/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Fungi are vital to natural ecosystems by breaking down dead organic material and cycling it back into the environment as nutrients. But new research from the University of Utah finds one species, Marquandomyces marquandii, a ubiquitous soil mold, shows promise as a potential building block for new biomedical materials. /news/2025-10-soil-fungus-durable-hydrogels-potential.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:24:04 EDT news678558241 You might think that glass has no business acting as a replacement for bone, but it turns out the two materials have many similarities. For a new study published in ACS Nano, researchers developed a 3D printable bio-active glass that served as an effective bone replacement material. In rabbits, it sustained bone cell growth better than regular glass and a commercially available bone substitute. /news/2025-09-bone-substitute-3d-glass.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:07:44 EDT news677855261 A new study from North Carolina State University identifies vertebrate hemoglobin in bone extracts from two dinosaurs and shows that this molecule is original to those animals. The work also shows how heme, a small molecule that gives hemoglobin the ability to transport oxygen in blood, degrades over time. The study both adds to the body of evidence that biological remains can and do persist across deep time in some fossils and provides further insight into the process of fossilization. /news/2025-09-precise-imaging-technique-hemoglobin-dinosaur.html Molecular & Computational biology Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 10 Sep 2025 12:11:04 EDT news676725061 If biomolecules were people, heparin would be a celebrity. Best known as a powerful blood thinner with a global market of more than $7 billion, heparin is used during and after surgery and is essential to kidney dialysis. Most of today's heparin comes from pigs, but the Food and Drug Administration is encouraging the use of alternative sources, including cows and synthetic forms of heparin, to diversify the supply chain. /news/2025-09-insight-blood-thinners-bone-builders.html Biochemistry Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:28:57 EDT news676214932 The pelvis is often called the keystone of upright locomotion. More than any other part of our lower body, it has been radically altered over millions of years to allow us to accomplish our bizarre habit of walking on two legs. /news/2025-08-evolutionary-makeover-big-evolution-human.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:00:02 EDT news675353821 Almost three decades ago, the chert mining area in Krumlov Forest was discovered. Since then, much has been written about the mining activity that took place here. While chert mining occurred here from as early as the beginning of the Holocene until the Early Iron Age, it was not a particularly widespread activity. /news/2025-08-prehistoric-female-miners-multidisciplinary-approach.html Archaeology Social Sciences Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:01 EDT news674736254 Near the Syrian city of Afrin, an international research team, including researchers from the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen, has discovered a previously unknown fossil sea turtle. /news/2025-08-fossil-syria-unknown-sea-turtle.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:56:04 EDT news674466961 Advances in artificial intelligence for porous materials design could impact a wide variety of fields, from orthopedic implants to next-generation batteries. /news/2025-08-pressure-ai-porous-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:42:20 EDT news674214133 Around the world, kangaroos and wallabies are well-recognized symbols of Australia, but a new discovery highlights the deeply linked environmental identities of Australia and New Guinea. /news/2025-08-aussie-guinea-forest-wallaby.html Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:10:06 EDT news673769402 At the Roman settlement of A Cibdá de Armea in northwestern Spain, archaeologists uncovered evidence suggesting that ancient Romans adorned their amulets with fossils of extinct marine arthropods, like trilobites, possibly rooted in the belief that these specimens carried magical or protective powers. /news/2025-07-ancient-romans-extinct-sea-creature.html Archaeology Mon, 28 Jul 2025 08:46:57 EDT news672911213 A new study has uncovered evidence that a giant marine reptile from the Early Jurassic period used stealth to hunt its prey in deep or dark waters—much like owls on land today. /news/2025-07-fossil-discovery-reveals-ancient-giant.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:01:41 EDT news671889691 For sale: A 54-pound (25-kilogram) rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million to $4 million. Why so expensive? It's the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth. /news/2025-07-biggest-piece-mars-earth-auction.html Space Exploration Sun, 13 Jul 2025 04:55:52 EDT news671601343 Sharks have been evolving for more than 450 million years, developing skeletons not from bone, but from a tough, mineralized form of cartilage. These creatures are more than just fast swimmers—they're built for efficiency. Their spines act like natural springs, storing and releasing energy with each tailbeat, allowing them to move through the water with smooth, powerful grace. /news/2025-05-sharkitecture-nanoscale-blacktip-shark-skeleton.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 20 May 2025 11:01:04 EDT news666957661 According to UNESCO, plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with 8–10 million metric tons of plastic making its way into our oceans each year. USC Viterbi School of Engineering researchers have discovered a mineral commonly found in seashells could be the key to a safer plastic alternative. /news/2025-04-eco-friendly-plastic-mineral-seashells.