Life began small, but even the tiniest cells need a way to copy their instructions. A new laboratory system shows that a simple set of RNA building blocks can get most of the way there, pushing experimental biologists closer to watching life’s opening act unfold in a test tube.



“This was the molecule that ran biology,” said James Attwater of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, who led the study. 



The work centers on an artificial <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-are-Ribozymes.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ribozyme</a> that joins three‑letter chunks of RNA while cycling between hot, cold, acidic, and alkaline conditions. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rna-played-a-key-role-in-early-life">RNA played a key role in early life</h2>



The idea that one molecule once carried both genetic information and catalytic power, dubbed the RNA <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/319618a0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world</a>, was first laid out almost 40 years ago. 



Modern cells still hint at that past because ribosomes, spliceosomes, and many regulatory switches all rely on RNA to keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-detailed-map-of-human-genetic-mutations-unveiled/">genes</a> working.



Short RNA strands can fold into active shapes, cut other RNAs, and even build peptides, making them plausible ancestors of today’s enzymes. Researchers have spent decades trying to show that RNA can also copy itself fast enough to allow Darwinian evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solving-the-rna-copying-problem">Solving the RNA copying problem</h2>



Copying RNA sounds easy until you meet the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30383375/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strand separation problem</a>. Freshly made daughter strands cling so tightly to their templates that the double helix cannot unwind in time for another round of replication.



Some groups have used heat, acid, crowding agents, or helper oligonucleotides to pry the strands apart, but each fix either damages RNA or stalls the copying chemistry. Freeze-thaw <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2116429119" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> showed that ice concentrates reactants without cooking them, hinting at a gentler route.



Attwater’s team discovered that short trinucleotide triphosphates bind single <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-genes-may-predict-infertility-and-disease-by-flipping-like-a-light-switch/">strands</a> strongly enough to stop them from re‑zipping while also doubling as substrates for extension. Three bases form a sweet spot: long enough to grip, yet short enough to avoid frequent errors.



Under pH swings that first melt duplexes at 176 °F, then freeze them at 19 °F, the ribozyme weaves the triplets into fresh complementary strands. So far the enzyme can copy thirty of its 180 letters before running out of steam, but the researchers see clear paths to speedup.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-short-pieces-help-rna-make-copies">Short pieces help RNA make copies</h2>



During each cold phase, the remaining liquid between ice crystals becomes a concentrated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/eutectic-phase" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eutectic phase</a> where magnesium ions, the ribozyme, and triplets are corralled together. 



In that micro‑brine the polymerase connects the triplets, then waits for the next heat pulse to start another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-regulation-controlling-cells-to-improve-medical-treatments/">cycle</a>.



“There might be a relationship between how biology used to copy its RNA and how biology uses RNA today,” noted Attwater. 



The group watched exponential gains when they put the system through repeated hot-cold swings, confirming that templates made in one cycle feed the next. 



“RNA nucleotide triplets serve very specific informatic functions in translation in all cells,” noted Zachary Adam, a geochemist at the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Wisconsin‑Madison</a> who was not involved in the study. 



The binding preference of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7575393/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GC‑rich triplets</a> echoes the stability pattern of codons that still anchor the genetic code.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hints-of-the-genetic-code">Hints of the genetic code</h2>



The experts found that the triplets most able to keep strands apart match those believed to seed the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15214800/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earliest triplet code</a>. This overlap suggests that replication chemistry could have nudged evolution toward the codon system long before proteins appeared.



Models of primordial ponds often invoke hot springs that swing between acidic jets and freezing spray, conditions seen in Iceland today. 



Such locales supply the freshwater and rapid pH shifts that the triplet mechanism needs, making the scenario geologically plausible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-signs-of-life-copying-itself">Early signs of life copying itself</h2>



The system didn't just copy preexisting templates. It also generated new RNA sequences from random starting material and then amplified those fragments through multiple rounds.



Some of the strongest amplification came from strands resembling parts of the ribozyme itself, suggesting early self-copying behavior that could foreshadow how functional sequences emerged billions of years ago.



To cross the finish line, the ribozyme must copy its entire 180‑letter body and then repeat the feat indefinitely. Attwater’s team is engineering faster variants and trimming unnecessary folds to lighten the enzymatic load.



If full self‑replication emerges, chemists can finally watch mutation and natural selection operate in a test tube filled with nothing but RNA and simple salts. 



