All Princeton University articles
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NewsStudy uncovers origins of urban human-biting mosquito, shedding light on uptick in West Nile virus spillover from birds to humans
The research disproves the theory that the mosquito evolved in the London underground by dating the mosquito’s origin back over 1,000 years and identifies the genetic links between bird-biting and human-biting mosquitoes, key to West Nile transmission.
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NewsWastewater plants produce twice as much greenhouse gases as officially estimated
Wastewater plants emit about twice as much greenhouse gas as previously believed, according to a new study. Collectively sewer plants produced 1.9 times the nitrous oxide gas estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 times the methane.
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NewsAncient plankton hint at steadier future for ocean life
A team of scientists has uncovered a rare isotope in microscopic fossils, offering fresh evidence that ocean ecosystems may be more resilient than once feared. They analyzed nitrogen isotopes preserved in the shells of tiny plankton called foraminifera.
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NewsAI-powered CRISPR could lead to faster gene therapies, study finds
A new AI tool can help scientists better plan gene-editing experiments. CRISPR-GPT acts as a gene-editing “copilot” supported by AI to help researchers — even those unfamiliar with gene editing — generate designs, analyze data and troubleshoot design flaws.
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NewsReady for market: Yeast process boosts clean, cost-efficient chemical production of succinic acid
A re-engineered yeast strain that efficiently produces succinic acid has been developed, which allows this valuable chemical to be produced at a lower cost.
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NewsVaccination could mitigate climate-driven disruptions to malaria control
Tropical cyclones in Madagascar lead to sharp spikes in malaria infections – particularly in children – due to interruptions in control efforts, according to a new study. However, newly introduced long-lasting vaccines can help to mitigate these gaps.
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NewsScientists discover compounds that help cells fight a wide range of viruses
Researchers have identified compounds that can fight off viral infection by activating a defense pathway inside host cells. These compounds, they believe, could be used as antiviral drugs that work against not just one but any kind of virus.
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NewsScientists build robot to track plant-fungal trade networks, revealing nature’s underground supply chains
New research uses advanced robotics to track the hyper-efficient supply chains formed between plants and mycorrhizal fungi as they trade carbon and nutrients across the complex, living networks that help regulate the Earth’s atmosphere and ecosystems.
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NewsBacteria in polymers form cables that grow into living gels
Scientists have discovered that bacterial cells growing in a solution of polymers, such as mucus, form long cables that buckle and twist on each other, building a kind of “living Jell-O.”
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NewsThese bacteria perform a trick that could keep plants healthy
Researchers have shown that some types of soil bacteria can influence a plant’s balance of growth and defense. The bacteria produce an enzyme that can lower a plant’s immune activity and allow its roots to grow longer than they would otherwise.
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NewsPlankton bloom off Madagascar linked to drought in South Africa
Researchers show that dust from drought-stricken Southern Africa caused a bloom of marine phytoplankton off the southeast Madagascar coast from November 2019 through February 2020.
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NewsBacterial ‘flipping’ allows genes to assume different forms
A new study has shown that inversions, which cause a physical flip of a segment of DNA and change an organism’s genetic identity, can occur within a single gene, challenging a central dogma of biology — that one gene can code for only one protein.
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NewsFuture enterovirus outbreaks could be exacerbated by climate change
A common set of drivers can explain the timing of outbreaks of both hand, foot and mouth disease and polio, according to a recent study which suggests these summertime outbreaks may hint at implications for climate change.
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NewsSimple test for flu could improve diagnosis and surveillance
A low-cost CRISPR-based paper strip test distinguishes between influenza types and can be reprogrammed to recognize different viruses including the H5N1 bird flu virus.
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NewsScientists unravel drivers of the global zinc cycle in our oceans
The important role of the Southern Ocean in global biological processes and the carbon cycle has been confirmed by a study that, for the first time based on field evidence, reveals the underappreciated role of inorganic zinc particles in these cycles.
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News750,000 deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance could be prevented every year, World Health Assembly hears
Improving and expanding existing methods to prevent infections could prevent over 750,000 deaths associated with AMR every year in LMICs (low and middle income countries), estimates a new modelling analysis.
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NewsGeologists and biologists unearth atomic fingerprints of cancer using fermenting yeast
Researchers have discovered that cancer cells may be made from a different assortment of hydrogen atoms than healthy tissue, findings which could give doctors new strategies for studying how cancer grows and spreads.
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NewsResearchers produce guidelines to tackle science’s ‘AI problem’
With growing evidence revealing deep flaws in how machine learning is used in science, an interdisciplinary team of 19 researchers has published guidelines for the responsible use of AI in science.
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NewsWild nematode worms learn to avoid harmful bacteria—and their offspring inherit this knowledge
The nematode worm C. elegans will stay away from dangerous bacteria in its environment when exposed to certain bacterial RNAs—and can transmit that learned behavior to future generations.
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NewsAcid-tolerant yeast engineered to produce valuable organic acid from plants
Researchers have engineered an acid-tolerant yeast to economically produce succinic acid, a key chemical in food, agricultural and pharmaceutical products, savings on money and emissions.