For years, bacteria dominated gut health research. Now, the gut virome is gaining attention as a major player in health and disease. Bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-think-they-found-two-key-bacteria-that-cause-multiple-sclerosis/">bacteria</a>, make up around 90% of the gut virome.



Though small in biomass, they outnumber bacteria by up to tenfold. These tiny viruses shape microbial communities, influence immunity, and affect gut health.



A landmark review published recently in Precision Clinical Medicine reveals how the gut virome links to diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/inflammatory-bowel-disease/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IBD</a>), <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colonoscopy-vs-stool-tests-doctors-found-out-which-is-better-at-detecting-cancer/">colorectal cancer</a>, and Clostridium difficile infection (<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15548-c-diff-infection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDI</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-s-virome-changes-across-life-stages">Gut's virome changes across life stages</h2>



The gut virome changes constantly throughout life. Infants show high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-that-eat-forever-chemicals-discovered-in-contaminated-soil/">diversity</a> in gut bacteriophages (also called phages), which is shaped by birth method, diet, and antibiotic exposure.



As individuals grow, diet and hormones refine the virome. In adults, phages and bacteria form a stable, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-021-00536-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">balanced community</a>.



However, aging shifts this balance. Older adults show more lysogenic phages, which integrate into bacterial genomes and potentially alter metabolism and immune interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-and-environment-shape-the-virome">Diet and environment shape the virome</h2>



Diet greatly <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9455721/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">influences</a> the virome. High-fiber diets support beneficial phages by encouraging helpful bacteria. Western diets, rich in fat and sugar, promote harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/">phages</a>.



Urbanization reduces exposure to natural viruses. Studies show that rural diets which are rich in fiber boost gut virome diversity.



Host genetics and immunity also play roles. Genetic variants can affect viral detection and clearance. Immune defenses, like <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/interferons" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interferons</a> and <a href="https://www.immunology.org/public-information/bitesized-immunology/receptors-molecules/immunoglobulin-iga" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IgA</a>, keep the virome balanced.



However, immune dysfunction can trigger viral imbalances, worsening conditions like HIV and gut inflammation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viruses-and-bacteria-interacting">Viruses and bacteria interacting</h2>



Viruses, including phages, along with bacteria and fungi form a complex and dynamic ecosystem in the gut. The components interact in positive and negative ways, thus affecting host metabolism, immune regulation and resistance to disease. 



The gut virome plays a crucial regulatory role in these intricate interactions. Phages interact with bacteria through lytic, lysogenic, and budding cycles, which regulate bacterial populations and gene flow. 



In a form of microbial arms race, the bacteria defend against phages using <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crispr-used-to-remove-extra-chromosomes-in-down-syndrome-and-restore-cell-function/">CRISPR systems</a> and the phages evolve escape mechanisms.



Some phages even boost bacterial metabolism and biofilm formation, affecting disease risk. For instance, phages can transfer genes that enhance bacterial survival in acidic conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-virome-s-influence-on-immunity">Virome’s influence on immunity</h2>



The virome affects gut immunity deeply. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-bacteria-get-hungry-they-turn-on-each-other/">Phages</a> can anchor to gut mucus and form a protective barrier. They also shape our own <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459471/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T and B cell</a> activity and regulate macrophages. In addition, viruses that infect eukaryotic cells affect immune pathways and maintain gut balance.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/virome_microbiome_human-gut_graphic_credit-PCM_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/virome_microbiome_human-gut_graphic_credit-PCM_1s.webp" alt="This infographic illustrates four major therapeutic approaches—fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), phage therapy, dietary interventions, and probiotics/prebiotics—that aim to restore gut health by modulating the microbiome and virome. Each strategy offers unique methods, benefits, and challenges in managing gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD, CRC, and CDI, highlighting the growing potential of virome-informed precision medicine. Credit: Precision Clinical Medicine" class="wp-image-1976450"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This infographic illustrates four major therapeutic approaches—fecal microbial transplantation (FMT), phage therapy, dietary interventions, and probiotics/prebiotics—that aim to restore gut health by modulating the microbiome and virome. Each strategy offers unique methods, benefits, and challenges in managing gastrointestinal disorders such as IBD, CRC, and CDI, highlighting the growing potential of virome-informed precision medicine. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Precision Clinical Medicine</figcaption></figure>



However, infections and antibiotics can disrupt this harmony and lead to inflammation. Phages can trigger TLR9 pathways, causing excessive immune responses such as those linked to IBD.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-virome-s-role-in-disease">Virome’s role in disease</h2>



Imbalances in the gut virome have been linked to several gut diseases. In IBD, specific phages become abundant and worsen inflammation.



Certain groups of phages (such as Caudovirales) amplify immune responses, while norovirus and rotavirus can damage the gut lining. Viral imbalances are also common in IBS and CDI.



In colorectal cancer, phages and eukaryotic viruses like HPV and JC virus (polyomavirus) appear more often. They may promote tumor growth by altering bacterial communities and gene expression.



Studies suggest that some phages directly influence cancer risk by promoting biofilms and transferring harmful genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-virus-based-treatments">Virus-based treatments</h2>



Several therapies now explore the virome’s potential to treat certain diseases or conditions. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) restores gut balance and reduces inflammation in IBD and CDI.



FMT works not only by shifting bacteria but also by transferring beneficial phages. Studies show that donor phages often align quickly with recipients and promote recovery.



Phage therapy, which uses viruses to kill specific bacteria, is another approach that is gaining traction. It can reduce harmful microbes while preserving beneficial ones.



Researchers have created phage cocktails that target specific gut pathogens like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and this approach has had promising results in animal models.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-as-a-tool-to-reshape-the-virome">Diet as a tool to reshape the virome</h2>



Dietary strategies also reshape the virome. High-fiber diets boost beneficial phages and support bacterial diversity.



Whey protein has shown potential in managing Crohn’s disease by improving phage-bacteria interactions.



Other interventions, such as exclusive enteral nutrition and low-FODMAP diets, also show benefits in gut diseases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-probiotics-prebiotics-and-phages">Probiotics, prebiotics, and phages</h2>



Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria, while prebiotics feed them. Combining them, known as symbiotics, shows promise for restoring and maintaining gut health.



Recent research suggests that adding phages can enhance these effects. Phage-based products, such as PreforPro, have already shown benefits in clinical trials.



These products can reduce populations of harmful bacteria and improve probiotic performance, thereby creating a more stable gut environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-gut-viruses-to-detect-diseases-early">Using gut viruses to detect diseases early</h2>



The gut virome is now being studied as a diagnostic tool. Viral patterns are more stable than bacterial ones, making them reliable biomarkers.



Distinct virome signatures can predict IBD and colorectal cancer. Machine learning models already use virome data to detect these diseases early.



Virome profiling may also track treatment responses, such as FMT success in IBD and CDI.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-and-future-prospects">Challenges and future prospects</h2>



Despite the excitement over potential new treatments, many hurdles remain. Current methods struggle to capture the full virome due to technical limits.



Many phages are still unculturable, and their roles remain unclear. Researchers are working to improve viral databases and develop targeted therapies. Once these gaps close, virome-based therapies could change how we treat gut diseases.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pcm/article/8/2/pbaf010/8152264" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Precision Clinical Medicine</a>.



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Move over microbiome, it's time for the human gut's "virome" to shine

For years, bacteria dominated gut health research. Now, the gut virome is gaining attention as a major player in health and disease. Bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect bacteria, make up around 90% of the gut virome. Though small in biomass, they outnumber bacteria by up to tenfold. These tiny viruses shape microbial communities, influence immunity, and affect gut health. A landmark review published recently in Precision Clinical Medicine reveals how the gut virome links to diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer, and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)....

As scientists prepare to fight the increasing effects of climate change, one area has posed difficulties: engineering drought-resistant plants that grow as well as their unaltered counterparts.

Enter Dr. Ana Caño-Delgado, a researcher with the <a href="https://www.cragenomica.es/">Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics</a>, who has discovered a way to use steroid hormone signaling to increase the growth and yield of drought-resistant crops.

