Researchers used a custom-made filter to find 22 early galaxies and confirmed the age of one at 787 million years post-Big Bang. The findings suggest that reionization likely began during this era, with star-formation rates significantly lower than expected.
Researchers found ultra-primitive material with higher abundances of presolar grains, indicating a diverse processing of materials in different comets. This discovery allows for comparison of cosmic processes on a microscopic scale four-and-a-half billion years ago.
Scientists at Carnegie Institution found a way to monitor fault strength deep in the Earth using highly sensitive seismometers. This method detects subtle changes in earthquake waves indicating weakening of the fault and corresponding periods of increased small earthquakes.
Scientists have identified a complete signaling pathway for plant brassinosteroid hormones, a discovery that could lead to genetic engineering of crops with higher yields and improve understanding of human diseases like cancer and diabetes. The study shares similarities with animal steroids, but functions differently at the cellular le...
Researchers at Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology have cloned genes for membrane proteins that regulate nutrient and water fluxes in cells. The donated clones will help unravel the interaction of these proteins across species, with potential applications in understanding kidney diseases and engineering better crops.
Researchers found ethane and heavier hydrocarbons can be synthesized in the deep Earth, suggesting a new possible source of oil and gas. The discovery suggests that saturated hydrocarbons exist deeper in the Earth without requiring organic matter.
Researchers found that plants played a critical role in maintaining stable carbon dioxide levels during the last ice age, preventing runaway 'icehouse' conditions. The team's discovery highlights the importance of plant buffering agents in controlling atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
Scientists found that adult muscle stem cells can regenerate muscles after injury without the two key embryonic muscle cell genes Pax3 and Pax7. This discovery challenges current research on muscular dystrophy and regenerative medicine, suggesting that age-matched stem cells may be more effective for therapy.
The updated TAIR9 genome release includes detailed information on all 33,518 genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, including 114 newly discovered genes and 168 new pseudogenes. The new features promise to accelerate research on designing new crops for food, biofuels, industrial materials, and medicines.
A new study found that geoengineering solutions to counter global warming would have a minimal impact on ocean acidification, which threatens coral reefs and marine life. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is considered a more effective safeguard against climate change.
A new study identifies New York and eastern U.S. cities as prime locations for exploiting high-altitude winds, which contain enough energy to meet world demand 100 times over. The regions match population centers and have high wind power densities, but fluctuating wind strength poses a challenge for large-scale exploitation.
The Carnegie Institution's CASE and Math for America (MfA) partnership aims to recruit, train, and retain effective secondary school mathematics teachers in Washington, D.C. The program has received a $1.5-million NSF grant to support 14 Fellows over the next four years.
A study published in Nature Cell Biology has shed light on the protein network that provides scaffolding for cell-wall structure and delivers growth-promoting molecules. The research discovered a novel mechanism by which microtubules guide cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
Researchers found that typhoons trigger slow earthquakes in eastern Taiwan, with 11 events occurring within a five-year study period. The slow quakes are characterized by non-violent fault slippage events that release energy hours or days after the typhoon passes.
Researchers found that bioelectricity produces 80% more transportation miles and double greenhouse gas offsets than ethanol, making it a more efficient alternative. The study also found that bioelectricity can help mitigate climate change by preventing or offsetting up to 10 tons of CO2 per acre
Researchers found a layer on top of subducted plates where S-waves are 30-50% slower than typical oceanic crust, indicating high water saturation levels. This ultra-slow-velocity layer is linked to slow earthquakes and non-volcanic tremors, providing clues about their causes.
Researchers have discovered a mysterious giant space blob, Himiko, that existed 800 million years ago, stretching 55 thousand light years across and raising questions about its physical origins.
Researchers found a drop in dissolved nickel in seawater around 2.7 billion years ago, which could have led to the Great Oxidation Event. This event increased oxygen levels dramatically, changing the Earth's surface environment and making advanced life possible.
Researchers calibrated laboratory analyses of a meteorite with telescopic observations of its precursor asteroid, providing new insights into asteroid compositions and origins. The study identified the asteroid as a ureilite, potentially originating from the same parent body.
Scientists have discovered a new fermentation pathway in algae that may lead to increased hydrogen production. This breakthrough could potentially provide a clean and sustainable energy source to replace fossil fuels.
The study suggests that humans were experimenting with agriculture by cultivating local grains, rather than adopting from southern rice-farming areas. The findings provide insight into the origins of agriculture in northern China.
Scientists discover that cerium and aluminum can form a previously impossible alloy under extreme pressure, creating new material properties. The delocalized electrons cause the atoms to collapse in volume, allowing them to nestle together and form an alloy.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide could lead to coral reef dissolution as acidification and rising temperatures threaten global coral health. Research models predict that if CO2 levels double, most coral reefs will experience significant calcification rate reductions.
A new study uses airborne technology to analyze the impact of large herbivores on African savannas, finding that their presence leads to less plant growth and more bare ground. The research also reveals structural differences in vegetation between herbivore-free and grazing areas.
Astronomers have discovered star birth within a cloud of primordial gas, known as the Leo Ring, which lacks dark matter and heavy elements. This finding suggests that new galaxies may have formed through a distinct process, potentially providing insight into the early Universe.
The IPCC Fifth Assessment will incorporate new studies predicting more severe changes than previous assessments. Tropical forests could become carbon sources due to wildfires and warming temperatures.
