Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have unveiled the core structure of cyanobacteria's light-harvesting antenna, revealing key features that collect energy and block excess light absorption. The study provides insights into future energy applications and helps explain how living organisms maximize photosynthetic efficiency.
The study uses a dynamic model to predict COVID-19 spread, incorporating infected but asymptomatic individuals and different sub-compartments. The optimal quarantine policy minimizes disease transmission and economic damage, with the sweet spot found between total lockdown and normal movement.
Cells use ribosomes as sensors to alert them about changes in their environment, triggering quality control responses to resolve collisions. When many ribosomes collide, cells shut down the entire translation system to prevent premature activation of the integrated stress response.
A new study analyzing federal data reveals COVID-19 is associated with an increased need for ventilators, longer hospital stays and nearly five times the risk of death than the flu. The research also found COVID-19 can damage other organs, increasing the risk of complications such as kidney and liver damage.
Researchers have developed a new computational method called Wasserstein-induced flux (WIF) to validate the accuracy of images in scientific research. WIF provides statistical confidence that specific data points in an image are accurate, enabling scientists to evaluate model performance and improve their models.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a protein footprinting method called Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Proteins (FPOP) to investigate protein structure and interactions. FPOP offers advantages such as fast labeling time, irreversible nature, high sensitivity, and broad amino acid residue coverage.
Research finds that higher Head Start enrollment mitigated poverty growth among families with young children during the Great Recession. States with higher levels of enrollment experienced less poverty growth and a faster, more stable economic recovery.
Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a brine electrolysis system that produces oxygen and hydrogen from salty water, potentially changing the game for Mars missions and resource utilization on Earth.
A new study found that wildfire disturbance increases the importance of flowering-plant species in determining pollinator composition, while also enhancing the value of pollinators in determining plant composition. The findings suggest that controlling wildfires is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Researchers have identified small-seeded native plants that may have fed as many Indigenous people as maize, thanks to the presence of bison. By following bison trails and paths in tallgrass prairies, scientists were able to harvest seeds from continuous stands of these crops, including little barley, sumpweed, and maygrass.
A study published in PNAS found that stronger initial memories are easier to update with new information, allowing for better comprehension and adaptation. Older adults showed poorer memory performance but more confidence in their recall, possibly due to relying on general, generic responses rather than specific situational features.
A new forecasting model developed by Washington University in St. Louis predicts COVID-19 cases will nearly double to 20 million by the end of January, with current levels at 11.4 million.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have created self-powered quantum sensors that can run for over a year with just a small initial energy input. The sensors use a fundamental law of physics to generate power, allowing them to measure ambient motion and other phenomena without batteries.
A new study from the Chakrabarty lab found a strong linear association between long-term PM2.5 exposure and R0, which denotes the expected number of people each sick person can infect. The researchers also discovered that secondary inorganic components in PM2.5 increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The discovery of a new fossil specimen at Drimolen cave system reveals subtle anatomical changes in Paranthropus robustus, challenging the long-held assumption that males were larger than females. The findings suggest that environmental conditions drove rapid evolutionary changes in the species.
Researchers found that culinary traditions, such as boiling or steaming grains, influenced the adoption of novel crops like wheat and barley in central China. The north-south dietary distinction emerged around 8,000 years ago, with millet being a staple grain in the north and rice and other foods in the south.
Washington University researchers found that hydrogen bonding functional groups on amines play a key role in controlling dicamba volatility. The team's study suggests that amines with more hydrogen bonding sites decrease dicamba's ability to become airborne, potentially leading to improved formulations and reduced crop damage.
A new method allows researchers to extract lead from point-of-use filters, providing a clearer picture of lead levels in tap water. The process takes less than an hour and can be repeated multiple times to provide accurate data on household water use.
Researchers found that all species of lizards in Miami can tolerate temperatures as low as 42°F, despite previous individual tolerances. This unexpected finding provides evidence that tropical creatures can sometimes endure conditions beyond their established limits.
Honey bees rely on chemical cues from shared gut microbial communities to recognize nestmates, rather than genetic relatedness. This study shows that a bee's particular cuticular hydrocarbon profile is dependent on its microbiome.
A new study finds that infectious diseases in livestock can lead to increased methane emissions, exacerbating climate change. Ruminant animals infected with intestinal worms or suffering from mastitis release up to 33% and 8% more methane per kilogram of feed or milk produced.
Research finds prenatal cannabis exposure associated with elevated psychopathology, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, attention problems, social issues, sleep disturbances, and lower cognitive performance in middle childhood. Exposure after maternal knowledge of pregnancy also linked to child outcomes.
A study by Washington University in St. Louis researchers found that consumers across the US and Europe prefer a constant-cost plan to fund climate action, reducing opposition compared to ramp-up approaches. The constant-cost plan also encourages energy reduction over time, even with high average household costs.
Researchers found that prior exposure to powdery mildew makes plants more susceptible to subsequent disease. In experiments and in the wild, early infection facilitated later infection, with some pathogen strains promoting infections from later-arriving strains. The findings highlight the importance of understanding interactions among ...
Researchers found that enstatite chondrite meteorites contain sufficient hydrogen to deliver at least three times the amount of water in the Earth's oceans and probably much more. These rare meteorites, composed of material from the inner solar system, are believed to be the building blocks of the planet.
