National Science Foundation

NSF Director visits the world’s largest experimental earthquake infrastructure facility LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Today, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan met with staff and students from the University of California San Diego, local officials and industry partners to observe and discuss research investments… Published June 30, 2022 at 07:33PM Read more at nsf.gov

Spatial aspects of biodiversity important for healthy forests Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have determined that tree beta diversity -- a measure of site-to-site variation in the composition of species in an area -- matters more for ecosystem functioning than other components of biodiversity… Published June 30, 2022 at 06:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

Historical irrigation leaves long-lasting legacies on the prairie A hallmark of environmental science is understanding how ecosystems respond to global change. Much of this research focuses on short-term ecosystem responses, such as how an ecosystem responds to a sudden onset of drought. But previous conditions can… Published June 30, 2022 at 06:37AM Read more at nsf.gov

Less air pollution leads to higher crop yields, study shows Increasing agricultural productivity usually depends on adding something, such as fertilizer or water. Now, a Stanford University-led study reveals that removing one thing in particular -- a common air pollutant -- could lead to dramatic gains in… Published June 29, 2022 at 07:11AM Read more at nsf.gov

Models predict that planned phosphorus reductions will make Lake Erie more toxic Reducing levels of the nutrient phosphorus to control harmful algal blooms in places such as Lake Erie is advantageous to toxic cyanobacteria strains, which can lead to an increase in toxins in the water, according to a new modeling study. U.S… Published June 29, 2022 at 07:14AM Read more at nsf.gov

Genetics breakthrough in sea urchins aids biomedical research Marine biologists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have created a line of sea urchins whose genetic makeup is fully mapped and can be edited to study human disease genes. The creation of these new research model organisms will accelerate… Published June 28, 2022 at 11:36AM Read more at nsf.gov

Genetic, environmental factors contribute to how socioeconomic status impacts the brain A study in Science Advances has revealed correlations among socioeconomics, genetics, environmental factors and brain structure. Socioeconomic status is typically defined by characteristics such as an individual's income, education and occupation… Published June 28, 2022 at 11:00AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF Research Traineeship program expands to include 43 states The U.S. National Science Foundation announced 22 new awards through its NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program. The $58 million investment, including $6.9 million of support from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, expands the program to comprise… Published June 27, 2022 at 08:21AM Read more at nsf.gov

Mastodon tusk chemical analysis reveals first evidence of one extinct animal's annual migration Around 13,200 years ago, a roving male mastodon died in a bloody mating season battle with a rival in what is now northeast Indiana, nearly 100 miles from his home territory, according to the first study to document the annual migration of an… Published June 27, 2022 at 06:56AM Read more at nsf.gov

Bizarre meat-eating dinosaur joins rogues' gallery of giant predators from Sahara Desert U.S. National Science Foundation-funded researchers at Ohio University and other institutions have discovered a new kind of large-bodied meat-eating dinosaur, or theropod, from a celebrated fossil site in Egypt’s Sahara Desert. The fossil of a still… Published June 27, 2022 at 06:52AM Read more at nsf.gov

A cloudless future? The mystery at the heart of climate forecasts We hear a lot about how climate change will change the land, sea and ice. But how will it affect clouds? "Low clouds could dry up and shrink like the ice sheets," said Michael Pritchard, an Earth system scientist at the University of California… Published June 23, 2022 at 08:15AM Read more at nsf.gov

Great white sharks may have contributed to megalodon extinction Megatooth sharks like Otodus megalodon, more commonly known as megalodon, lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago in oceans around the globe, and may have reached 20 meters (65.6 feet). For comparison, the largest great white sharks today reach a… Published June 23, 2022 at 08:19AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers discover particle accelerator region inside a solar flare Solar flares are among the most violent explosions in the solar system. But despite their immense energy -- equivalent to a hundred billion atomic bombs detonating at once -- physicists still haven't been able to answer exactly how these sudden… Published June 22, 2022 at 12:31PM Read more at nsf.gov

Indigenous Borneans knew a tree was two distinct species. Genetic analysis confirms they were right. More than 200 years ago, a Spanish botanist described Artocarpus odoratissimus, a species of fruit-bearing tree found in Borneo and the Philippines. The Iban people, who are indigenous to Borneo, know the tree to have two different varieties, which… Published June 22, 2022 at 12:08PM Read more at nsf.gov

Altered gene helps plants absorb more carbon dioxide, produce more useful compounds Every day, plants around the world perform an invisible miracle. They take carbon dioxide from the air and, with the help of sunlight, turn it into countless chemicals essential to both plants and humans. Some of these chemicals, known as aromatic… Published June 22, 2022 at 12:14PM Read more at nsf.gov