Researchers have found hundreds of new planets beyond our solar system, with evidence for all three classes of planets detected in extra-solar systems. Carnegie Institution scientists predict that many planets will be habitable, potentially inhabited by life.
Richard A. Meserve, Carnegie Institution president, receives the AAAS Philip Hauge Abelson Award for advancing public interest and exceptional scientific contributions. The award recognizes his dedication to international science advancement.
Researchers have identified two proteins, dynein and Nudel, as crucial for regulating the assembly of the spindle matrix during mitosis. This finding broadens our understanding of how cells control critical events during division. Understanding spindle assembly is essential to comprehend cell fate choices and development.
Scientists at Carnegie Institution create novel 'compound' from pure boron, exhibiting low mass, high strength, and response to neutron irradiation. The discovery builds on previous superconductivity findings in boron and paves the way for understanding its transition to superconductivity under pressure.
Scientists have observed a spectacular heating of the planet HD8606b, where global warming reached 1,500 degrees Kelvin in just six hours. The planet's extremely eccentric orbit and proximity to its star led to this extreme temperature increase, providing valuable insights into its atmospheric properties.
Two independent groups successfully detected the thermal emissions of exoplanets OGLE-TR-56b and TrES-3b using ground-based telescopes. The detections are significant because they will continue to study hot Jupiters beyond the capabilities of the soon-to-be-retired Spitzer telescope.
Scientists estimate that roughly 1.4% of tropical humid forests were deforested between 2000 and 2005, with more than half containing 50% or less tree cover. New remote-sensing technologies are required to monitor the changes caused by selective logging and forest regeneration.
Two newly discovered meteorites from Antarctica have feldspar-rich rock called andesite, similar to those found on Earth. The rocks' age and chemical signature suggest they formed on an undifferentiated asteroid with a diameter over 100 kilometers, providing insights into the early stages of planetary formation.
A new approach, High-fidelity Imaging Spectroscopy (HiFIS), can determine the chemical and structural properties of rain forests in unprecedented detail over broad swaths. The technology has received a $5.2-million grant to advance its development, enabling detailed chemical mapping of species.
A key gene has been identified as a factor in maintaining the potency of various stem cells, preventing them from differentiating into specialized cell types. The scrawny gene modifies chromosomal proteins to silence genes that would cause differentiation, ensuring stem cells remain undifferentiated.
The Carnegie Hubble Program aims to decrease the uncertainty of the Hubble constant from 10% to 3% by refining distances to galaxies using Cepheid variable stars and Spitzer telescope observations. The team will observe 700 hours of nearby galaxies, correcting for lingering uncertainties and systematic errors.
The Carnegie Institution has been awarded a $9,400 grant to preserve and enhance access to a collection of historic photographs spanning five decades from 1904 to the 1950s. The collection includes thousands of images important to the history of geophysics, atomic physics, and astronomy.
Christopher B. Field, director of Carnegie's Department of Global Ecology, and Douglas E. Koshland, staff scientist at the Department of Embryology, have been elected as AAAS Fellows. They received this honor for advancing science or its applications through their work on global ecology and cell biology.
Researchers have discovered that climate change affects the ocean's chemical makeup, altering calcium levels and potentially impacting marine life. The study found that the ocean's chemistry can change rapidly in response to climate changes, highlighting the need for further research on the impacts of ocean acidification.
The Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology has received a $1.6-million grant to improve and expand CLASLite, a user-friendly method for mapping tropical forests from desktops. The technology will help rainforest nations monitor their changing carbon budgets and advance deforestation and degradation mapping in Latin America.
Scientists found that up to two thirds of minerals are biologically mediated, driven by oxygen-rich atmosphere and life's presence. Plate tectonics boosted mineral diversity, creating new environments for mineral formation.
Researchers have made a breakthrough in understanding how plants absorb and release carbon dioxide, a vital step in understanding the impact of climate change. By measuring carbonyl sulfide, a compound consumed by plants during photosynthesis, scientists can now quantify gas flow into plants.
Scientists at Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory found that highly oxidized iron in mantle minerals is crucial for heat transfer in the lower mantle. The discovery challenges current models of mantle dynamics and has significant implications for understanding material movement throughout the planet.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution develop new technique to improve diamond properties, producing single-crystal diamonds with controlled compositions and few defects. The method, called chemical vapor deposition, allows for rapid growth of diamonds at low pressure, enhancing optical clarity.
Classic experiments from 1953 may have simulated steam from volcanic eruptions, producing varied mixtures of organic compounds. This discovery points to the possible contribution of volcanism to life's beginning on Earth.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution resolve solar system formation with detailed model of supernova triggering collapse. The 'Little Bang' theory suggests a supernova shock wave triggered the Sun and planets.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution have discovered Canadian bedrock over four billion years old, making it 250 million years more ancient than previously discovered rocks. The findings provide crucial clues to the earliest stages of our planet's evolution and chemical composition similar to volcanic rocks in geologic settings.
Ocean acidification could devastate coral reefs even if atmospheric carbon dioxide stabilizes at 450 ppm. Computer simulations suggest that only a small fraction of existing coral reefs would remain in waters with the kind of chemistry that has sustained them in the past.
Scientists at Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory study nitrogen under extreme conditions, discovering changes in its melting temperature and structure. These findings could lead to the development of new high-energy fuels with potentially higher energy content than existing materials.