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From 1852 to 1968, about 6,280 tons of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were sprayed over forests in New Brunswick, Canada, to prevent severe outbreaks of the spruce budworm. Now, over 50 years later, researchers have detected that sediments of DDT remain in New Brunswick lakes, even long after these insecticides were deemed harmful to wildlife and the spraying stopped. read more

Half of all Ebola spillover events—where the deadly virus jumps from wildlife to people—go undetected, warns new research from the University of Cambridge. The discovery highlights the need to improve detection and rapid response protocols to prevent future epidemics. read more

The ability to mount a rapid fever response to invading pathogens may explain the emergence of warm-blooded animals six hundred thousand years ago, suggests a new study. At the time, nearly all animals were cold-blooded and unable to regulate their own body temperature internally. read more

In the field of cancer science, the word “biomarker” is frequently used, but what does it mean? In general terms, a biomarker is a molecular indicator of some disease, infection, or physiological condition, but that doesn’t mean that all biomarkers are the same. Biomarkers can be a variety of things, including hormones, enzymes, molecules or genes. Some common biomarkers are body temperature, which indicates fever, and blood pressure, which indicates the risk of a stroke. But some biomarkers, and what they indicate, can also differ between individuals. As a result, there is no single drug that can be used to mitigate these biomarkers, but that may be about to change. Gomika Udugamasooriya, an Associate Professor of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Houston, has found a new biomarker that exists in cancer stem cells. In Nature Scientific Reports, Udugamasooriya explains ... read more

While the genome is the genetic material of an organism (containing DNA and genes), it isn’t the only component that controls cellular design. RNA (including both small and long RNA), like DNA, is a nucleic acid that is vital to life. read more

Researchers at the University of Malaga have found that a relevant social stimulus reduces interest in cocaine in animals. The team found that when they gave an animal a positive stimulus, like interaction with another animal, the positive influence decreased the first animal's desire for cocaine. read more

A new method of modulating light using water as a medium, called giant optical modulation, is less expensive and easier to use than conventional methods. read more

Engineers at Duke University have developed a microscope that adapts its lighting angles, colors and patterns while teaching itself the optimal settings needed to complete a given diagnostic task. read more