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A team of Japanese researchers found an unusual community of bacteria thriving in the canyon called Challenger Deep. The microscopic bacteria are called heterotrophs, and cannot produce their own food, and thus, must eat what they find in the water. Read on to know more about this mysterious community. 

Douglas E. Brash, clinical professor of therapeutic radiology and dermatology at Yale School of Medical, and his colleagues discovered that skin damage from ultraviolet radiation (UV) continues hours after sun exposure. Read on to find out more about this study. 

Researchers have been attempting to find ways to make humans immune to the HIV virus. Now, viral immunologist Michael Farzan of the Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, and his team have discovered a synthetic molecule that mimics an antibody from our immune system, and can provide immunity to the HIV virus. Read on to find out more. 

Chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition characterized by long-term disabling tiredness, has remained an unclassified disease for long. The existence and definition of this disease have been debated and doubted even my medical professionals. Now the panel of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) has produced an influential report on how the disease should be diagnosed. Read on to find out more. 

It is known that neurons called grid cells to form a network known as the brain’s “inner GPS” that help humans and animals to navigate. Researchers at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire studied rats and discovered that these neurons receive spatial information from head direction cells in the thalamus. Read on to find out more.

In a drought-like situation, plants naturally secrete abscisic acid (ABA), inhibiting plant growth and reducing water consumption. While crops can be sprayed with ABA to help them survive droughts, producing ABA is expensive. A team of scientists, led by Sean Cutler at the University of California, Riverside, developed a new method of assisting draught-inflicted plants using synthetic biology. Read on to find out more. 

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied 5000 individuals over 14 years for chemical changes in their DNA that accumulate over a lifetime, and found a new indicator of aging. Read on to find out more. 

A team of researchers from Columbia University Medical Center led by Yuki Oka discovered two groups of neurons in the hypothalamus that control the feeling of thirst in mice. In an attempt to understand how the brain controls the desire for water, the team used optogenetic experiments to stimulate specific neurons with a laser. Read on to find out what the team discovered. 

It is well known that a lump of sodium or potassium metal thrown in water causes an explosion. The science behind this is that alkali metals release hydrogen gas from the water, which gets ignited. However, Pavel Jungwirth and his collaborators at the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague believe that there is another reason behind the phenomenon. Read on to find out more. 

Biocontainment measures form a vital aspect of genetic engineering. Two US teams have independently created genetically modified bacteria whose survival depends on an amino acid that does not occur naturally in nature. While the engineered bacteria have the potential of pioneering the use of GM organisms in areas such as agriculture, medicine, and environmental clean-up, find out why some researchers are skeptical of how they will behave when introduced to the natural ecosystem.