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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: microorganisms

microorganisms stories: 6 news summaries

 Spooky Universal Pattern 
 Captivates Math Experts 

Academics ponder similarities between cities and organisms

May 20, 09 5:53 AM CDT
(Newser) - A fascinating mathematical similarity between infrastructure requirements of cities and the nutritional needs of different-sized animals has energized a field of study that is enthralling academics. Researchers have discovered that any measure of a city's infrastructure—from number of gas stations to miles of roadway—grows only in proportion to... More »

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microorganisms • professor • academics • mathematics • pattern recognition • city • animal • mathematicians • urban development • math

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered an Antarctic ecosystem of microorganisms cut off from light and oxygen for as many as 2 million years, the Guardian reports. The microbes, living under one-third of a mile of ice, in a 14-degree lake four times as salty as seawater, give researchers clues to how life... More »

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evolution • Antarctica • oxygen • microorganisms • freezing temperatures • microbes • outer space • photosynthesis • salt water

(Newser) - Single-celled organisms that absorb electricity and emit methane can help people store energy from green power sources, New Scientist reports. Researchers have found that certain microorganisms, when fed surplus power, mix it with carbon dioxide to create methane, which can be saved and burned any time—perfect for storing power... More »

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green energy • solar energy • microorganisms • wind power

 Asteroids Could Reseed
 a Devastated Earth 

Rock-dwelling microorganisms would make it back from space

May 18, 08 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - If a comet ever obliterates life on Earth, don't worry—space rocks could later fall in and reseed a few basic life forms. A new study shows that organisms can survive being hit by a meteor, ejected into space, and hurtled back to Earth on the face of a rock—... More »

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Mars • space • Earth • microorganisms • life • asteroid • meteorites • space debris

Gene Tweaking Dramatically Extends Life

Altered yeast microbes live 10 times longer
than control group

Jan 14, 08 5:33 PM CST
(Newser) - In a breakthrough that may have implications for humans, researchers have made the lifespan of yeast 10 times longer, doubling the previous record for life expansion, LiveScience reports. Genetic alteration and a low-calorie diet prolonged the microbe's existence from the typical 1 week to 10 weeks. The scientists involved have... More »

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genetics • DNA • life expectancy • genes • microorganisms • longevity • yeast • life extension

Frozen DNA
Survives After
8 Million Years

Microorganisms from Antarctica look
like Martian data

Aug 7, 07 9:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have nixed the notion that glaciers are lifeless blocks of ice by thawing chunks containing Antarctic organisms and watching them successfully divide on their own, the Los Angeles Times reports. The study suggests that these microorganisms, ranging from 100,000 to 8 million years old, could yield DNA and... More »

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evolution • global warming • Mars • DNA • bacteria • Antarctica • glacier • microorganisms • life • gene Popsicle

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