"Drought is one of the most important problems in today's agriculture. So far, the biotechnological efforts that have been made to produce plants more resistant to drought have not been very successful because as a counterpart to an enhanced drought resistance there was always a decrease in plant growth and productivity,” Caño-Delgado said in a press release. “It seems that we have finally found a strategy that could be applied and we want to continue exploring it."

Her team’s study is the first to successfully increase plant tolerance to drought without sacrificing growth. The discovery comes after 15 years of study of brassinosteroids – plant steroids – in the herb Arabidopsis thaliana. 

They found that some plants that overexpressed a specific steroid receptor – BRL3 – and that their vascular tissue was more resistant to water shortages. These drought-resistant plants didn’t show the defects plants with other mutations had, the researchers said.

By modifying the signaling of steroid signaling in A. thaliana, the researchers created drought-resistant plants that still grow like their thirsty cousins. 

"We have discovered that modifying brassinosteroid signaling only locally in the vascular system, we are able to obtain drought resistant plants without affecting their growth," Caño-Delgado said.

The team joined with researchers from the United States, Japan and Europe to study how the mutation works. They found that arabidopsis plants with BRL3 produce more metabolites in their roots and aerial parts during normal irrigation. Under dry conditions, these metabolites protect the roots of the drought-resistant plants.

The researchers are now studying how their find might be adapted for agricultural plants, especially cereal grains.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: <a href="https://www.cragenomica.es/">Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics</a>

Scientists work to enhance drought-resistant plants

As scientists prepare to fight the increasing effects of climate...

Environmentalists have already called into question the safety of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-island-bans-toxic-sunscreens/">Palau</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-bans-sunscreens-corals/">Hawaii</a> both banned sunscreens that include the chemical, citing evidence that it can wash off in the ocean water and harm coral. 

Now, scientists are questioning whether the sunscreen ingredient is safe for frequent use.

"What our research shows is that current safety testing procedures may be underestimating the amount of oxybenzone being absorbed into the skin considering heat and reapplication, such as someone sunbathing on the beach," author Paige Zambrana, a pharmacy graduate student at the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>, said in a press release. "Although sunscreens are intended for the entire body under higher temperatures with reapplication every 80 minutes, safety testing for setting UV filter limits only require single dose testing under baseline skin temperature of 32 degrees Celsius."

Tests performed by the researchers found that oxybenzone could permeate human skin. The sunscreen ingredient seemed to absorb more when applied as a lotion than as a spray. 

Adding heat caused the oxybenzone to permeate skin even more. With 24 hours of heat exposure and reapplications at 80 and 160 minutes, oxybenzone permeation increased 2.1-fold compared to a single application. 

Reapplying lotion significantly increased permeation of the sunscreen ingredient compared to reapplying spray-on sunscreen.

"Although sunscreen use is important and generally safe, our work suggests that some additional preclinical and clinical safety testing parameters should be considered before maximum UV filter levels are established," principal investigator Dr. Audra Stinchcomb said. "Also, given oxybenzone's potential environmental hazards and recently being banned in Hawaii, we are focused on how different factors affect people to provide accurate predictions of total oxybenzone absorption."

The researchers will continue to test both oxybenzone and sprays and lotions currently on the market that contain the sunscreen ingredient.

Their research was presented on Nov. 7 at the <a href="https://www.aaps.org/pharmsci/annual-meeting">2018 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists PharmSci 360 Meeting</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Study finds sunscreen ingredient soaks into human skin

Environmentalists have already called into question the safety of the...

After decades of poaching, northern white rhinos are on the brink of extinction. When the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-white-rhino-died/">last male of the species</a> died earlier this year, it seemed like a death knell. Only two females remain.

An ambitious new idea may save them.

While studying genetic samples from 232 rhinos, researchers at <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a> and the <a href="http://www.univen.ac.za/">University of Venda</a> found that populations of northern and southern white rhinos have interbred as recently as 14,000 years ago. Previously, biologists thought the two species – which split more than 1 million years ago – could not breed.

“We've been able to establish that there was contact between northern and southern rhino populations throughout history,” Dr. Isa-Rita Russo of Cardiff University told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “This is an exciting find – genetic proof of contact between the populations suggests it may be possible to successfully rescue the northern white rhinoceros.”