The achievement would turn a long‑standing hypothesis into an observable process, offering the clearest window yet on life’s origin.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01830-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Chemistry</a>.



-----



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Life copying itself: Scientists create a self-replicating RNA system

Life began small, but even the tiniest cells need a way to copy their instructions. A new laboratory system shows that a simple set of RNA building blocks can get most of the way there, pushing experimental biologists closer to watching life’s opening act unfold in a test tube. “This was the molecule that ran biology,” said James Attwater of University College London, who led the study. The work centers on an artificial ribozyme that joins three‑letter chunks of RNA while cycling between hot, cold, acidic, and...

Research from <a href="https://www.bofaml.com/content/boaml/en_us/home.html">Bank of America Merrill Lynch</a> has revealed that advances in death-delaying technology will soon push the human life expectancy to more than 100 years. 

According to a report written by Merrill Lynch analysts Felix Tran and Haim Israel, companies working to treat or prevent diseases and slow the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pollution-accelerates-aging-cellular/">aging process</a> will provide some of the best investment opportunities over the next decade. 

Anti-aging technologies such as innovation in genome science and wearable wellness products have already created a market worth $110 billion, and the experts predict that this market will be worth $600 billion by 2025.

“Medical knowledge will double every 73 days by 2020 vs. every 3.5 (years) in 2010, and genomic sequencing costs have fallen 99.999% since 2003,” wrote the analysts. “This has enabled a new frontier in precision medicine to further extend life expectancy, heralding a ‘techmanity’ (technology meets humanity) revolution.”

The team highlighted five key contributors which will help to increase the length and quality of human lifespans, including genomics, artificial intelligence, future health food, “ammortality,” and “moonshot medicine.”

The study of the human genome, for example, will provide the “next generation of gene editing technology offering potentially revolutionary advances in prevention and disease treatments.” The report pointed to the genome sequencing company Illumina, in particular, as playing “an important role in helping advance disease research, drug development, and the creation of molecular tests.”

“Moonshot medicine” companies, such as Sangamo, Vertex Pharma and Neurocrine, are working on revolutionary treatments for some of the most debilitating diseases in the world, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

The quest to delay death, also known as “ammortality,” is a market with the potential to hit $504 billion by 2025. According to Israel and Tran, ammortality “will help to improve health spans &amp; lifespans to the betterment of human vitality, enabling the world population to live freer of disease, rather than forever.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Death-delaying technology could push human life expectancy beyond 100 years

Research from Bank of America Merrill Lynch has revealed that...

There are very few <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-straws-banned-small/">plastics</a> that can be recycled into reusable products due to various additives such as dyes and flame retardants. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most recyclable plastic, yet is only recycled at a rate of 20 to 30 percent. 

In a groundbreaking new study, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Berkeley Lab</a> have designed a recyclable plastic that can be disassembled into its components at the molecular level. As a result, the plastic can be reconstructed into a different shape and color repeatedly, like a Lego set. The new material, polydiketoenamine (PDK), can be broken down and reassembled without the loss of performance or quality. 

“Most plastics were never made to be recycled,” said study lead author Peter Christensen. “But we have discovered a new way to assemble plastics that takes recycling into consideration from a molecular perspective.”

According to the researchers, the problem with many plastics is that the chemicals added to make them useful, such as the fillers that make plastic tough, are tightly bound to the monomers and stay in the plastic even after it has been processed at a recycling plant.

When plastics of different chemical compositions are mixed together during processing at plants, it is hard to predict what properties the recycled plastics will inherit. This prevents the new products from being “circular,” which is ideal because it means they can be reused and upcycled to make higher quality products.

[caption id="attachment_1872475" align="aligncenter" width="630"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/plastic-material.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872475 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/plastic-material.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="366" /></a> Image Credit: Peter Christensen/Berkeley Lab[/caption]

“Circular plastics and plastics upcycling are grand challenges,” said Berkeley scientist Brett Helms. “We've already seen the impact of plastic waste leaking into our aquatic ecosystems, and this trend is likely to be exacerbated by the increasing amounts of plastics being manufactured and the downstream pressure it places on our municipal recycling infrastructure.”

“With PDKs, the immutable bonds of conventional plastics are replaced with reversible bonds that allow the plastic to be recycled more effectively,” explained Helms.

