Scientists are still working on developing the first synthetic yeast genome in the world.

STATES CHRONICLE – A group of scientists from the International Synthetic Yeast Genome Project is closer to developing the first synthetic yeast genome in the world. They have recently announced that they completed the de novo redesign and had synthesized five more Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosomes. Researchers also developed a multi-dimensional, in-depth examination on the yeast strain.

Thus, they managed to determine that the phenotype of the newly developed synthetic yeast strain is similar to the one present in the wild type of strain. One of the Chinese researchers has conducted the redesign to completion and has also led the synthesis of the chromosome II. This chromosome is known to be 770 kilobase pair long. Scientists transformed it into a yeast cell which resulted in a synthetic strain.

This one is part of the wild type one when it comes to viability. The new study was published on March 9th in the Science magazine. The project was named Sc2.0, and it is known to be a new outstanding project in synthetic genomics research. The project consists in a consortium of many leading yeast laboratories located in Australia, Singapore, France, China, UK, and the USA.

Its primary purpose is to develop the first synthetic yeast genome until 2018. Chinese researchers received support from the National High Technology Research and Development Program and, thus, they managed to bring a significant contribution to the project. They all come from three different Chinese institutions, like Tsinghua University, Tianjin University, and BGI.

Prof, Jef D. Boeke, the leader, and initiator if the Sc2.0 project claimed that their Chinese colleagues from the three leading Chinese institutions had significantly contributed to the new project. Prof. Boeke also noted that the resources used to bear on this complex project, regarding human capital in the form of knowledgeable scientist, state of the art facilities and grant support, are outstanding.

The Chinese institution BGI, which is part of the Chinese team, has led the chromosome II synthesis process. They applied a “Trans-Omics” approach to determine the correlation between phenotype and genotype of the synthetic yeast strain at the metabolomics, proteomic, transcriptomic, genomic and phenotypic level.

Yue Shen, the director of the Genome Synthesis and Editing Platform at the China National GeneBank, argued that the Sc2.0 project offers scientists the opportunity to collaborate with international teams to learn more about genome synthesis.

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Scientists have a theory regarding why pandas have black and white patches.

STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers provide an explanation regarding why pandas have black and white patches. Pandas are known everywhere for their unique pattern, being one of the most fascinating creatures existing. Their limited diet is based only on bamboo consumption and their well-known reluctance to breed determined them to be one of the species on the verge of extinction.

This species left the endangered species list last year. Nevertheless, despite the scientific oversight which comes with ecological vulnerability, researchers still try to reveal the mystery behind their pattern. Other species of bears have only one color. Scientists want to determine why pandas are so different. Researchers from the California State University, University of California and Davis believe that they might have an answer.

Tim Caro, the lead author of the study and a professor in the UC Davis Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, claimed that it was difficult for them to determine why the panda bear has this pattern since no other mammals have it. This made it difficult for them to infer data by analogy. They reached a result after they had analyzed every part of a panda’s body as an independent area.

Scientists have found out that the black patches of a panda are not always black for the same reason. To reveal what part of the fur designated what, scientists compared a panda’s pattern to the pattern of other 195 carnivore species and 39 bear subspecies which were related to the Panda. Based on the new study recently published in the Behavioral Ecology journal, scientists unveiled that the color of the fur did not depend on temperature regulation or reducing eye glare.

Nevertheless, researchers discovered that the black and white patches could be related to two primary functions. One of them is communication, and the other is crypsis or camouflage. Researchers inferred that pandas are different from other bears when it comes to hibernation. Panda bears are active all the time, without hibernating.

Keeping in mind that bamboo is found in small amounts and only in particular areas, panda bears need to be able to search for food in warm and dense rainforests or even in snowy, mountainous regions. The white patches help the bear to camouflage in snowy areas, while the black patches helped the animal hide in rainforests.

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Researchers estimated that 80% of all wildfires are human-induced.

STATES CHRONICLE – Studies indicated that about 80% of wildfires in America are human-induced. They are responsible for 84% of all fires in the US. The study comprised the data recorded in a 20-year period. The remaining of 16% of fires were triggered by natural causes, like lightning. Bethany Bradley together with her colleagues from the University of Massachusetts has indicated that there occurred 1.5 million wildfires which happened between 1992 and 2002.

The study indicated that human-induced fires were triple the length of lightning-ignited fires. Every year, the average number of wildfires was of 40,000. The fires accounted for approximately half of 44% of burned areas. Based on the information provided by the team of researchers, humans are responsible for expanding fires into areas and environmental conditions compared to lighting-ignited fires.

The authors of the study argued that lightning develops enough ignition pressure to determine wetter materials to burn, growing the fire niche, responsible for measuring dryness, fuel mass, and ignition sources. The new study focused on wildfires which required firefighters to be squelched. In recent years, fighting wildfires meant spending approximately two billion dollars.

Jennifer Balch, the co-lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Colorado, stated that in the spring, fires ignite in the Southeast and later in the fall they occur in the West. During the last ten years, many fatal and costly fires burnt the western part of United States. States like Colorado, California, Washington, and Oregon faced the most massive wildfires ever registered.

Contrary to what people may think, human-induced fires are more common in spring and fall compared to the rest of the year. Lightning-ignited fires mainly happen in the mountains from the west during the summer time. July 4th was the day when approximately 7,700 wildfires started, being known as the most common day for human-ignited wildfires.

