Imagine a tiny, invisible war happening right in your garden. Crucifer crops, like cabbage and broccoli, are under constant attack from a sneaky bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, or Xcc for short. This nasty little bug causes black rot, a disease that can wipe out entire crops.
Imagine trying to find out if water is safe to drink or if soil is contaminated. Scientists have been using special tests for a long time. These tests look for certain enzymes, like β-D-glucuronidase, which are often found in harmful bacteria. The usual methods involve watching these enzymes break d
Plants are strong, they have to be to deal with bugs and weather. They have a secret weapon called phenolic compounds, which act like natural armor. The amount of this armor can change based on where a plant lives. For example, a plant at the base of a mountain might make more phenolic compounds to
In the grand scheme of things, bacteria are tough. They can survive in places that would make most other organisms cringe. One such place is an old mine heap in Tarnowskie Góry, Poland. This isn't your average backyard. It's an extreme environment, and it's here that scientists found two new types o
Imagine a light that can see through things and is invisible to the human eye. That's what near-infrared (NIR) light can do. It's like a secret agent of the light world, sneaking through materials and doing its job without being noticed. This special light is made possible by something called NIR ph
In the depths of the Mediterranean Sea, a massive network of sensors, still under construction, has made an incredible discovery. This network, known as KM3NeT, has detected the most energetic cosmic "ghost particle" ever found. These particles, called neutrinos, are incredibly tiny and travel at ne
Imagine trying to find the perfect dye to make solar cells more efficient. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack, but with a lot more science involved. Researchers have found a clever way to speed up this process by combining quantum chemistry and machine learning. Instead of relying solely
Deep in the ocean, a tragic event unfolded. The Titan, a submersible on a mission to explore the Titanic wreckage, met a sudden and catastrophic end. On June 18, 2023, the vessel vanished without a trace. The five passengers aboard, including the submersible's founder and CEO, Stockton Rush, and not
People often think that discrimination happens because of group differences. But what if it's not that simple? What if it's more about how we see ourselves compared to others, even when there are no clear groups? Researchers wanted to find out if people treat others differently based on tiny, random
Porphyrins and polyoxometalates are two types of compounds that can work together to make a new kind of photocatalyst. This photocatalyst can be used to recover valuable metals like silver and platinum. The process uses visible light, which is a big advantage over traditional methods that rely on hi