Unlike conventional plastics, the monomers of PDK plastic can be freed up from any compounded additives by simply exposing the material to a highly acidic solution. The acid breaks the bonds between the monomers and separates them from the chemical additives.

“We're interested in the chemistry that redirects plastic lifecycles from linear to circular,” said Helms. “We see an opportunity to make a difference for where there are no recycling options.” 

The experts demonstrated that the recovered PDK monomers can be remade into polymers, and those recycled polymers can form new plastic materials which do not inherit the features of the original plastic. The researchers believe that PDKs will be a good alternative to many non-recyclable plastics used today.

“We're at a critical point where we need to think about the infrastructure needed to modernize recycling facilities for future waste sorting and processing,” said Helms. “If these facilities were designed to recycle or upcycle PDK and related plastics, then we would be able to more effectively divert plastic from landfills and the oceans. This is an exciting time to start thinking about how to design both materials and recycling facilities to enable circular plastics.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nchem/">Nature Chemistry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New plastic material can be broken down and reused repeatedly

There are very few plastics that can be recycled into...

A fossil belonging to a newly discovered species of dinosaur dating back to the upper Jurassic period 136 million years ago is helping shed insight on the evolution of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-flapping-wings-fly/">dinosaurs</a> and birds. 

The fossil, classified as a theropod, was discovered in the Liaoning province in China, and the researchers behind the find say that the animal had thin bat-like membranous wings. 

This isn’t the first theropod fossil to be suspected of having bat-like qualities in China, but the find does help illustrate how dinosaurs experimented with different wing structures. 

“Whereas the early fossil records of pterosaurs and bats are sparse, mounting evidence (primarily from China) of feathered non-avian dinosaurs and stemward avians that derive primarily from the Middle–Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous periods has enabled the slow piecing together of the origins of avian flight,” the researchers wrote in a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1137-z">Nature</a>. 

The new species was named Ambopteryx longibrachium and was a member of a group of tree climbing dinosaurs called scansoriopterygidae. 

The fossil is about the size of a magpie bird with long pointed wrist bones, and it’s this feature that suggests the bone was connected to a membranous wing, enabling it to fly or glide from tree to tree. 

Trees would have been where Ambopteryx longibrachium would have spent most of its time, although the bird-like reptile could have soared down to the ground to catch prey. 

Although it was previously believed that theropods only ate plants, the researchers say that it’s very likely that the new species was omnivorous and could have easily snatched up frogs and rats. 

The research helps shed light on the evolution of flight, and membranous wings may have represented a brief moment of evolutionary experimentation before the emergence of feathered wings. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Min Wang

Newly discovered species of dinosaur had bat-like wings

A fossil belonging to a newly discovered species of dinosaur...

Mosquitoes are less attracted to humans after they’ve eaten sugar. According to researchers Jessica Dittmer and Paolo Gabrieli from the <a href="http://www.unipv.eu/site/home.html">Università degli Studi di Pavia</a>, when mosquitoes are fed sugar, they are less attracted to humans. This response is regulated by a protein called vitellogenin, an egg yolk precursor protein. 

"In this context, our research team focused on the molecular mechanisms that control the mosquito host-seeking behaviour, that is the mechanisms that affect the attraction to human host," Dr. Gabrieli said. Mosquitoes are less attracted to humans after they’ve eaten sugar

Dittmer, Gabrieli, and their colleagues fed sugar solutions to young female tiger <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-malaria/">mosquitoes</a> and realized it reduced their attraction to humans. Female mosquitoes usually need to feed on blood (or plant nectar/sap) to provide energy and nutrients to their young. However, by intentionally feeding female mosquitoes sugar solutions, the mosquitoes feel energized and do not need to find a host.

Via transcriptome sequencing, the researchers found a number of gene expression changes connected to the reduction in host-seeking behavior. One such gene to be affected (out of at least 23 genes) was the vitellogenin gene Vg-2, known to contribute to ovary development. When the team experimented with RNA interference to knock down the Vg-2 gene, expression was restored and the mosquitoes returned to seeking a host, thus confirming Vg-2’s role in regulating feeding behavior and attraction.

This new understanding of lessening attraction to humans could provide new strategies for diminishing and preventing mosquito-borne diseases. Manipulation of the Vg-2 gene could eradicate fatal diseases like Malaria, Dengue fever and Zika virus.