In the wake of the discovery, the scientists are looking into creating embryos using both northern and southern white rhino DNA for in vitro fertilization.

Because the only two surviving northern white rhinos are not likely to live long enough to see the technique perfected, the embryos would be implanted in southern white rhino females.

Both northern and southern populations of the white rhinoceros have seen historical declines. However, the southern species is now the largest rhinoceros population on Earth; numbers of northern white rhinos have declined rapidly since the 1970s.

“It appears that the white rhinoceros is no stranger to low genetic diversity,” Dr. Yeshan Moodley of the University of Venda said. “Our results show that the species was subjected to several climatically and anthropogenically driven population declines, which would have reduced and compressed genetic diversity in the past.”

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/285/1890/20181567">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>. Scientists are seeking donations through <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/makearhino">GoFundMe</a> to help support their research into white rhinos and IVF.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Scientists have new plan to save northern white rhinos

After decades of poaching, northern white rhinos are on the...

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become hot topics in fields ranging from car manufacturing to fighting wildfires. That has some scientists wondering: could AI doctors take the place of human ones?

Many hospitals are already using clinical support software that analyzes patient data, and robot-assisted surgery has become common.

Now, Dr. Jörg Goldhahn, deputy head of the <a href="http://www.itm.ethz.ch/">Institute for Translational Medicine at ETH Zurich</a>, is making the argument for AI doctors. Artificial intelligence technology has the potential to make more accurate diagnoses, he said in a debate published in the peer-reviewed journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k4563">BMJ</a>.

This is mainly because new breakthroughs are coming at a rapid pace at the same time that apps and personal technology like smartwatches makes it easy for machines to track human health.

"The notion that today's physicians could approximate this knowledge by keeping abreast of current medical research while maintaining close contacts with their patients is an illusion not least because of the sheer volume of data," Goldhahn said.

AI doctors could potentially keep up with new advances and monitor minute-to-minute personal health data in ways human doctors cannot, he said.

Human doctors also have personal biases that can sometimes blind them, he noted. AI doctors wouldn’t have that problem.

And while many cite human doctors’ rapport with their patients as a reason to avoid making medicine too robotic, that may be a hindrance in some cases, Goldhahn said. For example, those seeking treatment for an embarrassing condition may be more willing to see a robo-doctor than a human one. So might young people or patients who have a minor complaint and want to be in and out quickly.

"Introducing AI-driven systems could be cheaper than hiring and training new staff,” Goldhahn wrote. "They are also universally available, and can even monitor patients remotely. Doctors as we now know them will become obsolete eventually."

Human doctors will never be entirely replaceable, his colleagues Dr. Vanessa Rampton at the <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/ihsp/">McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy</a> in Montréal and Dr. Giatgen Spinas at <a href="http://www.en.usz.ch/Pages/default.aspx">University Hospital Zürich</a> argue.

Machines may be able to take on tasks like diagnosis, but human doctors will still be needed to determine treatment plans that take into account the patient as a whole person, they said. They will also be needed for more complex cases where patients have symptoms with no obvious cause.

"Computers aren't able to care for patients in the sense of showing devotion or concern for the other as a person, because they are not people and do not care about anything,” Rampton and Spinas wrote. “Sophisticated robots might show empathy as a matter of form, just as humans might behave nicely in social situations yet remain emotionally disengaged because they are only performing a social role."

For patients with incurable conditions, whether a chronic autoimmune disease or terminal cancer, will need the support of a human doctor, they said. It’s a role AI doctors simply can’t fill.

"Ultimately, no one wants to be told he or she is dying by an entity that can have no understanding of what that means. We see AI as the servant rather than the director of our medical care," they said.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Could AI doctors make humans in medicine obsolete?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become hot topics in...

Of the many methods developed to slow down <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bitcoin-growth-global-warming/">global warming</a>, some scientists believe that “cloud thinning” may actually show some promise. The strategy would be used to shoot powder over cirrus clouds, which would thin out their coverage and alter their radiative effects over Earth.

While this would have some impact on rainfall, the effects would be less significant compared to other plans of cooling the planet, according to the experts. 

