The tiny organisms known as plankton are masters of adaptation. They have developed clever ways to cope with the ever-changing conditions of the global oceans. While scientists have studied how microbes react to environmental shifts in labs, the real-life adaptations of plankton's lipidomes in the wild are less clear. A recent study took a deep dive into this topic, ...
The Yellow River, often called the birthplace of Chinese culture, has seen big changes in its environment. This is mostly because of fast city growth, which has led to more wastewater going into the river. This has changed how the water flows and its quality. The Dahei River, a key part of the Yellow River, has been watched closely for almost ten years. Over 20 spot...
Wastewater treatment plants are home to a vast and largely unknown world of tiny organisms. These plants use a process called activated sludge to clean water. This sludge is teeming with diverse microorganisms, many of which have never been studied before. Most research has focused on bacteria and viruses, but there is a whole other group of tiny life forms called eu...
Imagine a fish that looks like a silver ribbon with bright orange fins. This is the oarfish, a deep-sea dweller that has a mysterious reputation. Recently, one of these unusual fish washed up on the shores of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The locals were surprised, and some even feared that this sighting might be a bad omen. The oarfish is often called th...
The world is getting a lot more complex, with issues like bioterrorism, climate change, and urbanization on the rise. All of these factors have led to the emergence of new diseases, especially in pets and farm animals. Pathogens are sneaking into new populations, causing issues with reproduction, productivity, and overall health. Bioinformatics has become a ...
Mongolia, with its expansive landscapes and centuries of history, is a treasure chest full of information about the past and current state of our planet. To unlock this treasure, there is a problem to solve. Why is Mongolia's natural history collections in big trouble and not content with keeping the knowledge locked there? Disease outbreaks, climate change, and l...
The Arctic's Hudson Strait is experiencing some big changes due to climate change. It's getting warmer, rivers are discharging more water, and sea ice is melting faster than ever before. This means the area stays ice-free for longer during the summer. Scientists decided to check out the tiny microbes that call this strait home. They did this by collecting samples and...
In the heart of Tennessee, a small stream named East Fork Creek has been under close watch. Scientists have been keeping tabs on it for a whole year, from May 2022 to May 2023. They were curious about how the stream's 'breathing' changes with the seasons and time of day. They set up month-long camps and a special four-day event in July 2022 to gather data. This strea...