Science

More data are being created, consumed, and transported than ever before, and in all areas of society, including business, government, health care, and science. The hope and promise is that this influx of information—known as big data—will be transformative: armed with insightful information, businesses will make more money while providing improved customer service, governments will be more efficient, medical science will be better able to prevent and treat diseases, and science will make discoveries that otherwise would not be possible.

(Phys.org) —Marine biologists from Heriot-Watt have discovered a deep-sea shark spawning ground on Scotland's only inshore coral reef.

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have found an effective solution for collecting sunlight for artificial photosynthesis. By combining self-assembling DNA molecules with simple dye molecules, the researchers have created a system that resembles nature's own antenna system.

Based at the Institute of Chemistry in the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ján Tká?'s research combines glycomics – the study of sugars in organisms – with biochip sensors based on nanoparticles and nanotubes. The complexity of sugar molecules, he says, has so far held back the development of glycomics, but today it is one of the fastest developing scientific fields.

Cell biologists believe that gene expression in eukaryotic cells is partly controlled by the uneven distribution of DNA in the nucleus. Colin Stewart and Audrey Wang at the A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, and their international co-workers, have identified two proteins that control this distribution of DNA. Their findings have important implications for disease and cellular development.

Air pollution is related to forest decline and also appears to attack the protecting wax on tree leaves and needles. Bonn University scientists have now discovered a responsible mechanism: particulate matter salt compounds that become deliquescent because of humidity and form a wick-like structure that removes water from leaves and promotes dehydration. These results are published in Environmental Pollution.

America's economy will hum along its path of moderate growth, adding 4.7 million jobs through the end of next year, say University of Michigan economists.

A sensor developed in Norway gives microphones hyper-acute hearing and a sense of direction.

Material scientists expect the new multifunctional properties of hybrid nanostructures will transform the development of high-performance devices, including batteries, high-sensitivity sensors and solar cells. These self-assembling nanostructures are typically generated by depositing ultrasmall objects with different properties on the surfaces of tiny semiconducting wires. However, the factors that govern their formation remain elusive, making these structures difficult to control and design.

Bacteria, for the most part, thrive in extreme temperatures and in arid conditions. But some types of bacteria have the capacity to do this and more: they grow within diverse environments and adapt easily. One such species is the Bacillus subtilis. Known to make its home in soil and in water, researchers have also found evidence that B. subtilis is frequently present in the human gut.