A conference of 800 environmental scientists explores whether terrestrial ecosystems can slow down climate change by absorbing CO2. Recent technological developments, such as Free Air CO2 Enrichment technology, improve our ability to study carbon storage at the ecosystem level.
The increasing demand for food is projected to lead to the conversion of natural ecosystems into intensive agricultural systems, resulting in substantial environmental degradation. The study highlights the need for strategies like GIS-based management to mitigate land use changes and preserve vegetation and soil health.
Scientists have successfully demonstrated a technique to observe the dynamics of electrons as they move across the boundaries where metals and non-metals meet. The experiment showed that electrons can become delocalized, free to roam, before becoming localized and trapped in the interface.
Researchers from Rockefeller University have developed a new method to fight cancer by using dendritic cells to activate T cells. This technique offers the promise of new therapies for cancer, AIDS, and autoimmune diseases, potentially overcoming the need for designer immunotherapy.
Researchers found that African Americans and Hispanics with the APOE-4 allele have a similar risk of Alzheimer's disease as whites, but those without the allele had significantly increased risks. The study suggests that there may be new genes or environmental factors involved in the disease.
The University of Colorado's Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) satellite is successfully returning science data, measuring nitric oxide in the upper atmosphere and X-rays from the sun. The NASA mission was controlled by students and faculty 24/7, marking the second university-led satellite to be operated.
Researchers are using sophisticated computer models to predict the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems facing unprecedented rates of climate change. Plant species may need to migrate at speeds up to 10 times faster than historically observed, but some terrains offer less suitable habitats for this adaptation.