Trump announces 25% tariffs on Japanese and South Korean goods
US President Donald Trump has declared a 25% tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea starting August 1, urging both nations to shift production t...
Australian-led research into ancient microbialite structures is revealing how early life thrived without sunlight, offering potential insights for future carbon capture strategies.
An Australian-led study is uncovering new clues about life’s origins by studying ancient microbialite structures formed by early microbes.
The research, conducted by Monash University in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and University College London, offered new insights into how early life forms may have thrived in extreme environments and could inform future carbon capture strategies to combat climate change.
The study showed that microbialites, among Earth’s earliest life forms, could thrive without sunlight by using energy from chemicals such as hydrogen, iron, ammonia, and sulfur. This allowed them to survive even in total darkness.
"We think these ecosystems have been places where microbes came up with new ways to survive and make energy, helping shape the course of life on Earth," said Francesco Ricci, the study’s first author and a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute’s Greening Lab.
Senior author Harry McClelland from University College London said the team was uncovering general rules for how these microbial communities function, finding that chemical energy exchange between neighbouring areas boosts carbon fixation and recaptures carbon dioxide, enhancing productivity.
Ricci noted that certain microbes in microbialites efficiently consume greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, suggesting their potential for innovative carbon capture to help mitigate climate change.
Living examples of microbialites can be found in Western Australia, which not only shed light on Earth’s earliest ecosystems but also point to new possibilities for sustainable carbon management, according to the study published in the ISME Journal of the Netherlands-based International Society for Microbial Ecology.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
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The European Commission has dismissed industry calls to delay the rollout of its landmark AI Act, confirming that the law will proceed according to its legally established timeline.
The European Commission has proposed a strategy to position Europe as a global leader in quantum technology by 2030. The initiative aims to advance the quantum sector while preserving Europe’s scientific edge.
Boeing said on Thursday it had secured a $2.8 billion U.S. contract to develop and produce two satellites with options for two more.
Scientists have captured the first clear image of a rare double-detonation supernova, where a white dwarf star is destroyed by two rapid explosions, producing key elements such as calcium and iron.
The UK Space Agency has launched a new process to tackle the growing threat of space debris, initiating a £75.6 million tender for the country’s first mission to actively remove defunct satellites from orbit.
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