The 2024 Prion Conference took place in Nanchang, China, from October 23 to 27. It was a big deal. Nearly 300 experts from 17 countries gathered to talk about the latest findings in prion research and related diseases. This was the first time the conference was held in a developing country. It a
The outer solar system has always been a mystery. It is full of icy objects and comets. The Oort Cloud is a region far beyond Pluto. It is filled with icy relics from the solar system's formation. Comets can hurtle toward Earth from the cloud, but scientists have never glimpsed its true shape.
Neutrophils are the body's first line of defense. They release something called neutrophil extracellular traps, or NETs, during inflammation. These NETs are like a web that catches and kills invaders. But this web has a twist. It's made of DNA, histones, and other proteins, including an enzyme calle
Tea lovers know that roasting transforms Shuixian tea. To understand the science behind it, researchers dug deep into the changes in aroma compounds during roasting. They used some fancy tools: gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and two-dimensional gas chromatography-olfactory-mas
Plants have a clever way of handling stress. When they face tough conditions, they kickstart a process that involves breaking down certain lipids in their cell membranes. This breakdown creates two key products: inositol phosphate, which is soluble, and diacylglycerol (DAG), which has a unique shape
In the world of soil science, there's a lot going on beneath our feet that we don't see. Soil organic carbon is a big deal, especially in tropical regions. The way we use the land can really shake things up in the soil. This is because the minerals and climate in these areas speed up the transformat
The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, might be more than just a fun fact. It could be a key player in how plants grow. Lots of research has hinted that this day might be a big signal for plants. It could kickstart major changes in how they function. But why? That's the big question. Scie
In the vast, dry landscapes of Western Australia, a monumental discovery has been made. Geologists have found an enormous iron deposit in the Hamersley region. This isn't just any deposit; it's the largest ever recorded, with about 55 billion metric tons of ore. The iron concentration here is incred
The future of our galaxy, the Milky Way, might not be as dramatic as once thought. The Milky Way and Andromeda are on a path to meet. This has been known for some time. However, scientists are now saying it is equally likely that they will miss each other. This is a significant change from prev
Chemical reactions are like recipes in a lab. Sometimes, they need a little extra something to work better. That is exactly what happened with phosphorus compounds. It turns out that adding catechol derivatives can make these compounds work much faster and more efficiently. This is big news for
