ScienceDaily: Top Science News

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• Atmosphere detected around an Earth-like planet
• Ability of stem cells expanded to regrow any tissue type
• Seemingly innocuous virus can trigger celiac disease
• Married couples with common ancestry also share similar genes
• Major breakthrough in smart printed electronics
• Giant viruses may simply be a 'Frankenstein' of smaller viruses
• Biologists discover timesharing strategy in bacteria
• Ancient Earth's fingerprints in young volcanic rocks, study shows
• Hubble takes close-up portrait of Jupiter
• Pet exposure may reduce allergy and obesity
• Gene mutation helps explain night owl behavior
• 'Smart' cephalopods trade off genome evolution for prolific RNA editing
• Synthetic biologists engineer inflammation-sensing gut bacteria
• Kids' hands may be a source of significant nicotine exposure
• Scientists link California droughts, floods to distinctive atmospheric waves
• Honey bees have sharper eyesight than we thought

Atmosphere detected around an Earth-like planet Posted: 06 Apr 2017 12:24 PM PDT Astronomers have detected an atmosphere on another Earth-like planet. This marks the first detection of an atmosphere around an Earth-like planet other than Earth itself, and thus is a significant step on the path towards the detection of life outside our Solar System.

Ability of stem cells expanded to regrow any tissue type Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT A new technique, which allows scientists to generate both embryonic and non-embryonic tissues from cultured stem cells, is a step toward growing donor organs and replacement tissues to combat aging and diseases.

Seemingly innocuous virus can trigger celiac disease Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT Infection with reovirus, a common but otherwise harmless virus, can trigger the immune system response to gluten that leads to celiac disease, according to new research.

Married couples with common ancestry also share similar genes Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT When two married people appear similar, it isn't necessarily a coincidence, but may be related to the tendency to marry someone with the same ancestry; a trend that can have important effects on the genetics of different populations.

Major breakthrough in smart printed electronics Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT Researchers have fabricated printed transistors consisting entirely of 2-dimensional nanomaterials for the first time. This breakthrough could unlock the potential for applications such as food packaging that displays a digital countdown to warn you of spoiling, wine labels that alert you when your white wine is at its optimum temperature, or even a window pane that shows the day's forecast.

Giant viruses may simply be a 'Frankenstein' of smaller viruses Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT Viruses are thought to outnumber the microbes on Earth; both outnumber the stars in the Milky Way. A handful of giant viruses have been discovered in the past two decades, and scientists report a novel group of giant viruses with a more complete set of translation machinery genes than any other virus known to date. They believe that this discovery significantly increases our understanding of viral evolution.

Biologists discover timesharing strategy in bacteria Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT Biologists have discovered that communities of bacteria have been employing a social timesharing strategy for millions of years. The team found that bacteria faced with limited nutrients will enter an elegant timesharing strategy -- a concept used in computer science, vacation homes and social application -- in which communities alternate feeding periods to maximize efficiency in consumption.

Ancient Earth's fingerprints in young volcanic rocks, study shows Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:39 AM PDT Earth's mantle is made of solid rock that nonetheless circulates slowly over millions of years. Some geologists assume that this slow circulation would have wiped away any geochemical traces of Earth's early history long ago. But a new study of volcanic rocks that recently erupted from volcanoes in Hawaii and Samoa reveals surprising geochemical anomalies -- the 'fingerprints' of conditions that existed shortly after the planet formed.

Hubble takes close-up portrait of Jupiter Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:38 AM PDT On April 3, 2017, as Jupiter made its nearest approach to Earth in a year, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope viewed the solar system's largest planet in all of its up-close glory.

Pet exposure may reduce allergy and obesity Posted: 06 Apr 2017 11:38 AM PDT If you need a reason to become a dog lover, how about their ability to help protect kids from allergies and obesity? A new study showed that babies from families with pets -- 70 per cent of which were dogs -- showed higher levels of two types of microbes associated with lower risks of allergic disease and obesity.

Gene mutation helps explain night owl behavior Posted: 06 Apr 2017 09:16 AM PDT Some people stay up late and have trouble getting up in the morning because their internal clock is genetically programmed to run slowly, according to a new study. A mutation in a gene called CRY1 alters the human circadian clock, which dictates rhythmic behavior such as sleep/wake cycles. Carriers of the gene variant experienced nighttime sleep delays of 2-2.5 hours compared to non-carriers.

'Smart' cephalopods trade off genome evolution for prolific RNA editing Posted: 06 Apr 2017 09:16 AM PDT Octopus, squid, and cuttlefish are famous for engaging in complex behavior, from unlocking an aquarium tank and escaping to instantaneous skin camouflage to hide from predators. A new study suggests their evolutionary path to neural sophistication includes a novel mechanism: Prolific RNA editing at the expense of evolution in their genomic DNA.

Synthetic biologists engineer inflammation-sensing gut bacteria Posted: 06 Apr 2017 09:15 AM PDT Synthetic biologists have engineered gut bacteria capable of sensing colitis in mice. The research points the way to new experiments for studying how gut bacteria and human hosts interact at a molecular level and could eventually lead to orally ingestible bacteria for monitoring gut health and disease.

Kids' hands may be a source of significant nicotine exposure Posted: 06 Apr 2017 07:57 AM PDT Children may carry significant levels of nicotine on their hands just by coming into contact with items or surfaces contaminated with tobacco smoke residues, even when no one is actively smoking around them at the time. A new study also reports the presence of significant nicotine on the hands of children was associated with equally significant levels of the harmful tobacco metabolite cotinine in saliva.

Scientists link California droughts, floods to distinctive atmospheric waves Posted: 06 Apr 2017 07:26 AM PDT The crippling wintertime droughts that struck California from 2013 to 2015, as well as this year's unusually wet California winter, appear to be associated with the same phenomenon: a distinctive wave pattern that emerges in the upper atmosphere and circles the globe.

Honey bees have sharper eyesight than we thought Posted: 06 Apr 2017 06:14 AM PDT Bees have much better vision than was previously known, offering new insights into the lives of honey bees, and new opportunities for translating this knowledge into fields such as robot vision, outlines a new study.

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