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 16 Apr 2025 11:22:03 EDT news664021321 A new study by archaeologist Xingtao Wei and his colleagues, published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, provides insights into some of the earliest forms of humans processing bones into powder for cooking, dating back nearly 8,000 years (6,085 and 6,369 BC). /news/2025-01-archaeologists-reveal-year-bone-powder.html Archaeology Wed, 15 Jan 2025 07:30:01 EST news656071193 A pilot study from North Carolina State University shows that nanoscopic 3D imaging of ancient bone not only provides further insight into the changes soft tissues undergo during fossilization, it also has potential as a fast, practical way to determine which specimens are likely candidates for ancient DNA and protein sequence preservation. The work appears in iScience. /news/2024-07-nanoscopic-imaging-aids-protein-tissue.html Biotechnology Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 22 Jul 2024 15:12:02 EDT news640879921 The latest dinosaur being mounted at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles is not only a member of a new species—it's also the only one found on the planet whose bones are green, according to museum officials. /news/2024-07-gnatalie-green-boned-dinosaur-planet.html Paleontology & Fossils Sun, 14 Jul 2024 10:08:20 EDT news640170494 Several similar large, fossilized bone fragments have been discovered in various regions across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belonged is still the subject of much debate to this day. A study carried out at the University of Bonn could now settle this dispute once and for all: The microstructure of the fossils indicates that they come from the lower jaw of a gigantic ichthyosaur. These animals could reach 25 to 30 meters in length, a similar size to the modern blue whale. /news/2024-04-mysterious-bones-gigantic-ichthyosaurs.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:50:01 EDT news631899620 A new study has shown pollen grains can be used as green templates for producing biomaterials, showcasing their potential to support drug delivery and bone regeneration. /news/2024-04-pollen-sustainable-tool-bone-regeneration.html Biotechnology Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:53:08 EDT news631374781 Scientists have combined laser 3D printing technology and an alternate soaking process to construct complex 3D structures that mimic bone microstructure. This is the first demonstration of this fabrication method, and it will lead to the development of 3D cell culture systems that can support bone grafts or create artificial bone marrow. /news/2024-02-team-fabrication-method-3d-mimic.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:20:04 EST news626977201 Bone regeneration is a complex process, and existing methods to aid regeneration including transplants and growth factor transmissions face limitations such as the high cost. But recently, a piezoelectric material that can promote the growth of bone tissue has been developed. /news/2024-02-bone-bandage-material-bones.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 01 Feb 2024 09:38:59 EST news626002736 The first person to spot it was a shovel operator working the overnight shift, eyeing a glint of white as he scooped up a giant mound of dirt and dropped it into a dump truck. /news/2024-01-coal-miners-north-dakota-unearth.html Paleontology & Fossils Sun, 07 Jan 2024 03:43:52 EST news623821417 A protective mineral coating identified by University of Wisconsin–Madison biomedical engineering researchers could allow powerful messenger RNA therapeutics like COVID-19 vaccines to be stored at room temperature, making them more accessible to lower-resourced communities across the world. /news/2023-12-mineral-coatings-enable-shelf-stable-mrna.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:10:06 EST news622282201 As the aging population around the world grows, metabolic diseases like osteoporosis are becoming more prevalent and placing a greater burden on health care systems. Rising to this challenge, a research team led by Prof. Wong Ka-hing, Director of the Research Institute for Future Food and Professor of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has developed novel selenium nanoparticles (Cs4-SeNPs) for managing postmenopausal osteoporosis. /news/2023-11-selenium-nanoparticles-postmenopausal-osteoporosis.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:53:55 EST news619268032 Bone may seem as if it's a hard, lifeless structure, but now the cells living within have been imaged in unprecedented detail, thanks to an innovative imaging method developed at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. /news/2023-10-imaging-method-reveals-cells-bone.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 26 Oct 2023 10:48:35 EDT news617536106 A 15-year study led by the Carnegie Institution for Science details the origins and diversity of every known mineral on Earth, a landmark body of work that will help reconstruct the history of life on Earth, guide the search for new minerals and ore deposits, predict possible characteristics of future life, and aid the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life. /news/2022-07-scientists-decipher-diverse-earth-minerals.html Earth Sciences Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:00:01 EDT news575871957 Astronauts that have returned after spaceflights over three months may show signs of incomplete bone recovery even after one year on Earth, but adding in more resistance-based exercises during spaceflight may help limit bone loss. The small study, published in Scientific Reports, on 17 international astronauts found that while the shinbone partially recovers, the sustained bone losses after one year are equivalent to ten years of normal age-related bone loss on Earth. /news/2022-06-path-resistance-limit-bone-loss.html Space Exploration Thu, 30 Jun 2022 11:00:16 EDT news575796206 Every species, from bacteria to humans, is capable of regeneration. Regeneration is mediated by the molecular processes that regulate gene expression to control tissue renewal, restoration and growth. /news/2022-05-minerals-key-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 09 May 2022 07:06:44 EDT news571298800 A team at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPICI) has discovered new properties of collagen: During the intercalation of minerals in collagen fibers, a contraction tension is generated that is hundreds of times stronger than muscle strength. "This universal mechanism of mineralization of organic fiber tissues could be transferred to technical hybrid materials, for example, to achieve high breaking strength there," says Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Peter Fratzl, Director at the institute. /news/2022-04-tendons-strong-wire-ropes.html Biotechnology Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:26:30 EDT news568632387 A clay mineral known as smectite could hold a substantial portion of the water missing from Mars, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. /news/2021-12-stone-mars-clay-mineral.html Space Exploration Planetary Sciences Tue, 14 Dec 2021 10:46:02 EST news558701082