
Microbiome Studies Contaminated by Sequencing Supplies
Nonsterile lab reagents and DNA extraction kits add their own assortment of DNA to microbiome samples. Christopher Intagliata reports
Nonsterile lab reagents and DNA extraction kits add their own assortment of DNA to microbiome samples. Christopher Intagliata reports
Mexican free-tailed bats make calls that interfere with fellow bats’ echolocation, causing them to miss their insect targets. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Mosquitoes that harbor a soil microbe called Chromobacterium Csp_P have a harder time catching dengue virus and the malarial parasite. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Christo Wilson, a computer scientist at Northeastern University, says prices online are "super subjective" and vary according to your past clicks and purchases or whether you are shopping on a mobile phone...
The bacterium Clostridium scindens , a member of the gut’s microbiome, appears to ward off the hospital-acquired infection C. difficile. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Researchers say chemical changes in groundwater may someday be used to predict quakes four to six months in advance. Christopher Intagliata reports
After the Chicxulub meteorite, more than half the plant species in temperate North America perished along with the dinosaurs, and the composition of post-impact vegetation changed markedly...
Micrococcus bacteria thrive on the open-air lattice of synthetic fibers—where they sit chomping on the fatty acids in our sweat, turning them into shorter, stinkier molecules. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Biologists have identified at least 11 different sounds in the turtle repertoire—but they still have no idea what they mean. Christopher Intagliata reports
When Web searches related to business and politics go up, the market tends to take a dive—although that connection may already be fading. Christopher Intagliata reports
A new estimate finds that the Milky Way, once thought to be twice as massive as Andromeda, may actually only have half our neighbor galaxy's mass. Christopher Intagliata reports
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Sea creatures eat plastic dumped in the ocean, but they also might be accumulating plastic by sucking up tiny particles with their siphons and gills. Christopher Intagliata reports
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The bacteria found on someone's mobile phone is a good match for the most common kinds of bacteria that live on their hands. Christopher Intagliata reports
Wild beluga whales were found to have hearing comparable with whales in captivity, which sets up a baseline test for hearing damage in other whales in noisy waters. Christopher Intagliata reports
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Wine researchers find that fruity flavors tend to finish quickest on the palate, whereas oaky flavors linger longer--as aficionados have long claimed. Christopher Intagliata reports
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Certain HTML5 apps that run across platforms can carry JavaScript attack codes that your smartphone will happily execute. Christopher Intagliata reports
Residues of the antimicrobial agent triclosan can paradoxically boost bacterial growth in our bodies, by giving microbes a comfortable biofilm in which to rest. Christopher Intagliata reports
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A survey finds that sizeable percentages of Americans don't know how health insurance works and what various options mean. Christopher Intagliata reports
A long-term study of more than 3,600 seniors found that more muscle mass was a better predictor of survival than was moderate body mass index. Christopher Intagliata reports
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By interfering with bacterial DNA repair and reproduction, some NSAID pain drugs could find future use as antibiotics. Christopher Intagliata reports
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