"If we can alter these pathways, reducing the motivation of the mosquitoes to bite humans, we would reduce the dimension of the mosquito population and, in turn, the transmission of the diseases,” Dr. Gabrieli concluded.

Their findings are published in<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/"> PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mosquitoes are less attracted to humans after they’ve eaten sugar

Mosquitoes are less attracted to humans after they’ve eaten sugar....

A team of neurobiologists at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> has identified the region of the brain that is responsible for making decisions based on value. These types of choices are influenced by our past experiences.

Study senior author Professor Takaki Komiyama explained that data from tens of thousands of neurons pointed to an area of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/different-tastes-neurons-brainstem/">brain</a> called the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). This brain region was not previously known for “value-based decision-making,” which is an essential animal behavior that is impaired in neurological conditions such as dementia and addiction.

Value decisions become necessary when we decide where to buy our morning coffee, for example. According to the study authors, we assign a value to a certain coffee shop based on our experience, and this value is stored in the RSC as a reference for the next time we go out for coffee. 

“When you have two coffee shops to choose from, no one is telling you which one to go to - you rely on the internal value in order to choose one over the other,” said Professor Komiyama. “How the brain maintains this value information - and how it might be different in healthy and disease states - could be relevant in clinical applications.”

[caption id="attachment_1872413" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/brain-neurons.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872413" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/brain-neurons.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="597" /></a> Neurons in the brain, Image Credit: Komiyama Lab, UC San Diego[/caption]

The research team obtained more than 45,000 images of neurons across six brain regions in mice. By comparing how value-related information was processed in each brain region, the data led the researchers to the RSC. 

“We found that the RSC, which previously had not been studied in the context of value-based decision-making, showed the strongest value information most persistently over time. These were unique characteristics,” said Professor Komiyama.

Professor Komiyama’s lab generates nearly a terabyte of data in a single day. She explained that science's recent capacity to record and study massive data sets opens new windows to our understanding of basic neurological functions.

“Previously these types of experiments were with one neuron at a time, which was simple to analyze,” said Professor Komiyama. “Technological advances are allowing new experiments with thousands and thousands of recordings of neuronal activity that can be related to various features of behavior. I'm sure we're still just scratching the surface of these complex data so the next new challenge has become big data analysis.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify the brain region that processes value decisions

A team of neurobiologists at the University of California San...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has found that “robopets” can reduce feelings of loneliness and agitation among older adults in care homes. The researchers are reporting that interactions with small, animal-like robots may even provide comfort and pleasure. 

A review of nearly 20 studies involving 900 care home residents has revealed that robotic pets can increase <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-anger-harmful-health/">social interaction</a> with other residents, family members, and staff by serving as a stimulus for conversation.

“Although not every care home resident may choose to interact with robopets, for those who do, they appear to offer many benefits,” said study lead author Dr. Rebecca Abbott. 

“Some of these are around stimulating conversations or triggering memories of their own pets or past experiences, and there is also the comfort of touching or interacting with the robopet itself. The joy of having something to care for was a strong finding across many of the studies.”

In their appearance and behavior, robopets mimic the characteristics of pets and companion animals. Five different types of robopets were examined in the studies, including a dog named Aibo, a baby seal named Paro, a bear named Cuddler, and two cats named Necoro and Justocat.

According to the researchers, staff training may help residents get the most out of their robopet. Individuals who have a special regard for animals or who previously had pets of their own are more likely to engage with the robots. 

“It is not always possible to have a cat or a dog come into a care home, so robopets can offer a good alternative,” said study co-author Dr. Noreen Orr. “Of course robopets are no substitute for human interaction, but our research shows that for those who choose to engage with them, they can have a range of benefits. A new wave of more affordable robopets may make them more accessible to care homes.”

The experts said that further research is needed to determine whether the benefits of robotic pets are short-term or long-term.

“Modern technology has the amazing capacity to improve people's health and wellbeing and revolutionise the care they receive. Technology can never replace human interaction, but this kind of research is incredibly important to help us assess its benefits,” said Caroline Dinenage.

“I want older people to have healthier, more connected and independent lives - we are investing £98 million to develop innovative new products - like robopets - services and treatments through our Ageing Society Grand Challenge."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17483743">International Journal of Older People Nursing</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Robotic pets could make great companions for care home residents

A new study from the University of Exeter has found...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/">University of Chicago Medical Center</a> has re-examined two-million-year-old, apelike fossils from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/predator-replacing-great-white-sharks/">South Africa</a> that belong to the group Australopithecus sediba. The analysis of the fossil data has revealed that the species is not likely a direct ancestor of modern-day humans.