Researchers have developed a new imaging technique called single-molecule orientation localization microscopy (SMOLM) that allows them to distinguish between different phases of lipid molecules in cell membranes. This technique uses fluorescent probes to directly 'see' the probe's orientation and determine its chemical composition.
Breastfeeding and human milk are critical to maternal and infant health outcomes during public health emergencies. Current COVID-19 recommendations contradict WHO guidance, disproportionately harming Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. Studies must be conducted with a racial equity lens to provide evidence-based guidance.
Researchers found that brood parasites living in variable habitats diversify their egg-laying choices among multiple host species, increasing reproductive success. This 'bet-hedging' strategy allows them to counter environmental threats and ensure survival over time.
Researchers successfully trained locusts to detect and differentiate various explosives using their olfactory system. The team also developed a way to read the brain activity of the locusts to pinpoint the direction of odor emission, paving the way for bomb-sniffing cyborg locusts.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a method to convert red bricks into energy storage units that can store electricity, which could be charged and used to power devices. The 'smart bricks' can store a substantial amount of energy and can be recharged hundreds of thousands of times within an hour.
An fMRI study found that older adults' brain activity while experiencing event boundaries is similar to younger adults', but with some differences. The study suggests that older adults may process events in different ways, focusing on broader contextual information rather than specific details.
Washington University researchers are developing a method to diagnose brain tumors without incisions, using ultrasonic energy to target tumors deep in the brain. The technique involves injecting microbubbles that rupture, releasing biomarkers from the tumor into the blood for testing with a blood draw, called a liquid biopsy.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis developed a new algorithm called Parallel Residual Projection (PRP) to solve linear inverse problems by breaking them down into smaller tasks that can be solved in parallel on standard computers.
A recent study from Washington University in St. Louis found that older male rhesus monkeys sire significantly fewer offspring than younger males, despite high social status and mating rates. The researchers suggest that age-related decline in sperm quality or quantity may be the primary factor behind this phenomenon.
A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis has determined for the first time how the process of wound healing begins, shedding light on fibrosis and cancer metastasis. They discovered a recursive process between fibroblasts and their environment, which can be controlled by manipulating cellular responses to drugs.
Physicians using a holographic display developed by WashU were more accurate in performing cardiac ablation procedures, resulting in fewer lesions outside the target area. The technology allows physicians to control the procedure with hand-free and sterile gestures.
A study from Washington University in St. Louis reveals that Indigenous people in Oconee Valley continued to live and resist European influence for nearly 150 years, reframing historical narratives of early colonial encounters. The research highlights the longevity and endurance of Indigenous Mississippian traditions.
Daydreaming can have significant upsides for creativity, particularly in professions where workers deeply care about their work. However, when professional identification is lacking, daydreaming compromises performance. The study's findings suggest that most businesses could benefit from removing the stigma around daydreaming at work.
Researchers developed a new method to detect and locate seizures in real-time using artificial intelligence and systems theory. By treating the brain as a network, they extracted meaningful data from electroencephalograph (EEG) signals, improving seizure detection accuracy.
The study reveals a significant drop in PM2.5 levels in China since 2011, while India is experiencing a plateau phase. The researchers' hybrid dataset shows that effective controls can be remarkably effective at reducing air pollution.
Engineers have developed high-power direct borohydride fuel cells that can power unmanned underwater vehicles and drones with significantly lower cost. The new fuel cells operate at double the voltage of conventional hydrogen fuel cells, allowing for a smaller and more efficient design.
A study found that brain pulses emerge after an immobilizing illness or injury, activating main motor circuits to reactivate upon mobility restoration. The discovery may lead to advancements in treating patients with broken limbs or stroke survivors.
New research from Washington University in St. Louis finds that electrostatic discharge during Martian dust storms generates highly reactive chlorine compounds, driving the surface-to-atmosphere cycle of chlorine. The ongoing chlorine cycle may impact the detection of biomarkers on Mars.
Plant cells use mechanosensitive ion channels to sense cell swelling and induce programmed cell death. This regulatory mechanism protects the plant from damage. The discovery provides insight into how plants respond to mechanical signals, such as cell swelling, rather than chemical signals.
Researchers found ancient stardust and water on asteroid Vesta, suggesting a possible mechanism for delivering water to young Earth. The study provides insights into the formation of our solar system and the origins of water in the inner solar system.
Using simulated silicon neurons, researchers found that energy constraints can lead to a dynamic, at-a-distance communication protocol more robust and energy-efficient than traditional computer processors. This protocol enables computing on a secondary network of spikes, allowing for efficient communication and processing.
Researchers found that aluminum can increase lead's solubility under certain conditions, leading to higher levels of lead in drinking water. This discovery was made by studying the interaction between aluminum and phosphate in a lab setting.
A new study reveals that hurricanes trigger evolutionary changes in island lizards, resulting in larger toepads in populations frequently affected by the storms. The research, spanning 12 island populations and 188 Anolis species, shows a significant correlation between hurricane frequency and toepad size.
Researchers studied Aegean wall lizards on predator-free islands and found they rapidly developed new chemical signals distinct from their source population. This change occurred after only four generations and offers a unique opportunity to understand animal communication.
A Washington University engineer has received a grant to develop a rapid and highly sensitive COVID-19 test using the new biolabeling technology called plasmonic-fluor. The test is expected to be 100 times more sensitive than traditional methods, allowing for earlier diagnosis and reducing false negatives.