As rubber runs dry, a green option for tires

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Citing dwindling rubber supplies, a scientist says that isoprene—a gas from plants— could be a synthetic alternative for tire production. Continue…

Thursday, May 17, 2012 11:35 - 1 Comment

Earth & Environment - May 14, 2012 11:08 - 0 Comments

Natural land a welcome mat for ladybugs

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Having large tracts of natural habitat around crop fields invites pest-gobbling ladybugs, which could save farmers an estimated $4.6 billion a year on insecticides. (more…)

Health & Medicine - May 1, 2012 11:29 - 0 Comments

Purifier promises fast, cheap drug proteins

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have invented a protein purifier that could help pharmaceutical companies save time and money. (more…)

Society & Culture - Apr 30, 2012 9:43 - 0 Comments

Panda tourism may not help China’s people

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Tourism can boost conservation in China’s valued panda preserves, but it isn’t an automatic ticket out of poverty for the human inhabitants, a new study shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Apr 17, 2012 10:07 - 0 Comments

For hive health, queen bee has many mates

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — By mating with nearly 100 males, queen bees on isolated islands avoid inbreeding and keep colonies healthy. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Mar 28, 2012 8:53 - 1 Comment

Humans’ first home is 30 million years old

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — The Great Rift Valley of East Africa—the birthplace of the human species—may have taken much longer to develop than previously believed. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Mar 21, 2012 14:58 - 0 Comments

Curcumin nudges sluggish protein folding

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — A compound in the spice turmeric may be an effective way to prevent protein clumping—the first step in Parkinson’s disease. (more…)

Science & Technology - Feb 2, 2012 16:01 - 0 Comments

Plant enzyme works day and night shifts

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have discovered a plant enzyme that switches from storing energy during the day to transporting energy in the roots at night. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 30, 2012 10:51 - 1 Comment

After four mutations, new virus attacks

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Scientists have shown for the first time how a new virus evolves, clarifying how easy it is for diseases to quickly gain dangerous mutations. (more…)

Health & Medicine - Jan 19, 2012 9:32 - 0 Comments

Protein folding lags in early Parkinson’s

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — According to a new study, the protein “clumping” that sets off Parkinson’s disease is the result of a slower folding rate. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jan 18, 2012 9:28 - 0 Comments

Fed antibiotics, pigs carry resistant bugs

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Antibiotics in pig feed increase the number of antibiotic resistant genes in gastrointestinal microbes in pigs, say researchers. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 1, 2011 6:28 - 0 Comments

Panda zone: Reality check, please

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Zoning laws are becoming a common strategy to balance environmental protection and human needs, but those laws mean little without enforcement. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 20, 2011 12:34 - 0 Comments

Detect roadside bombs with laser

MICHIGAN STATE U. (US) — Researchers have developed a laser that could detect roadside bombs—the deadliest enemy weapon encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 8, 2011 10:01 - 2 Comments

‘Wired’ bacteria clean up nuclear waste

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have unraveled the mystery of how microbes generate electricity while cleaning up nuclear waste, a finding that could prove beneficial at contaminated sites. (more…)

Science & Technology - Aug 24, 2011 10:23 - 0 Comments

Math smarts give hyenas an edge

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Hyenas listen to the sound and number of intruders’ voices before deciding whether to fight or flee. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Aug 11, 2011 10:37 - 0 Comments

Keep grasses to avoid carbon debt

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Converting natural cover to corn or soybeans for the production of biofuels will come at a high carbon cost—even when care is taken to protect soil by using no-till cultivation. (more…)

Dead smell freaks out pool of lampreys

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — The scent of their deceased brethren sends sea lampreys into a self-preservation tizzy as their alarm cues go into overdrive in an attempt to escape. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jul 22, 2011 14:43 - 0 Comments

To convert biomass, pretreat with ammonia

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Researchers have identified a potential pretreatment method that can make plant cellulose five times more digestible by enzymes that convert it into ethanol. (more…)

Science & Technology - Jul 22, 2011 12:40 - 0 Comments

Songbird ‘cologne’ drives females wild

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Like teenage boys dousing themselves with body spray to woo girls, male songbirds deploy a similar tactic when they release preen oil from a gland at the base of their tail. (more…)

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