Long known as a messenger within cells, RNA is increasingly seen as life’s molecular communication system — even between organisms widely separated by evolution.
Can cannabidiol (CBD) be used to counter insecticide resistance, specifically for mosquitoes? This is what a recent study published in Insects hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated how hemp leaf extract could be used to kill mosquito larvae that is responsible for yellow fever. This study holds the potential to help researchers better understand how cannabis can be used to fight insecticide resistance and mitigate yellow fever around the world.
“Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, mainly because as adults they serve as vectors of disease,” said Erick Martinez Rodriguez, who is a graduate student in entomology at The Ohio State University and lead author of the study. “It’s very important to be able to control these pests at an early stage, when they are at the most vulnerable.”
This study builds off a 2018 study from The Ohio State University that a Madagascar-native plant successfully worked as a mosquito insecticide. For this recent study, the researchers created CBD from ground-up hemp extract and fed this CBD to mosquito larvae with two strains of yellow fever. In the end, the researchers found both strains were effectively killed by the CBD, along with this occurring with very small amounts of CBD.
This latest clue about the architecture of consciousness supports a Nobel-Prize winner’s theory about how quantum physics works in your brain.
A magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based platform is introduced for the spatially controlled viral transduction in retina explants and whole eyes. The platform uses magnetic fields to guide adeno-associat…
Our AI method has accelerated and optimized chip design, and its superhuman chip layouts are used in hardware around the world.
“We are excited to explore the other trees by applying similar technologies.” first appeared on The Cool Down.
How can electronic waste, also known as e-waste, be recycled without resulting in negative environmental impacts that are often produced with traditional e-waste recycling methods? This is what a recent study published in Nature Chemical Engineering hopes to address as a team of researchers from Rice University investigated a novel approach for improving e-waste recycling while mitigating the negative impacts on the environment. This study holds the potential to help researchers, climate conservationists, and the public better understand how they can contribute to a cleaner environment through recycling.
“Our process offers significant reductions in operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions, making it a pivotal advancement in sustainable recycling,” said Dr. James Tour, who is a T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry at Rice University and a co-author on the study.
For the study, the team built upon past research conducted by Dr. Toru involving flash joule heating (FJH), which uses electric currents to break down metals into other materials. Using FJH for e-waste, the researchers successfully removed precious metals, including tantalum, indium, and gallium, which have commercial uses in capacitors, LCD displays, and semiconductors, respectively. Additionally, this new method was found to provide increased efficiency for metal purity and number of metals, also called yield, at 95 percent and 85 percent, respectively, along with significantly reducing environmental harm since this method does not require acids or water for its reaction.
“Our study is a stark example of how air pollution can substantially alter atmospheric chemistry thousands of miles away,” said Jacob Chalif.
How do fossil fuels influence the atmospheric chemistry of the Arctic? This is what a recent study published in Nature Geoscience hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated how air pollution caused by fossil fuels influences levels of methanesulfonic acid (MSA), which is an airborne byproduct of marine phytoplankton. This study has the potential to help researchers, climate scientists, and the public better understand the long-term consequences of fossil fuels and the steps that can be taken to mitigate them.
This study builds on several past studies, specifically a 2013 ice core research study from Denali National Park, that hypothesized reduced MSA levels resulted from drastic reductions in phytoplankton during the same period. However, the researchers ruled out a connection between MSA and phytoplankton populations but were still puzzled about the drops in MSA levels in the Arctic.
Continue reading “Fossil Fuels and the Arctic: Uncovering the Impact of Air Pollution” »
Arizona-based startup Mechnano has exited “stealth mode” in the research and development of its carbon nanotube (CNT) technology for 3D printing materials.
The company has developed its first product, an electrostatic discharge (ESD) resin that delivers dissipative properties to 3D printed parts without compromising mechanical properties.
“These are extraordinary breakthroughs for additive manufacturing materials,” said Steven Lowder, Mechnano’s Founder and CEO. “By focusing on the nanoscale, or the molecular level, we are able to make exponential improvements in AM materials at the macro-level.
NEW YORK — In a groundbreaking development, scientists have created a revolutionary method to track the spread of cancer throughout the body, potentially paving the way for more effective treatments against this devastating disease. The new technology, developed by researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, uses genetic “barcodes” to monitor the movement of individual cancer cells, providing unprecedented insights into the process of metastasis.