The paleontologists have concluded that Australopithecus afarensis, represented by the famous “Lucy” skeleton, is still the most likely ancestor to the genus Homo.

The first A. sediba fossils were found near Johannesburg in 2008. Since then, hundreds of fragments of the species have been discovered that all date back to roughly two million years ago. 

The oldest known Homo fossil, the jawbone of an unnamed species found in Ethiopia, predates A. sediba by 800,000 years. Despite this discrepancy, the researchers who discovered A. sediba claimed that it is an ancestral species to Homo. According to the new analysis, however, this connection is unlikely. 

“It is definitely possible for an ancestor's fossil to postdate a descendant's by a large amount of time,” explained study lead author Dr. Andrew Du. “We thought we would take it one step further to ask how likely it is to happen, and our models show that the probability is next to zero."

In collaboration with Dr. Zeray Alemseged, Dr. Du determined that Australopithecus afarensis is a better candidate for the direct ancestor of Homo. For example, A. afarensis fossils have been dated up to three million years old, which is very close to the age of the 2.8- million-year-old Homo jaw. The jaw's features also resemble those of A. afarensis closely enough that one could make the case it was a direct descendant.

“Given the timing, geography and morphology, these three pieces of evidence make us think afarensis is a better candidate than sediba,” said Dr. Alemseged. “One can disagree about morphology and the different features of a fossil, but the level of confidence we can put in the mathematical and statistical analyses of the chronological data in this paper makes our argument a very strong one.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Matt Wood, UChicago

Study: South African fossil species were not ancestors of humans

A new study from the University of Chicago Medical Center...

A new instrument has been launched to the International Space Station (ISS) that can instantly map the amount of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-dioxide-levels-spike/">carbon dioxide</a> over any region in the world. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) will track changes in the Earth's atmosphere in unprecedented detail.

Since the ISS orbits Earth every 90 minutes, OCO-3 will complete 16 passes a day. The space instrument is much more powerful and versatile than its predecessor, OCO-2, which has been monitoring carbon dioxide distribution and detecting emission hotspots since 2014.

Matt Bennett is the project systems engineer for OCO-3 at <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Pasadena, California.

“OCO-2 revisits areas on Earth at roughly the same time of day due to its sun-synchronous orbit,” said Bennett. “OCO-3 will expand the time period of that coverage and observe the presence of carbon dioxide at varying times of day. The point of the mission is to continue the legacy of OCO-2 but from the perspective of the International Space Station.”

Bennett explained that the improved capabilities of OCO-3 are largely dependent on an innovative swiveling mirror assembly, which he described as a “very agile pointing mechanism.”

“When OCO-2 points toward an observation target, the entire spacecraft has to rotate,” said Bennett. “Since OCO-3 is a ‘passenger’ on the space station, we had to add the pointing mirror assembly to point independently of the station.”

[caption id="attachment_1872357" align="aligncenter" width="631"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/instrument.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872357 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/instrument.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="325" /></a> The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3), Image Credit: AP/NASA[/caption]

Using two pairs of mirrors to point both parallel and perpendicular to the Earth's surface, OCO-3 is able to point almost anywhere within view of the space station. This pointing assembly also enables it to capture “snapshot maps,” which are detailed mini-maps of carbon dioxide, over areas of interest. 

According to NASA, the snapshot mapping mode can measure emissions from sources ranging from small areas surrounding power plants to large urban areas up 1,000 square miles in just two minutes. It is particularly important for scientists to have access to CO2 measurements from large urban areas because cities generate around 70 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

“These targeted measurements will help us disentangle which sources of carbon dioxide are in nature and which are anthropogenic, or human-caused,” said Bennett.

OCO-3 can also assess the efficiency of plants as they perform photosynthesis, which will allow experts to track how well vegetation is absorbing CO2 on the ground and how the surrounding atmosphere is responding.

“We will get to see how different sources of carbon dioxide, and sinks - areas that collect carbon, such as forests and oceans - vary by day, by season and annually,” said Bennett.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New space instrument tracks atmospheric changes in unprecedented detail

A new instrument has been launched to the International Space...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.nips.ac.jp/eng/">National Institute for Physiological Sciences</a> in Japan have identified neurons in the brainstem that are responsible for relaying sweet taste signals to the gustatory thalamus and cortex in mice.

