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Breeding better crops through genetic engineering has been possible for decades, but the use of genetically modified plants has been limited by technical challenges and anti-GMO misinformation. A new approach potentially solves both of those problems by modifying the energy-producing parts of plant cells and then removing the DNA editing tool so it cannot be inherited by future seeds.

When researchers at Lund University in Sweden performed advanced analyses of sputum from the airways of severely ill Covid-19 patients, they found high levels of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). It is already a known fact that NETs can contribute to sputum thickness, severe sepsis-like inflammation and thrombosis. After being treated with an already existing drug, the NETs were dissolved and patients improved. The study has now been published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have succeeded in observing a crystal that consists only of electrons. Such Wigner crystals were already predicted almost ninety years ago but could only now be observed directly in a semiconductor material.

UAB, UPC and Vall d'Hebron researchers have developed a mobile application that could be useful in the assessment of the severity of fatigue in this syndrome, especially in women. The technology uses a chest strap that measures heart rate variability.

The computer model, developed under the lead management of researchers at TU Graz, simulates the cyclical changes in the membrane potential of a cancer cell using the example of human lung adenocarcinoma and opens up completely new avenues in cancer research.

Hitherto, the development of valvular heart disease in patients with chronic heart failure has been underestimated and rarely treated. This is the finding of a study conducted at the MedUni Vienna. Mitral regurgitation was often previously interpreted as part of the progression of heart failure rather than a treatable disease in its own right.

A high-efficiency beam steering angle expander consisting of two liquid crystal polymeric diffractive optical elements is demonstrated. For an LiDAR (light detection and ranging) operating at 905 nm, the steering angle can be expanded by 5.4 times. Potential applications for autonomous vehicles and eye-tracking for virtual reality displays are emphasized.

Scientists at the University of Helsinki have found an essential factor from the extracellular matrix that regulates functionality of the breast tissue for instance during pregnancy.

The eruption of the Laacher See volcano in the Eifel in Germany is one of Central Europe's largest eruptions over the past 100,000 years. Technical advances in combination with tree remains buried in the course of the eruption now enabled an international research team to accurately date the event. Accordingly, the eruption of the Laacher See volcano occurred 13,077 years ago and thus 126 years earlier than previously assumed.

One year after infection by SARS-CoV-2, most people maintain anti-Spike antibodies regardless of the severity of their symptoms, according to a study with healthcare workers co-led by ISGlobal, the Catalan Health Institute and the IDIAP JG. The results suggest that vaccine-generated immunity will also be long-lasting.

Plastic waste is considered one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. IASS researchers surveyed consumers in Germany about their use of plastic packaging. Their research reveals that fundamental changes in infrastructures and lifestyles, as well as cultural and economic transformation processes, are needed to make zero-waste shopping the norm.

Contrary to what science once suggested, older people with a declining sense of smell do not have comprehensively dampened olfactory ability for odors in general -- it simply depends upon the type of odor. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen reached this conclusion after examining a large group of older Danes' and their intensity perception of common food odors.

Parasitoid wasps are one of the most species rich animal taxa on Earth, but their tropical diversity is still poorly known. Now, scientist have discovered the Dolichomitus meii and Polysphincta parasitoid wasp species previously unknown to science in South America. The new species found in the rainforests entice with their colors and exciting habits. Researchers at the University of Turku have already described 53 new animal species this year.

Mitosis, the mechanism of cell division that is so important for life, involves more than 100 proteins at its core. The group of Professor Andrea Musacchio from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund has been able to fully reconstitute the engine of the mitosis machinery, called kinetochore. This is the first step towards the making of artificial chromosomes, that may one day be used to restore missing functions in cells.

There is a significant discrepancy between theoretical and observed amounts of lithium in our universe. This is known as the cosmological lithium problem, and it has plagued cosmologists for decades. Now, researchers have reduced this discrepancy by around 10%, thanks to a new experiment on the nuclear processes responsible for the creation of lithium. This research could point the way to a more complete understanding of the early universe.

In Optica, The Optical Society's (OSA) journal for high impact research, researchers describe a new approach for digitizing color. It can be applied to cameras and displays -- including ones used for computers, televisions and mobile devices -- and used to fine-tune the color of LED lighting.

Flower generalization has often been viewed as a suboptimal solution to managing the needs of different visitors. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have developed a framework to examine flower-animal interactions and how different types of visitor-mediated trade-offs affect flower evolution. They found that mitigating trade-offs can lead to novel combinations of traits that enhance floral diversity. These findings could explain the discrepancy between observed flower visitors and those predicted based on a flower's traits.

An international research collaboration has conducted an IPD meta-analysis with the aim of resolving discrepancies between previous research as to what beneficial effects, if any, short bouts of aerobic exercise have on cognitive function. Their results highlight the importance of appropriate test design that takes into account individual differences between participants. The findings of this analysis will hopefully contribute towards more reliable studies on the relationship between exercise and cognition.

Conservation concern as alien aphid detected on Kangaroo Island.

Scientists show that an ocean-bottom seismometer deployed close to the calving front of a glacier in Greenland can detect continuous seismic radiation from a glacier sliding, reminiscent of a slow earthquake.