Developing heart valves in zebrafish embryos may be vulnerable to environmental endocrine disruptors, which can mimic estrogen and lead to abnormalities. The study uses genetically modified zebrafish to detect and identify the mechanisms of action of these chemicals.
A team led by Yixian Zheng identified a protein that regulates interactions between kinetochores and microtubules, improving our understanding of chromosome alignment. The study suggests expanding the scope of research to include other cellular components for a deeper understanding of mitosis.
Researchers found that plain salt can transform into unexpected stable compounds with unusual chemical properties under high pressure. This discovery could help answer questions about early planet cores and create new materials with practical uses.
Astronomers have made precise measurements of a failed star system near the Sun, suggesting it harbors a third planetary-mass object. The system, Luhman 16AB, consists of two brown dwarfs with masses between 30 and 50 Jupiter masses.
Researchers have discovered that polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism plays a crucial role in embryonic development and tissue organization. The study found that ACSL4 enzyme activity regulates a specific protein in the Bmp signaling pathway, which is essential for proper embryo organization.
A new study from Carnegie Institution researchers used zebrafish to understand the circuitry underlying nicotine addiction. The research confirmed that a specific neural pathway in fish brains responds similarly to nicotine as it does in human brains.
A new analysis of Hadean mineralogy suggests that no more than 420 different minerals were present at or near Earth's surface during the first 550 million years after life emerged. These minerals formed from magma and alteration, excluding rare elements such as borate and molybdate minerals.
A new study published in PNAS found that total US methane emissions may be 50% higher than government estimates, with large discrepancies in the south-central region. The study's findings have implications for national and state greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
Researchers found that sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide releases from Siberian volcanoes could have created acidic rain, damaging plants and organisms. The study suggests that ozone depletion and temperature increases contributed to the end-Permian mass extinction on land.
A team of scientists discovered well-preserved remnants of a complex ecosystem in nearly 3.5 billion-year-old sedimentary rock sequence in Western Australia. Advanced chemical analyses point to a biological origin of the material, suggesting that complex mat-forming microbial communities likely existed almost 3.5 billion years ago.
Researchers discovered how plant cells orient microtubule arrays to bend towards a light source through the action of protein katanin. This process enables plants to grow in response to environmental cues, shedding light on fundamental mechanisms of cell architecture and growth.
A new study mapping gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon reveals a 400% increase in mining extent from 1999 to 2012 and tripled average annual rate of forest loss. The research used satellite monitoring and field surveys to detect small-scale mining operations, confirming up to 94% accuracy.
Researchers have linked a new stripped-envelope supernova, named iPTF13bvn, to its star of origin using novel astronomical survey software. The team also pinpointed the first afterglow of a gamma-ray burst that was found by the Fermi satellite.
A recent study published in Environmental Research Letters suggests that about half of global warming occurs within the first decade after an instantaneous step increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, while about one-quarter occurs more than a century later. The research brings together results from leading climate models, revealing...
Scientists have conducted high-pressure experiments to study methane's phases and reactivity under conditions found deep within planets. The findings suggest that methane is not a solid under any conditions met deep within most planets, contradicting previous assumptions.
New research from Carnegie Institution for Science reveals that coral bleaching occurs even when algae are heat-stressed in the dark, suggesting novel mechanisms beyond toxic oxygen molecules. The study provides key details on the breakdown of photosynthetic apparatus and potential strategies to mitigate bleaching.
Researchers discovered 10 specialized subregions within the midgut of fruit flies, each with unique stem cell functions. These regional differences may explain why some organs generate cancer frequently while others rarely. The study sheds light on the intricate relationships between tissue organization and stem cell function.
A team of astronomers has developed a new type of telescope camera that makes higher resolution images than ever before, capturing details as small as 0.02 arcseconds across. The new technology has enabled the observation of planetary formation processes and addressed longstanding questions about how planets form.
Researchers have successfully simulated pressure conditions in the deep lower mantle, measuring thermal conductivity and finding heat transfer to be lower than expected. The study estimates a total heat flow of 10.4 terawatts across the Earth, about 60% of human civilization's power usage.
Researchers from Carnegie Institution review climate models predicting significant warming over most terrestrial regions during the 21st century. The analysis highlights the need to consider uncertainties in greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on future climate change.
New calculations predict hydrogen takes on a series of structures under high pressure, forming transparent metal layers that make detection difficult. The findings suggest the line between metal and non-metal in hydrogen is blurrier than previously thought, requiring advanced experimental techniques to detect.
A new theoretical model suggests that an outburst event in the Sun's formative years could explain disparate evidence from comets and meteorites. The model also provides a possible explanation for the presence of heat-formed crystalline particles in comets and the ratios of aluminum isotopes found in primitive meteorites.
Researchers have developed a high-fidelity national carbon map of Panama using field data, satellite imagery, and LiDAR measurements. The maps provide unprecedented accuracy in estimating carbon stocks at the national level, with an uncertainty of around 10% per hectare.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that more than 80% of tropical forests in Malaysian Borneo have been heavily impacted by logging. Satellite imaging revealed approximately 226,000 miles of roads constructed throughout the forests of this region.
Lamins are essential proteins supporting the organization of stem cell niches, which regulate proliferation and differentiation of germline stem cells. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of diseases caused by lamin mutations and their impact on tissue degeneration.