Despite extensive research in the past, the contribution of CNS gustatory neurons in the sensation of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coffee-beer-taste-genetic/">taste</a> has remained largely unknown. 

In mice, the parabrachial nucleus of the pons in the brainstem is a critical site that receives sensory information about hunger and taste information, which is transported to the cortex through the gustatory thalamus. 

Ken-ichiro Nakajima and his colleagues investigated the role of neurons in the parabrachial nucleus that possess the SatB2 transcription factor. The study revealed that the SatB2-expressing neurons encode sweet tastes. The experts also found that the presence of these neurons in the gustatory thalamus caused appetitive licking behavior in mice. 

“We've known about the presence of taste-responsive neurons in the parabrachial nucleus for over 40 years,” said Nakajima. “Only recently have we had the appropriate molecular markers and imaging methods to properly characterize these neurons - we used cell ablation, in vivo calcium imaging, and optogenetics to define the role of SatB2-expressing neurons is in the sensation of taste.”

The selective destruction of SatB2-expressing neurons caused the mice to lose their ability to sense sweet tastes, but did not affect their sensitivity to bitter, sour, and salty tastes. 

“Our findings indicate that different taste qualities are processed by different types of neurons, at least in the brainstem,” said study lead author Ou Fu. “The next important step will be to identify a whole set of gustatory neurons, including SatB2 neurons, in the mouse parabrachial nucleus. This will allow us to understand how their assemblage forms complex flavors.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Different tastes are processed by different neurons in the brainstem

Researchers at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan...

Although Coca-Cola funds health research at public universities in the United States and Canada, a new study has revealed that the company reserves the right to review findings early and to “terminate without reason.” The investigation also found that Coca-Cola has a clause which allows any data and intellectual property associated with the research to be intercepted.  

The team reviewed over 87,000 documents that were obtained through Freedom of Information requests submitted by <a href="https://usrtk.org/">US Right to Know</a>, a non-profit consumer and public health research group. According to the study authors, many of the clauses they found in the legal documents enable Coca-Cola to suppress “critical health information.”

The experts said that the clauses are not in compliance with Coca-Cola's commitment to transparent and “unrestricted” support for science, and they are calling for corporate funders to publish lists of terminated research.

Study lead author Dr. Sarah Steele is a policy researcher in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.

“It is certainly true that the contracts we have found allow for unfavorable developments or findings to be quashed prior to publication,” said Dr. Steele. “Coca-Cola have declared themselves at the forefront of transparency when it comes to food and beverage giants funding health research. In fact, our study suggests that important research might never see the light of day and we would never know about it.”

“We are already hearing accusations from experts in nutrition that the food industry is copying tactics from big tobacco's playbook. Corporate social responsibility has to be more than just shiny websites stating progressive policies that get ignored.”

Coca-Cola's own transparency website claims that scientists retain full control over their research and the company has no right to prevent the publication of any findings. However, the company retains a strong level of control throughout the process, including the right to receive updates and the power to terminate studies early without reason.

Within the documents, one scientist expressed concern over intellectual property and uncertainty over his study termination. Another scientist argued that his contract was “very restrictive for an ‘unrestricted grant.’”

“These contracts suggest that Coke wanted the power to bury research it funded that might detract from its image or profits,” said Gary Ruskin, co-director of US Right to Know. “With the power to trumpet positive findings and bury negative ones, Coke-funded science seems more like an exercise in public relations.”

The researchers acknowledge that the food and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sugary-beverages-premature-death/">beverage industry</a> may be updating research contracts as new public commitments are made, but without access to those contracts it is not clear. 

“Journals should require authors of funded research to upload the research agreements for studies as appendices to any peer-reviewed publication,” said Dr. Steele. “The lack of robust information on input by industry and on studies terminated before results are published, makes it impossible to know how much of the research entering the public domain reflects industry positions.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/41271">Journal of Public Health Policy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Coca-Cola reserves the right to suppress the health research it supports

Although Coca-Cola funds health research at public universities in the...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> have managed to produce a 400-year record of El Niño events using cores drilled from coral. Many experts did not even believe it was possible to obtain such a record, which shows how the nature of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-deadly-viruses/">El Niño events</a> has changed in recent decades.

