducing stresses that could affect buildings and other infrastructure.

Scientists have launched an interactive global map to show the migratory patterns of more than 100 marine species in an effort to protect at-risk wildlife.

The efforts of a research team give hope for new treatment approaches for dangerous tropical diseases. The researchers have compiled a high-precision inventory of the membrane proteins of cell organelles of the African sleeping sickness pathogen.

An edible robot leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water's surface, creating a safe -- and nutritious -- alternative to environmental monitoring devices made from artificial polymers and electronics.

Researchers have discovered a type of molecule that can kill chlamydia bacteria but spare bacteria that are important for health. The discovery opens the door for further research towards developing new antibiotics against chlamydia.

Scientists have found that a mere 30 species of trees in the Cerrado -- the world's largest and most floristically diverse savanna -- account for nearly half of all its trees. The 'hyperdominance' by a few species could help researchers understand how this vast ecosystem functions.

The recent global monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, with a new and aggressive variant, has underscored the dire need for safe, broadly effective, and accessible vaccines. The LC16m8 vaccine, an attenuated vaccinia virus strain originally developed for smallpox, is a promising option for countering the mpox virus. Exploring this potential further, researchers employed a cross-species immunological analysis to provide new insights into LC16m8's immunogenicity and safety against mpox. The recent global monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, with a new and aggressive variant, has underscored the dire need for safe, broadly effective, and accessible vaccines. The LC16m8 vaccine, an attenuated vaccinia virus strain originally developed for smallpox, is a promising option for countering the mpox virus. Exploring this potential further, researchers employed a cross-species immunological analysis to provide new insights into LC16m8's immunogenicity and safety against mpox.

Scientists have engineered a monoclonal antibody that can protect mice from a lethal dose of influenza A, a new study shows. The new molecule combines the specificity of a mature flu fighter with the broad binding capacity of a more general immune system defender.

A recent study marks the first reported instance of generative AI designing synthetic molecules that can successfully control gene expression in healthy mammalian cells. As a proof-of-concept, the authors of the study asked the AI to design synthetic fragments which activate a gene coding for a fluorescent protein in some cells while leaving gene expression patterns unaltered. They created the fragments from scratch and dropped them into mouse blood cells, where the sequence fused with the genome at random locations. The experiments worked exactly as predicted and pave the way for new strategies to give instructions to a cell and guide how they develop and behave with unprecedented accuracy.

AI model EVE-Vax provides clues about how a virus may evolve and the immune response it could provoke.

People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a new study. The study does not prove that eating more ultra processed foods causes early signs of Parkinson's disease; it only shows an association.

Biologists have create a web portal for the world's most charismatic plants, ferns.

Scientists say human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional early deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States during the 15-year period ending in 2020.

A new technique to extract tiny cellulose strands from cow dung and turn them into manufacturing-grade cellulose, currently used to make everything from surgical masks to food packaging, has been developed.

Influenza viruses are among the most likely triggers of future pandemics. A research team has developed a method that can be used to study the interaction of viruses with host cells in unprecedented detail. With the help of their new development, they have also analyzed how novel influenza viruses use alternative receptors to enter target cells.

Wealthy individuals have a higher carbon footprint. A new study quantifies the climate outcomes of these inequalities. It finds that the world's wealthiest 10% are responsible for two thirds of observed global warming since 1990 and the resulting increases in climate extremes such as heatwaves and droughts.

In a sweeping new study of more than 13,000 urban areas worldwide, researchers have mapped air pollution levels and carbon dioxide emissions, providing comprehensive global analysis of urban environmental quality.

Researchers have gained comprehensive insights into the entire nervous system of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The study describes in detail the neurons that span the entire nervous system of the adult fruit fly. The researchers also compared the complete set of neural connections (the connectome) in a female and a male specimen -- and identified differences.

Across the globe, monsoon rainfall switches on in spring and off in autumn. Until now, this seasonal pattern was primarily understood as an immediate response to changes in solar radiation. A new study shows that the atmosphere can store moisture over extended periods, creating a physical memory effect. It allows monsoon systems to flip between two stable states. Disrupting this delicate balance, would have severe consequences for billions of people in India, Indonesia, Brazil and China.

As fast fashion continues to fill wardrobes and landfills at a staggering pace, new research suggests that the future of fashion might lie not in fabric, but in pixels.

An international study has shown that increasing levels of the Klotho protein in mice extends lifespan and improves both physical and cognitive health when aging.

New research has shown how small, inexpensive drones combined with free, open source software can be used by community forest organizations to calculate and monitor the amount of carbon stored in their forests.