Many of the proposed geoengineering techniques come with dangerous consequences, such as changes in precipitation that could trigger major droughts across some regions. Scientists have analyzed the geoengineering options that are currently available, and have determined that cloud thinning may be one of our best bets. 

The study authors believe that cloud thinning would cool the planet without triggering significant precipitation changes. The researchers, who are based at <a href="https://www.zju.edu.cn/english/">Zhejiang University</a> in China, said that by reducing the coverage of wispy, high-altitude cirrus clouds, it could be possible to reduce global warming.

“Broadly speaking, I think cirrus cloud thinning, if it works in reality, would be preferable to stratospheric aerosol injections,” study co-author Long Cao told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. “It seems the known side-effects of cirrus cloud thinning are less than stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening.”

The team is also exploring the concept of injecting aerosols into the stratosphere to “deflect more sunlight back to space,” as well as the option of seeding marine stratocumulus clouds in a strategy known as “cloud brightening’ that causes clouds to reflect more sunlight. 

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21698996">Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres</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>

Could cloud thinning actually help mitigate global warming?

Of the many methods developed to slow down global warming, some...

Farmers place a great deal of faith in mother nature when it comes to their crops, especially during the winter months when plants go dormant until warmer weather spurs growing and fruiting.

Take an apple orchard for example. Upon sensing a change in the weather, apple trees will start to shed their leaves in preparation for hibernation.

Over the winter, the trees lie dormant, sensing the weather and how much time has passed until the plant begins to speed up its metabolic process. Eventually, the tree will bear flowers and later apples, ripe for the picking. 

It is crucial for farmers to time the planting, dormancy, budding, and flowering of crops like grapes, peaches, and apples to ensure as big a yield.

However, some regions have more mild winters, and so the plants are not able to hibernate as efficiently and ass a result their growth period is out of sync.  This is not only costly for farmers, but it also makes pest control and harvests a challenge. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.jazanu.edu.sa/sites/en/Pages/Default.aspx">Jazan University</a> of Saudi Arabia developed a method to help influence synchronized plant growth by using plasma to manipulate and boost metabolic activity.

The method, if tested properly, could control crop dormancy, increase the cultivation of plants in temperate climates, and make plants more resistant to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crops-adapt-climate-change/">climate change</a>. 

Plasma is a special kind of ionized gas, and it’s used for a wide range of applications including sterilizing medical implants. The researchers were curious if grape vines could be forced out of dormancy using plasmas. 

After successful tests in a lab setting, the researchers found that plasma causes the same oxidative stress that plants experience as they come out hibernation. 

“Some of the results from our first successful experiment were phenomenal, and we could not believe it was true,” said Zaka-ul-Islam Mujahid, a plasma physicist who worked on the study. 

Just a few minutes of plasma exposure and the buds were responding even better than plants in optimal cold conditions. 

The plasma worked well on different varieties of grapes, and the researchers say that plasma could be a greener and more effective replacement for hydrogen cyanamide and other chemical treatments sprayed on trees to trigger dormancy. 

These chemicals are often toxic and harmful to the plants themselves, which is why it's essential to find alternative solutions for synchronistic growing in temperate climates. 

The researchers say that further testing is needed in a field setting in order to assess the viability of plasma fully. 

“There is still a lot of work to test the effectiveness and feasibility,” said Mujahid. “We are in the process of figuring out the proper parameters to take it to the field, but it could be in use within just a few years.” 

Mujahid and his colleagues will present their work on plasma and plants at the <a href="http://apsgec.org/gec2018/">American Physical Society 71st Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference</a> this week in Portland, Oregon. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: USDAgov via Wikimedia Commons

Using plasma to rouse plants out of hibernation

Farmers place a great deal of faith in mother nature...

In 1949, Danish archeologists excavated the Trail Creek Caves site on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. The artifacts uncovered during that first dig have been lying in storage in Denmark for the past 70 years until researchers from the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/">University of Alaska-Fairbanks</a> pulled the collection out of storage for analysis. 

Among the artifacts was a 9,000-year-old tooth that belonged to a child who was one and a half years of age. 

Further investigation of the tooth and the other artifacts led to new discoveries about Alaska’s earliest inhabitants and their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-human-migration-widespread/">trek across the ancient Bering land bridge</a> that once connected Asia and Alaska. 

A study, detailing the tooth and the genetic analysis of 15 bone samples across North and South America, was published in the journal Science. 

The tooth itself is a goldmine for researchers because it is the third known remnant of the ancient Beringians, an early population of migrants that spread throughout Alaska for thousands of years. 

The researchers also analyzed data from an archeological site in Alaska’s Interior where the first traces of Beringian populations were discovered in 2013.  

Not only were the Beringian populations abundant throughout Alaska, but the researchers also found that the group thrived in Alaska for one thousand years. 

The tooth itself has revealed surprising information about what the Beringian baby ate. 

“This one small tooth is a treasure trove of information about Alaska's early populations, not only their genetic affinities but also their movements, interactions with other people and diet," said Jeff Rasic, an author of the study. 

The researchers analyzed chemical signatures in the tooth and discovered that the child ate only plants and animals found on land. 

This is surprising when you consider how abundant fish and marine wildlife would have been along the Seward Peninsula at that time. 

The researchers also discovered that the tooth belonged to a family who had permanently settled in the Trail Creek Caves and did not come from another part of Alaska. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: NPS photo by Jeff Rasic

What one tooth can teach us about Alaska’s first inhabitants

In 1949, Danish archeologists excavated the Trail Creek Caves site...

Engineers at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)</a> have created a see-through film that could change the way buildings are cooled. The film reportedly acts as an “autonomous system” that rejects 70% of the sun’s incoming heat, and if placed on exterior building windows, it could ultimately lower a building’s energy costs by an estimated 10%.

Similar in appearance to plastic wrap, the heat-rejecting film contains microparticles made from a phase-changing material that shrinks when exposed to temperatures of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. When these microparticles shrink to reflect heat, they create a fogged glass-like effect on the film, thus still allowing light into the building while keeping the interior cool.

Nicholas Fang, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, said that this new technology may be a less-costly and more-effective alternative to smart windows. 

“Smart windows on the market currently are either not very efficient in rejecting heat from the sun, or, like some electrochromic windows, they may need more power to drive them, so you would be paying to basically turn windows opaque," Fang explained. "We thought there might be room for new optical materials and coatings, to provide better smart window options.”

Fang worked with other engineers and scientists at the <a href="https://www.hku.hk/">University of Hong Kong</a> to create this new material. Their aim was to find a new way to cool buildings in Hong Kong during the stifling summer months while recognizing the city’s goal to reduce <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-energy-create-jobs-coal/">energy</a> usage by 40% by 2025.

[caption id="attachment_1861730" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/185130.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861730" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/185130-769x1024.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="932" /></a> Image Credit: MIT[/caption]

“It turns out that for every square meter, about 500 watts of energy in the form of heat are brought in by sunlight through a window," Fang said. "That's equivalent to about five light bulbs."

Fang, with experience working with phase-changing materials, experimented and settled on a material containing poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-2-Aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride microparticles, which expand and shrink in response to light and heat.

Experimentation showed that using the film on windows could keep a room almost 10 degrees cooler. Fang and his colleagues plan on continuing their work to see if they can improve their film to be even more effective in shielding heat.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: MIT

New heat-rejecting film could reduce energy costs

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created...

Stitched Panorama

When researchers work to piece together the origin stories of our ancient human ancestors, they can only go so far with the remains and artifacts that have been excavated from archeological sites. It is nearly impossible to decipher how and when specific regions of the globe were populated without a genome to map. 

This was one of the challenges in piecing together the genetic exchanges and population shifts that occurred in Central and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/endangered-south-american-forests/">South America</a> thousands of years ago because, until recently, the earliest genomes from that region only dated back less than 1,000 years. 

An international team of researchers came across a gold mine of genome data from Central and South America, and their findings have uncovered surprising insights about the Clovis culture and the shifts of human populations. 

The study, published in the journal Cell, sheds light on two unknown genetic exchanges that occurred between ancient humans in North and South America. 

First, the researchers were allowed to excavate and analyze ancient human remains in Central and South America and working with both the government and indigenous communities the researchers were able to map the genomes of 49 individuals. Some of the individuals examined in the study dated back 11,000 years. 