Astronomers explain why Uranus is lighter in color than Neptune Neptune and Uranus are similar in size and atmospheric conditions but curiously, Neptune is a darker shade of blue. Astronomers used observations from the international Gemini Observatory, a program of NSF's NOIRLab, the NASA Infrared Telescope… Published June 22, 2022 at 12:26PM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF announces new opportunities for Hispanic-serving institutions to support research and capacity building through collaborations and partnerships The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new funding opportunity of nearly $29 million through the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program, also known as the HSI program. Through this new solicitation… Published June 22, 2022 at 10:25AM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF, AACC announce 2022 Community College Innovation Challenge winners Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges announced the three winning teams of this year's Community College Innovation Challenge. A team of expert judges selected the Bergen… Published June 16, 2022 at 02:14PM Read more at nsf.gov

NSF selects Kellina Craig-Henderson to lead its Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate The U.S. National Science Foundation has selected Kellina Craig-Henderson to serve as Assistant Director of its Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate. She had been serving as acting assistant director since January. Craig-Henderson is… Published June 16, 2022 at 07:13AM Read more at nsf.gov

New class of light-powered polymer catalysts could improve pharmaceutical manufacturing Chemical reactions powered by light require photoredox catalysts that convert light into a chemical reaction. Chemists based at MIT, supported by a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, have developed a new class of photoredox catalysts… Published June 16, 2022 at 07:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

3D-printed shape memory alloy is engineered with superelasticity Engineers at Texas A&M University conducting a study supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation have created a superelastic shape memory alloy using 3D printing. Their method avoids defects like warping and delamination that commonly occur… Published June 16, 2022 at 07:30AM Read more at nsf.gov

Toward more sustainable wine: Scientists can now track sulfur from grapes to streams Each week during growing season, California winemakers coat their precious grapes with sulfur fungicides to prevent powdery mildew infection. It's an effective defense against a potentially crop-devastating disease in one of the state's largest… Published June 15, 2022 at 07:41AM Read more at nsf.gov

How electric fish evolved their electric organs Electric organs help fish such as the electric eel do all sorts of amazing things. They send and receive signals that are akin to bird songs, helping them recognize other electric fish by species and sex. Now a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded… Published June 15, 2022 at 07:46AM Read more at nsf.gov

How sleep builds relational memory Relational memory is the ability to remember arbitrary or indirect associations between objects, places, people or events -- such as names and faces. Previous research has established that animal and human memory benefits from quality sleep. In a new… Published June 14, 2022 at 09:51AM Read more at nsf.gov

Smart pacemaker dissolves when it is no longer needed Researchers at Northwestern University funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation have created an implantable pacemaker that dissolves once the device is no longer needed. The latest iteration is a "smart" device with four soft, flexible… Published June 14, 2022 at 09:48AM Read more at nsf.gov

Capturing carbon with crops, trees and bioenergy An integrated approach to land management practices in the U.S. can reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere far more than earlier estimates based on separate approaches, Michigan State University scientists say. Their research was published in the… Published June 13, 2022 at 10:23AM Read more at nsf.gov

Researchers quantify the impact of urban vegetation on mortality rates A nationwide study on urban greenery found that increased green vegetation in large, metropolitan areas could have prevented more than 30,000 deaths over two decades. Researchers examined publicly available data to model and quantify the impact of… Published June 13, 2022 at 10:23AM Read more at nsf.gov

Common component of many sunscreens may hasten corals' demise You can love something to death. That is one way of thinking about a Stanford University study that reveals how a common component of many sunscreens worn by coral reef-exploring tourists may hasten the demise of these endangered ecosystems. The U.S… Published June 08, 2022 at 09:33AM Read more at nsf.gov

Freezing points of salty liquid oceans on icy moons of distant planets Scientists at the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley, combined geoscience and engineering to study watery oceans on the icy moons of distant planets. The research, partially supported by funding from the U.S. National… Published June 07, 2022 at 09:33AM Read more at nsf.gov

Image-based simulations could improve accuracy in assessing how bone fractures heal U.S. National Science Foundation-supported researchers based at Lehigh University used bone imaging techniques to study fracture healing and model the mechanical properties of healing bone. Their model will advance the development of a virtual… Published June 07, 2022 at 09:33AM Read more at nsf.gov

Study examines the effect of prolonged spaceflight on the brain Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, supported in part by two grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, imaged the brains of astronauts before and after the astronauts completed an extended tour on the International Space… Published June 06, 2022 at 09:33AM Read more at nsf.gov

Astronomers find star system that may be a rare 'black widow' binary Astronomers conducting research funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation have discovered what could be a "black widow" binary 3,000 light years from Earth. It’s known as ZTF J1406+1222. A black widow binary is a neutron star that spins… Published June 06, 2022 at 09:33AM Read more at nsf.gov

Discovery Files - Bone Therapy 3D bioprinting is being used to print living human tissue, but what else could it create? Full story at https://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=188249&from=?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click This is an NSF News item. Published June 09, 2022 at 09:00PM Read more at nsf.gov

The Discovery Files – Fish on the Menu? As marine ecosystems change with warming ocean temperatures, will seafood still be on the dinner menu? GEO-OCE Grant Award # 1426891 Full story at https://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_disp.jsp?med_id=188225&from=?WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click This is an NSF News item. Published June 01, 2022 at 09:00PM Read more at nsf.gov