Researchers have developed a new process to screen microorganisms for new enzymes that could make pulp and paper processes greener and cheaper. Lignin — one of the main components of wood — is hard to break down and usually requires treatment with harsh chemicals. However, some microorganisms use enzymes to break down lignin in nature. The […]
Could graphene help power quantum computers?
Researchers have found experimental evidence of strange quasiparticles in graphene that could be used as qubits, the bits of information processed by quantum computers. Graphene is a single-atom-thick lattice of carbon, but when two layers are sandwiched together and subjected to a magnetic field, strange entities can exist at the interface. Unlike the 3D world […]
Digesting dinner keeps leatherback turtles warm
Scientists have determined that metabolic heat produced from digesting prey is a key component of what keeps leatherback turtles warm in the cold waters off Canada’s Atlantic coast. Researchers attached temperature monitors to seven leatherback turtles off the coast of Cape Breton and discovered that they cool down during the day (most likely due to […]
Webinaire | Lac-Mégantic : un an après
Le 6 juillet 2013, un train de marchandises d’une longueur de 72 wagons transporte du pétrole brut en provenance de la formation de Bakken dans le Dakota du Nord. Il explose en plein centre-ville à Lac-Mégantic et cause la mort de 47 personnes. Cet accident a été l’un des plus mortels de l’histoire ferroviaire canadienne en plus de […]
Lac-Mégantic, One Year Later | SMCC Webinar
Lac-Mégantic, One Year Later | SMCC Webinar | 12:00 PM ET, July 2, 2014 On July 6, 2013, a 72-car runaway freight train rolled into the town of Lac-Mégantic, QC. There it derailed and its cargo – crude oil extracted from the the Bakken formation, near North Dakota – exploded, destroying large parts of […]
The kangaroo: A five-legged animal
New research shows that when they’re not hopping, kangaroos use their tails as a fifth leg to help propel them forward. Researchers trained five red kangaroos to walk over a force-measuring platform and discovered that rather than simply acting as a prop — as a pair of crutches would — the tail acts like […]
Tree ring data traces eastern Canada’s ‘Little Ice Age’
New data from trees preserved in lakes in the Taiga of northern Quebec show that eastern Canada experienced much colder than usual summers following distant volcanic eruptions in the 13th century, and again in the 19th century. The so-called ‘Little Ice Age’ is well-documented in the historical and tree ring records worldwide, but the strength […]
Bass beats in the brain
A new study helps explain why, in musical cultures from around the world, rhythm is usually played on low-voiced instruments while pitch is played on high-voiced ones. It turns out that when two sounds are played together, the human brain perceives timing differences in low-pitched sounds more easily than those in high-pitched sounds. In the […]
What’s in a bird’s name?
Scientific names of birds are not quite as accurate as one might think, but a new paper describes an online database that can help birders and biologists stay on the same page. A good example of changing names came in 2011, when the species known as the Common Moorhen was reclassified as a different species […]
Accurate drug testing on the go
Researchers have found a way to condense a complete drug-testing lab into a device the size of a backpack. The device uses a technique called microfluidic to extract compounds from a dried urine spot and subject it to complex chemical analysis by mass spectrometry. The new device detected cocaine and other drugs at concentrations down to […]
Sugar intake linked to breast density
A new study links a high intake of sugar to an increase in breast density, which is one of the indicators of breast cancer risk. The study tracked 776 premenopausal and 779 postmenopausal women from two mammographic screening clinics in Quebec City. While none of the participants had a very high sugar intake, those who reported […]
Oldest human poo shows Neanderthals ate their greens
Chemical analysis of 50,000-year-old fossilized droppings found in Spain suggest that Neanderthals ate more greens than previously thought. Researchers compared the levels of chemicals such as coprostanols – formed from meat in the digestive tract – to those of other chemicals like 5b-stigmastanol, which are digestive products of plants. They conclude that while Neanderthals ate […]
Sea salt makes for cheaper, greener solar cells
A new processing technique could enable cheaper, cleaner thin-film solar cells, according to a new study. Cadmium telluride is often touted as a replacement for silicon in solar cells; because it absorbs light so much better than silicon it could lead to thinner and more efficient cells. However, part of the manufacturing process involves cadmium […]
Lionfish hunt in groups
Like their namesakes on land, lionfish demonstrate cooperative hunting, according to a new study. Lab tests showed that lionfish use a unique ‘flared fin’ display to alert other lionfish to the presence of prey. They then work together to herd the prey into smaller areas and take turns striking at the group. This type of […]
Un extrait de moisissure pour combattre des superbactéries
Un extrait de moisissure pourrait servir à conserver l’efficacité d’antibiotiques existants. Dans cette nouvelle étude, des chercheurs ont découvert qu’un extrait de moisissure appelé l’aspergillomarasmine A inhibe l’action de l’enzyme NDM-1 et permet aux carbapénèmes de tuer ces superbactéries. Les carbapénèmes sont des antibiotiques de derniers recours pour les infections bactériennes, car peu de […]
Fungal extract could combat drug-resistant bacteria
A chemical extracted from a fungus could help maintain the effectiveness of key antibiotics. In a new study, a fungal extract called aspergillomarasmine A was shown to inhibit NDM-1 and restore the effectiveness of carbapenems against certain bacteria in lab studies. Carbapenems are considered to be ‘antibiotics of last resort’ for many infections due to […]