After comparing the ancient genomes to modern genomes from other parts of the Americas and the world, the researchers gained new information about the earlier history of South America. 

First, the researchers discovered that there were links to Clovis culture people in Chile, Brazil and Belize from 11,000 to 9,000 years ago. 

Clovis culture was the first widespread archeological culture of North America, but this study shows that its influence reached further South than previously thought. 

“A key discovery was that a Clovis culture-associated individual from North America dating to around 12,800 years ago shares distinctive ancestry with the oldest Chilean, Brazilian and Belizean individuals,” said Cosimo Posth, a co-lead author of the study. “This supports the hypothesis that the expansion of people who spread the Clovis culture in North America also reached Central and South America.” 

Over time the Clovis culture DNA was phased out because it’s missing in present-day South Americans, which means that there was a significant shift in population replacement that began around 9,000 years ago. 

Modern South Americans share more in common genetically with the individuals who date back less than 9,000 years. 

The researchers also found links between ancient humans from the Channel Islands and the people from the Peruvian Andes. 

“It could be that this ancestry arrived in South America thousands of years before and we simply don't have earlier individuals showing it,” said Nathan Nakatsuka, a co-lead author of the study. “There is archaeological evidence that the population in the Central Andes area greatly expanded after around 5,000 years ago. Spreads of particular subgroups during these events may be why we detect this ancestry afterward.”

The researchers note that there is still much to be learned from the early humans of the Americas and future studies could reveal insights about the earliest migrations of people into Central and South America. 

“We are excited about the potential of research in this area,” said Johannes Krause, a co-senior author of the study. “With future regionally-focused studies with large sample sizes, we could realize the potential of ancient DNA to reveal how the human diversity of this region came to be the way it is today.”

The collaborative team of researchers was led by <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a> and included the <a href="https://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a>, the <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a>, the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California, Santa Cruz</a>, <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>, the <a href="http://www.unm.edu/">University of New Mexico</a>, and the <a href="https://www5.usp.br/">University of São Paulo</a>.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: André Strauss

Ancient genomes shed light on early life in Central, South America

When researchers work to piece together the origin stories of...

A new study focused on fruit flies has identified cells that are important for sleep regulation. The researchers have found evidence that glial cells, which were previously thought to simply support neurons in the brain, actually play an important role in managing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/switch-turns-brain-off-sleep/">sleep</a>. 

Experts at <a href="https://www.fau.edu/">Florida Atlantic University</a> (FAU) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGill_University">McGill University</a> in Quebec have found that glia possess the ability to manage taurine, a common ingredient found in many energy drinks such as Red Bull. 

“About 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, and we believe that raising awareness of the importance of understanding fundamental mechanisms of sleep is an important issue globally,” said Dr. Alex C. Keene.

Fruit flies serve as a great model because they share 75 percent of the genes that cause disease in humans, and display all of the same behavioral and physiological characteristics of sleep. 

For the investigation, the researchers set out to identify new genes affecting sleep and wakefulness in fruit flies. This led to the discovery of a gene that encodes the membrane transport protein known as excitatory amino acid transporter 2, or Eaat2.

The team determined that Eaat2 promotes wakefulness in fruit flies by limiting the duration and intensity of sleep, and it does so by controlling the movement of taurine into glial cells of the fruit fly’s brain. 

In sleep-deprived humans, taurine is consistently elevated in blood and urine, but whether taurine levels also change in the brain as a result of sleep deprivation is not yet known.

Fruit flies are also like humans in that they are active during the day and sleep at night. The researchers established that the disruption of Eaat2 in fruit flies caused notable daytime sleepiness.

“Daytime sleep is more fragmented than nighttime sleep, and disrupting Eaat2 function led to daytime sleep that mimics sleep typically observed only during the night,” said study co-lead author Dr. Bethany A. Stahl. 

The researchers also found that Eaat2 works in specific glial cells of the fly brain, rather than in neurons.

“Our research adds wakefulness to the growing list of fruit fly behaviors where glial cells play an important regulatory role, which includes circadian rhythms, movement, courtship, learning and memory,” said co-lead author Dr. Emilie Peco. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>. 

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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

Scientists identify cells involved in sleepiness and wakefulness

A new study focused on fruit flies has identified cells...

In an unprecedented study, researchers at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> have shown that heat from the sun and coldness from outer space can be collected at the same time with a single device. The findings suggest that systems for harvesting solar and space <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/solar-energy-use-cost/">energy</a> can actually help each other function more efficiently.

While solar energy is the most popular form of renewable energy for generating heat, outer space can serve as a renewable source to absorb radiation and generate cold. 

“It is widely recognized that the sun is a perfect heat source nature offers human beings on Earth,” said study first author Zhen Chen, who is a professor at the Southeast University of China. “It is less widely recognized that nature also offers human beings outer space as a perfect heat sink.”

Professor Chen’s team developed a device combining radiative cooling with solar absorption technology. The device was constructed with a germanium solar absorber on top of a radiative cooler with silicon nitride, silicon, and aluminum layers enclosed in a vacuum. 

The experts demonstrated that the device can produce 24 degrees Celsius in solar heating alongside 29 degrees Celsius in radiative cooling. The solar absorber was found to improve the radiative cooler's performance by blocking heat from the sun.

“On a rooftop, we imagine a photovoltaic cell can supply electricity while the radiative cooler can cool down the house on hot summer days,” said Professor Chen.

According to Professor Chen, there is still a lot of research needed before this promising technology can be scaled up for commercial use. Regardless, the research demonstrates that renewable energy has even more rooftop potential than previously realized.

“I think this technology could potentially revolutionize the current solar cell technology,” said Professor Chen. “If our concept is demonstrated and scaled up, the future solar cell will have two functions in one: electricity and cooling.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</a>. 

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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 

Image Credit: Linda Cicero, Stanford News

New solar technology can simultaneously heat and cool the air

In an unprecedented study, researchers at Stanford University have shown...

From March 2009 to November 2013, the Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission spent over four years measuring the pull of Earth’s gravity. GOCE flew closer to the planet than typical observation satellites so that it could collect the most accurate measurements possible. 

Five years after the mission, data from GOCE is still providing scientists with remarkable new insights. Most recently, researchers at <a href="https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/?no_cache=1">Kiel University</a> and the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Atlantic Survey</a> are describing the remains of lost continents hidden deep under the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-melting/">Antarctic ice sheet</a>.

The GOCE mission not only produced a high-fidelity global gravity map known as a “geoid,” but also charted localized gravity gradients across all directions of motion. The research team converted this collection of 3D gravity measurements into “shape indexes” across different regions of the planet. 

Study lead author Professor Jörg Ebbing explained, “The satellite gravity data can be combined with seismological data to produce more consistent images of the crust and upper mantle in 3D, which is crucial to understand how plate tectonics and deep mantle dynamics interact.”

The data offers a new look at the structure of all of Earth's continents, but is particularly insightful when it comes to Antarctica. Across 98 percent of its surface, this illusive continent is covered by ice with an average thickness of 1.24 miles, which makes it very challenging to study. 

“These gravity images are revolutionizing our ability to study the least understood continent on Earth, Antarctica,” said study co-author Fausto Ferraccioli. “In East Antarctica we see an exciting mosaic of geological features that reveal fundamental similarities and differences between the crust beneath Antarctica and other continents it was joined to until 160 million years ago.”


The 3D images showed that West Antarctica has a thinner crust and lithosphere compared to East Antarctica, which is made up of a mosaic of old cratons separated by younger orogens. The findings could help to predict how quickly certain regions may rebound in response to melting ice, and may inform experts on how Antarctica’s continental structure impacts the behavior of ice sheets. 

“It is exciting to see that direct use of the gravity gradients, which were measured for the first time ever with GOCE, leads to a fresh independent look inside Earth - even below a thick sheet of ice,” said GOCE mission scientist Roger Haagmans. “It also provides context of how continents were possibly connected in the past before they drifted apart owing to plate motion.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

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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 

Image Credit: Kiel University/BAS

The remains of ancient continents are revealed using gravity maps

From March 2009 to November 2013, the Gravity field and...

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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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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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



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.

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

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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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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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