Gut microbes’ pathogen defense arsenal unveiled
A study conducted by researcher Juan Du’s research group at the Karolinska Institutet sheds light on the capabilities of our gut microbes and their metabolites. The findings reveal potent inhibitory effects on the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and suggest interactions and signaling between gut microbes and pathogens. ⌘ Read more

Human culture is changing too fast for evolution to catch up—here’s how it may affect you
Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological advancement and modernisation. A theory that can help explain why we respond poorly to modern conditions, despite the choices, safety and other benefits they bring, is evolutionary mismatch. ⌘ Read more

Autophagic organelles restrict mouth size to regulate cellular clean-out, study reveals
Autophagy, which literally means “self-eating,” is a cellular cleaning-out process that maintains our bodies in good order, but excessive autophagy can be too much of a good thing. ⌘ Read more

Earthquakes in north-central Japan collapse 5 homes that were damaged in deadly January quake
Earthquakes early Monday again struck Japan’s north-central region of Ishikawa, still recovering from the destruction left by a powerful quake on Jan. 1, but the latest shaking caused no major damage. ⌘ Read more

Race still divides South Africa: Study shows little transformation in new suburbs in country’s economic hub
As South Africa reflects on 30 years of democracy, it’s important to ask whether its cities have changed for the better when it comes to racial mixing. ⌘ Read more

‘Innocuous-looking’ fern wins world record for largest genome
A small, seemingly unremarkable fern that only grows on a remote Pacific island was on Friday crowned the Guinness World Record holder for having the largest genome of any organism on Earth. ⌘ Read more

California firefighters battle wind-driven wildfire east of San Francisco
California firefighters aided by aircraft battled a wind-driven wildfire burning Saturday in an area straddling the San Francisco Bay Area and central California, authorities said. ⌘ Read more

Sri Lanka monsoon floods kill 14, schools shut
Flash floods, mudslides and falling trees have killed at least 14 people in Sri Lanka as the island nation is battered by monsoon storms, the country’s disaster center said Sunday. ⌘ Read more

Researchers report new solid contact, ion-selective electrodes
A research team led by Prof. Huang Xingjiu from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences constructed a highly stable solid contact calcium ion-selective electrode. They used synchrotron radiation technique to reveal the transduction mechanism by which the solid contact layer participated in the potential response. ⌘ Read more

The universe’s biggest explosions made elements we are composed of, but there’s another mystery source out there
After its “birth” in the Big Bang, the universe consisted mainly of hydrogen and a few helium atoms. These are the lightest elements in the periodic table. More-or-less all elements heavier than helium were produced in the 13.8 billion years between the Big Bang and the present day. ⌘ Read more

Boeing will try to launch its first crew on Starliner, again
Troubled aerospace giant Boeing will try once more to fly its first crew to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner spaceship on Saturday, after the last attempt was scrubbed hours before liftoff. ⌘ Read more

A pregnant stingray with no male companion now has a ‘reproductive disease,’ aquarium says
A North Carolina aquarium that said it had a pregnant stingray with no male companion now says the fish has a rare reproductive disease. ⌘ Read more

Plant that vanished from Vermont 108 years ago accidentally rediscovered, botanists say
A plant that hasn’t been seen in Vermont since 1916 was just rediscovered by accident, the state’s Fish and Wildlife Department said. ⌘ Read more

World’s biggest companies snap up ‘likely junk’ carbon offsets: analysis
Globally recognized companies—from oil and gas majors to the banking sector and tech—are contributing to greenwashing by snapping up vast quantities of “likely junk” carbon offsets, a watchdog warned Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Trout in mine-polluted rivers are genetically ‘isolated,’ new study shows
Trout living in rivers polluted by metal from old mines across the British Isles are genetically “isolated” from other trout, new research shows. The work appears in Diversity and Distributions. ⌘ Read more

The missing puzzle piece: A striking new snake species from the Arabian Peninsula
Researchers have discovered a new distinctive and secretive snake species in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. ⌘ Read more

Light-activated antitumor drug could inspire new cancer treatments that have minimal side effects
RIKEN chemists have demonstrated a gold-nanocluster system that carries two components of a drug in a controlled ratio for maximum cancer-cell killing effect. The active drug remains safely masked until red light triggers its release, minimizing collateral damage to healthy cells near the tumor. The study is published in Chemical Science. ⌘ Read more

Projection says 0% chance Lake Mead falls below 1K feet before 2028
Lake Mead’s five-year outlook is slightly better after two wet winters, according to projections released May 29 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. ⌘ Read more

Antibiotic pollution disrupts the gut microbiome and blocks memory in aquatic snails, study finds
Antibiotics prevent snails from forming new memories by disrupting their gut microbiome—the community of beneficial bacteria found in their guts. ⌘ Read more

Study indicates that as racial diversity and income rise, civilian injuries by police fall
An analysis of civilian injuries resulting from interactions with police in Illinois found that residents of all races and ethnicities are more likely to sustain injuries if they live in economically under-resourced areas. The risk of injury decreases as communities become more racially diverse, the researchers found. ⌘ Read more

Students say they’ve found an ‘eco-friendly’ way to trap and kill Japanese beetles
Aditya Prabhu loved eating the peaches off the tree in the backyard of his mom’s house. The only problem was the plant produced only a few fruits a year because Japanese beetles in the hundreds would eat at the leaves, depleting the plant’s energy to make peaches. ⌘ Read more

Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient ‘pixie’ corn
A widely found gene in plants has been newly identified as a key transporter of a hormone that influences the size of corn. The discovery offers plant breeders a new tool to develop desirable dwarf varieties that could enhance the crop’s resilience and profitability. ⌘ Read more

New report shows perils of air pollution persist nationwide
The American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report concludes that even though Americans have changed their ways significantly over the last 50-plus years, the struggle to provide cleaner air is far from being won. ⌘ Read more

Marine Protected Areas don’t line up with core habitats of rare migratory fish, finds new research
According to a new modeling study, 62% of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designated to protect rare migratory fish species are outside of their core habitats. The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. ⌘ Read more

‘Extraordinary’ 4,000-year-old Egyptian skull may show signs of attempts to treat cancer
From ancient texts we know that—for their times—the ancient Egyptians were exceptionally skilled at medicine. For example, they could identify, describe, and treat diseases and traumatic injuries, build protheses, and put in dental fillings. Other conditions, like cancer, they couldn’t treat—but they might have tried. ⌘ Read more