More than one in three species of trees are at risk of extinction worldwide, threatening life as we know it on Earth, according to a report published Monday.

There are billions of tiny packets of cellular material called extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are produced by cells and released into each person's blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids. EVs contain invaluable information, such as proteins and genetic material, from their original cell, which can provide insight about the status of the body. Scientists have been trying to leverage EVs for their diagnostic and therapeutic potential but have struggled to do so in a fast and cost-effective way.

The clearing of forests, grasslands, and other natural ecosystems to grow more crops is one of the most widespread threats to terrestrial biodiversity and continues to degrade ecosystems across the globe. However, changes in agricultural land use are not unidirectional: Substantial areas of cropland have also been abandoned in recent decades, especially as the agricultural labor supply continues to shrink from rural outmigration, urbanization, and geopolitical conflicts.

In humans, the main molecular energy carrier is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is critical for cellular functions all over the body, especially in the brain. Its synthesis, which occurs in the mitochondria, through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is a complex, multi-step process.

A team of paleobiologists and zoologists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Linyi University and Wageningen University has found evidence that the evolution of insect-eating birds likely drove relatively swift changes to the wings of ancient cicadas. In their paper, published in Science Advances, the group examined evolutional changes in more than 80 species of cicada wings during the Mesozoic era.

Researchers at the University of Ottawa have made a breakthrough in heart disease diagnostics. They have developed a new type of contrast agent for a medical imaging technique called intravascular optical coherence tomography (IV-OCT). This new agent, made from gold superclusters (AuSC), could improve doctors' ability to diagnose heart conditions.

In the context of quantum mechanics and information, "magic" is a key property of quantum states that describes the extent to which they deviate from so-called stabilizer states. Stabilizer states are a class of states that can be effectively simulated on classical computers.

Meat grown in a lab isn't science fiction anymore. Cultured meats have existed for over a decade, and as of 2023, you might even find lab-grown chicken in restaurants (in the U.S., at least). Now, with the literal support of plant-based scaffolds, "clean meat" options are expanding. Researchers publishing in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have created a prototype cultured pork using a new material: kafirin proteins isolated from red sorghum grain.

Climate change presents an unprecedented challenge for European vintners, particularly for the more than 1,000 protected designations of origin. In Italy, these include the production of DOC and DOCG wines, which account for 35% of the EU total, with France at 31%.

A team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyzer that approaches the performance of established proton-exchange membrane(PEM) electrolyzers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium.