Science Ticker
A roundup of research and breaking news
- Life
Bacteria’s bodies do whirlies to help them swim
Kidney-shaped Caulobacter crescentus bacteria swim with both their corkscrew propellers called flagella and their bodies, scientists say.
- Microbes
Gut microbes help packrats eat poison
Antiobiotics and fecal transplants in desert woodrats shown that gut microbes can help plant-eaters metabolize toxins.
- Health & Medicine
Pig heartbeats adjusted with gene therapy
A biological pacemaker created with gene therapy could may one day help people who cannot have implanted electrical pacemakers.
- Health & Medicine
First case of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, acquired in U.S.
The case represents the first time that mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland have passed the virus to a person.
- Planetary Science
Rosetta spacecraft sees possible ‘double’ comet
The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may actually be two objects stitched together.
- Particle Physics
Dark matter hunters may get three new experiments
NSF and DOE have approved three new facilities to look for the exotic particles that might make up dark matter.
- Paleontology
Dinos’ long tail feathers may have stopped crash landings
C. yangi's long tail feathers may have helped it control its flight speed as it tried to land.
- Chemistry
Boron atoms take on buckyball shape
The first boron buckyball-like molecule could be used for storing hydrogen, scientists suggest.
- Health & Medicine
HIV returns in girl once considered cured of the infection
An infant girl, once thought to be cured of HIV, now has detectable levels of the virus.
- Life
Ocean microbes orchestrate gene activity
The bacteria’s daily cycles aren’t just for photosynthesis, a new study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Mold behind 2013 yogurt recall may cause disease
Genome sequencing links a new, virulent strain of mold to the 2013 Chobani yogurt recall.
- Climate
Meat-eaters’ greenhouse gas emissions are twice as high as vegans’
Meat-eaters dietary GHG emissions are twice as high as those of vegans, a study finds.