A better understanding of El Niño events is critical for helping to prepare for the extreme weather that they produce across the globe. The effects of these events are particularly pronounced in Australia, South East Asia, and America, where precipitation and temperatures are intensified.

By analyzing the 400-year record, the experts detected changes in the types of El Niños, with an increase in Central Pacific El Niño activity in the late 20th century. The researchers also predicted upcoming changes in the strength of El Niños that emerge in the Eastern Pacific.

“We are seeing more El Niños forming in the central Pacific Ocean in recent decades, which is unusual across the past 400 years,” said study lead author Dr. Mandy Freund. “There are even some early hints that the much stronger Eastern Pacific El Niños, like those that occurred in 1997/98 and 2015/16 may be growing in intensity.”

The team accessed information in coral cores collected from across the Pacific Ocean. Like tree rings, coral cores have growth patterns that date back over centuries, and contain isotopes that reveal many clues about the past climate. This is the first time that coral cores have been used to detect the different types of El Niño events.

“By understanding the past, we are better equipped to understand the future, especially in the context of climate change,” said Dr. Freund. 

“Prior to this research, we did not know how frequently different types of El Niño occurred in past centuries. Now we do,” said study co-author Dr. Ben Henley.

The researchers identified an unprecedented increase in the number of El Niños forming in the Central Pacific over the past 30 years. At the same time, the stronger Eastern Pacific El Niños were the most intense among those examined in the 400-year long coral record.

“The El Niño phenomenon is one of the most important features of global climate, and changes to its behavior have very serious implications for weather patterns and extreme events around the world,” said Dr. Henley. “This gives us an opportunity to more accurately explore how global warming may change El Niños and what this means for future weather and climate extremes.”

“Having a better understanding of how different types of El Niños have affected us in the past and present, will mean we are more able to model, predict and plan for future El Niños and their wide-ranging impacts,” said Dr. Freund.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Jason Turl

Coral cores reveal how El Niño events have changed in recent decades

Scientists at the University of New South Wales have managed...

A team of scientists at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> (UCSD) has created a flexible robot to assist in saving the northern white rhino species through artificial reproduction. The snakelike device was designed to navigate the complex reproductive anatomy of a female rhino.

There are only two remaining <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/northern-white-rhino-died/">northern white rhinos</a> in the world. While both are female, neither is capable of carrying a baby to full term. 

The only hope to save the species is to fertilize the egg of a female with the sperm of a deceased male, which experts have stored over the years. The purpose of the new robot is to implant the resulting embryo into the uterus of a surrogate mother from another species, such as a southern white rhino. 

The UCSD researchers teamed up with experts at the San Diego Zoo to design a robotic device that can make this implantation process more feasible. Study co-author Michael Yip is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“It's essentially a long, thin catheter that can be steered through a rhino's cervix to deliver a specimen to the uterus,” explained Professor Yip. 

The UCSD team noted that the cervix of a female rhino has a series of steep turns for up to 12 inches, followed by a “fairly long vagina plus the uterine body” and the uterine horn. Overall, the experts must carefully and precisely navigate around 27 inches. 

The new robot, which measures just two to three millimeters in diameter, was built to snake through this complex system during the artificial insemination process.

[caption id="attachment_1872306" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2019-05-07-at-8.49.43-AM.png"><img class="wp-image-1872306" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2019-05-07-at-8.49.43-AM.png" alt="Image Credit: David Baillot, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering" width="650" height="401" /></a> Image Credit: David Baillot, UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering[/caption]

 “You can basically marionette the device to curve into any shape you want,” said Professor Yip. “And you can control it to make very fine, delicate movements so that procedures could be done in the animal safely and non-traumatically.”

Barbara Durrant is the Director of Reproductive Sciences at the San Diego Zoo.

“The ultimate goal is to produce a self-sustaining herd of northern white rhinos, first in captivity and then back into the wild,” said Durrant. “That's still many, many years down the line, but we have excellent collaborators both here and around the world that are working with us and helping us move steadily in that direction.”

“At the end of the day, I hope that technologies like this can be used to both repopulate critically endangered species and counter some of the unfortunate human poaching that has been going on around the world,” said Professor Yip.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could a flexible robot help save the nearly extinct northern white rhino?

A team of scientists at the University of California San...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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