Researchers have created a groundbreaking way to measure transporter proteins in living organisms, providing insights into metabolic networks and regulation. This breakthrough has major implications for plant biology and human health research, enabling monitoring of transporters like the Rhesus factor.
Scientists found superconductivity in carbon disulfide at -449°F, a highly disordered state that defies conventional understanding of superconductivity. The discovery could lead to new insights into the interplay between superconductivity, magnetism, and structural disorder.
A new study finds that all existing coral reefs will be engulfed in inhospitable ocean chemistry conditions if civilization continues on its current emissions trajectory. Deep cuts in emissions are necessary to sustain even a fraction of existing reefs.
Researchers have found evidence of an exoplanet forming at a distance of about 80 astronomical units (AU) from its star, TW Hydrae. The discovery is surprising as planets typically form closer to the central star.
Researchers use revolutionary techniques to observe hydrogen atoms in ice at unprecedented pressures, revealing two different mechanisms of dissociation. The findings could alter our understanding of energy science and have implications for studying planetary interiors.
New work from Carnegie scientists reveals the details of a surprising new form of solid hydrogen under high pressure and temperature conditions. The research found that hydrogen takes a form with two different types of molecules, one interacting weakly with neighbors and the other forming planar sheets.
Scientists found that the Moon's water originated from the Earth, suggesting the proto-Earth was already wet at the time of the Giant Impact. The study used hydrogen isotopes to determine the origin of water in the Moon and matched it with carbonaceous chondrites on Earth.
Researchers analyzed pre-eruption seismic activity before the 2009 Redoubt volcano eruption, which deviated from common patterns. Advanced analysis revealed a protracted period of slow magma ascent followed by rapidly increasing pressure, enabling improved forecasting techniques.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution find that adult mice ovaries lack germ-line stem cells for egg production, debunking previous claims of continuous follicle turnover and resupply by adult stem cells. The study uses lineage-tracing technique to show primordial follicles are highly stable, with no detectable stem cell activity.
Researchers have found that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. The sulfur isotopes in these rocks indicate a chemical interaction with UV radiation that stopped occurring after the Great Oxidation Event.
Researchers set lower limit for blazar's redshift, indicating distance of at least 7.4 billion light-years, challenging current models of blazar emission mechanisms and extragalactic background light propagation.
Two new super-Earths and a Mars-sized planet have been found in the habitable zone of Kepler-62, a star similar to our Sun. These planets are thought to be solid and rocky or rocky with frozen water, making them potentially hospitable to life.
Researchers have found that secretions from the reproductive tract contribute to both ovulation and sperm function, and that a specific hormone receptor gene controls this process. The study suggests that a similar mechanism may exist in mammals, providing new insights into the mechanisms of ovulation.
Researchers developed a technique to measure the structure of gold nanocrystals under extremely high pressures, resolving distortion issues with X-ray beams. This breakthrough could lead to improvements in nanomaterials and a better understanding of planetary interiors.
Carnegie scientists found that plant communities are stronger predictors of ecosystem chemistry than environmental conditions. The study used a new airborne instrument to map multiple ecosystem chemicals and found that plant composition explains up to 61% of variation in plant chemical traits.
A research team led by Anna Michalak found that the 2011 record-breaking algal bloom in Lake Erie was triggered by long-term agricultural practices combined with extreme precipitation, weak lake circulation, and warm temperatures. The team predicts future mega-blooms unless scientifically guided management plans are implemented.
A new study reveals that male lions use dense savanna vegetation to hunt prey successfully, often ambushing them from behind vegetation. The findings suggest that changes to vegetation structure could impact the balance of predators and prey.
A team of Chilean researchers, with collaboration from Carnegie's Wolf Frommer, has devised a molecular sensor to detect lactate levels in individual cells in real-time. This breakthrough provides an unprecedented sensitivity and range of detection for non-invasively detecting cancer.
A team of astronomers has discovered two ancient, highly active galaxies in the early Universe, formed soon after the Big Bang. These galaxies are characterized by an unusually high rate of star formation and will help improve our understanding of star formation in the early Universe.
A team of scientists has found an extremely rare triple quasar system, which is believed to be the result of galaxies colliding. The system consists of three distinct sources of energy, with two members closer together than the third.
Researchers have measured the distance to our nearest neighbor galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, using rare eclipsing binaries. The new measurement refines an astronomical calculation that helps measure the expansion of the universe, decreasing uncertainty in the Hubble constant.
Theoretical models demonstrate that gas giant planets can survive periodic outbursts of mass transfer from the gas disk onto the young star. These models show that Jupiter and Saturn could have formed through this process, supporting the presence of 20% of sun-like stars with gas giants.
A team of scientists analyzed 442 molybdenite samples to find that rhenium concentrations increased significantly over the past three billion years, reflecting increasing oxygen levels in the environment. The findings support previous research on hydrothermal activity and supercontinent formation influencing mineral evolution.
A geoengineering coalition aims to reduce climate change by deflecting sun radiation, but new research suggests excluding non-participating countries may be counterproductive. Maintaining openness and inclusiveness in decision-making processes could be crucial for successful geoengineering efforts.
A recent study found that hotter temperatures triggered a widespread die-off of Colorado trembling aspen trees, with the drought from 2000-2003 exacerbating the damage. The researchers used oxygen isotope analysis to determine that summer temperatures were the key factor in drying out surface soil and stressing the trees' water-transpo...