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Motion in the ocean

By Stephen Ornes / May 3, 2013

Scientists say pulsing corals make their motion to bring in needed nutrients. Credit: M. Kremien et al/PNAS 2013

Scientists figure out why pulsing corals pulse

Posted in Animals | Tagged algae, animal behavior, Australian Institute of Marine Science, coral reef, corals, getinvolved, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Katharina Fabricius, marine ecology, Maya Kremien, nutrition, photosynthesis, reef ecology, xeniid

Perfect pacifier

By Stephen Ornes / May 1, 2013

A mother’s arms can calm a crying infant, say scientists. The tactic works for mice, too, only those mammals use their mouth to cradle their young. Credit: iStockphoto

In people and mice, carrying a baby calms it

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged Adaptation, babies, behavior, calming, carrying, Eastern Virginia Medical School, evolution, getinvolved, Japan, John Harrington, Kumi Kuroda, mammals, mice, mothers, Norfolk, physiology, pups, Riken Brain Science Institute, topstories

New life for a used organ

By Stephen Ornes / April 26, 2013

A rat kidney was stripped of its cells and repopulated with human and rat cells. Researchers transplanted the organ into a rat, where it functioned to produce urine and filter impurities from blood. Credit: Ott Lab/Center for Regenerative Medicine/Massachusetts General Hospital

Scientists transplant a rebuilt kidney into a rat

Posted in Body & Health | Tagged bioengineering, blood vessels, dialysis, Edward Ross, extracellular matrix, getinvolved, Harald Ott, Harvard University, kidneys, nephrology, rats, topstories, transplantation, transplants, University of Florida, urine

Deadly new flu

By Stephen Ornes / April 24, 2013

The germ responsible carries genes from other flu viruses

Posted in Body & Health | Tagged Ana Fernandez-Sesma, animals, Beijing, bird flu, cells, chicken, China, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, gene swapping, genetics, getinvolved, H7N9, infection, infectious disease, Influenza, microbes, microbiology, Rongbao Gao, Shanghai, topstories, virus, World Health Organization, zoonotic

A switch for a living computer

By Stephen Ornes / April 19, 2013

Scientists used DNA to build biological switches called transcriptors, which act like transistors found on computer chips. Credit: iStockphoto

Scientists build a transistor from DNA

Posted in Computers & Electronics | Tagged bacteria, bio chip, biochip, biocomputer, biocomputing, bioengineer, bioinvention, biological computing, biological switch, bioswitch, Cambridge, computer, DNA, DNA switch, flash memory, germ, getinvolved, Jerome Bonnet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Palo Alto, Stanford University, Timothy Lu, topstories, transcriptor, transistor

The stuff of dreams

By Stephen Ornes / April 18, 2013

Scientists recently used a computer program to decode patterns of brain activity displayed during a dream. They found that a certain object was linked with a particular pattern, and that pattern was similar whether the object was seen while awake or asleep. Credit: iStockphoto

Computer program decodes dreams, finds similar brain activity patterns for objects seen while asleep or awake

Posted in Brain & Behavior | Tagged Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, brain, computers, dreams, fMRI, Frank Tong, getinvolved, Japan, Kyoto, mind, Nashville, neuroscience, sleep, Tennessee, topstories, Vanderbilt University, wakefulness, Yukiyasu Kamitani

Microscopic caffeine fiends

By Sid Perkins / April 15, 2013

Scientists tweaked the genes of a bacterium so that it requires caffeine to live and reproduce. Now, they can use this microbe to measure concentrations of caffeine in beverages such as soda, coffee and energy drinks. When the microbes are added to a water-weakened version of one of those drinks, the bacteria grow and the liquid turns cloudy — but only if the drink contained caffeine. In caffeine-free Coke (top left), no cloudiness appears. Credit: Barrick Lab/University of Texas at Austin

Researchers create a bacterium that can’t live or reproduce without a stimulant found in soft drinks, chocolate, coffee and tea

Posted in Microbes, Fungi & Algae | Tagged biochemist, bioengineer, caffeine, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), E. coli (Escherichia coli), gene, Genetic engineering, getinvolved, Jeffrey Barrick, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); guanine, topstories, University of Texas at Austin; Christopher Voigt

Sound cloak

By Stephen Ornes / April 14, 2013

Caption: This strange-looking cage can hide an object inside it from being detected by sound waves. Credit: L. Sanchis et al

New device hides objects from sonar

Posted in Physics, Technology & Engineering | Tagged acoustics, cloak, echo, getinvolved, Invisibility, José Sánchez-Dehesa, noise cancellation, noise cancelling, sonar, sound waves, submarines, topstories

Fungi as carbon keepers

By Stephen Ornes / April 11, 2013

A recent study of forested Swedish islands found that tiny fungi in the soil store most of the carbon found in the forest floor. Credit: Photo courtesy of Karina Clemmensen

A common type of fungus stores most of a forest floor’s carbon underground

Posted in Environment & Pollution, Microbes, Fungi & Algae | Tagged carbon, carbon dioxide, ecology, Erik Hobbie, fungus, getinvolved, global warming, greenhouse gas, Karina Clemmensen, roots, soil, Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, trees, University of New Hampshire, Uppsala

Building a better battery

By Sid Perkins / April 8, 2013

Researchers designed a way to make better batteries using supersmall sulfur particles coated with titanium dioxide. Credit: Seh et al., Nature Communications (2013)

Researchers develop a way to make batteries that hold more charge and don’t weaken with age

Posted in Chemistry, Computers & Electronics | Tagged Battery, Cornell University, getinvolved, lithium-sulfur battery, materials science, nanostructure, polysulfides, Stanford University; Hector Abruña, sulfur, titanium dioxide; Yi Cui, topstories

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