The main reasons which lie on the ground of human-induced fires are children, campfires, equipment use, arson and burning debris. The team of researchers proposed regional and national policy initiatives, having as sole purpose to reduce the human factor in wildfires. Specialists also pointed out that the urban areas are bound to intermingle with natural areas, being estimated to double by 2030. Thus, the fire vulnerability will increase even more.

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NASA researchers reanalyzed supernova 1987A due to the 30th anniversary since the stellar explosion.

STATES CHRONICLE – Scientists have looked back at Supernova 1987A celebrating the 30th anniversary of the stellar burst. When a star transforms into a supernova, it spreads iron, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon into the universe. By developing a study on supernovae, researchers have also revealed that the world we live in is an expanding one. A massive supernova burst back on February 23, 1987, its light washing over our planet.

Due to its proximity to Terra, having been located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the supernova has reached to be the most examined supernova for the last thirty years. It is situated at about 160,000 light-years from our planet. Since 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has observed the Supernova 1987A. Now, at the 30th anniversary of the supernova, the telescope has captured a new picture displaying the remnant of the SN 1987A.

The new image together with new data collected by the European Southern Observatory’s Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory of Chandra have recently been unveiled. NASA claimed that the latest information received from these revolutionary telescopes suggest that supernova 1987A has overcome a significant phase.

The shock wave from the supernova is moving beyond the thick ring of gas deployed during the life of that star. Back then, a fast wind coming from the pre-supernova star clashed with a slower wind which was previously developed in an early stage of the evolution of the star. Scientists did not reveal yet what lies beyond that gas ring.

In the past few years, this ring started to fade. It formed back in 1999, and it gradually increased to be brighter in X-rays. NASA claimed that starting with February 2013 until September 2015, the amount of low-energy X-rays stayed the same. All the changes which were recorded indicate the blast wave of this explosion surpassed the ring, reaching an area in which the dense gas was decreased.

This event represented “the end of an era for SN 1987.” Researchers argue that new analysis of supernovae 1987A could give them significant data regarding the early phases of elements’ dispersal throughout interstellar space. Before the explosion, the supernova was brighter than a hundred suns. But now, a remnant of a supernova slowly cools, and the elements which once formed it may create new molecules and transform into dust.

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NASA tries to develop some stronger materials to build vehicles and habitats on Mars.

STATES CHRONICLE – NASA scientists are currently working on developing stronger materials which would be suitable to build habitats and vehicles on Mars. New technologies are used to fuel the development of Mars mission. At this moment, the primary goal is to create habitats and transport vehicles which would be efficient on the Red Planet. NASA has recently approved the proposal claiming university research groups to develop necessary materials to support human presence on MARS.

The new gadgets developed aim to build stronger habitats and efficient but at the same time light vehicles by making use of carbon nanotube as being the primary material. The Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) need to exploit the skills of scientists coming from several organizations to develop advanced technologies in fields like space infrastructure and bio-manufacturing.

The primary focus will be to create self-supporting capabilities for deploy exploration missions by using Earth-independent features. Steve Jurczyk, the associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate based in Washington, stated that NASA asked STRIs to exploit and analyze cutting-edge progression in technology, developing the potential for innovative impact on upcoming aerospace capabilities.

NASA prefers to ask STRI for help because their effort goes hand in hand with the strategic concentration shifting of NASA regarding deep space exploration by setting off from the low orbit of Earth. NASA is looking for technologies which could support long crewed missions while helping them to develop devices in the original place than waiting for supply cargos sent from Earth.

The STRIs has already selected some institutes like the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP) and the Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES). These particular research programs are meant to fuel synthesis of engineering and science to achieve the main goals within five years.

The innovative technologies were funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate which will play a crucial role in obtaining spectacular results in NASA missions. These institutes are also bound to boost the talent base of America by steering the new applications towards and beyond the aerospace realm. Each STRI will obtain $15 million to develop their technology missions. Meanwhile, the CUBES Institute will continue its research into an integrated system for producing pharmaceuticals, materials, fuel and food.

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Scientists revealed that some ancient civilizations used maternal hierarchy to pass on kinship and status.

STATES CHRONICLE – A new study reveals a maternal hierarchy in an ancient civilization in New Mexico, inside the Chaco Canyon. There lies the richest burial site in the US Southwest. Specialists uncovered the skeleton of a 40-year-old man surrounded by 11,000 turquoise beads and pendants. Due to the fact that there are no written records of this civilization, scientists have wondered how this society which dates back at least a thousand year back was organized here in Chaco.

After using some ancient DNA collected from the remains of the man and 13 other people who were buried by his side, specialists concluded that elite status was transmitted through a maternal hierarchy, maternal line. It was passed on from mothers to their daughters and sons. However, we knew that most ancient societies were based on a parental line, meaning that status or leadership was passed through to children through their father’s line.

Nevertheless, there are some exceptions when it comes to matrilineal societies. For instance, in ancient societies like the Lycians of ancient Turkey, kinship and elite status is passed from mothers to daughters and sons. This does not mean that such societies were ruled by women. However, it does suggest that women had a significant role in passing over the family line.

Researchers have been discussing this issue for a while now, and they were wondering whether the Chacoans who lived in the largest buildings in North America has an equal society or a hierarchical one with an established elite. Thus, scientists decided to analyze the bodies to reveal whether they indicate something about the organization of their community.

A team of researchers conducted by archaeologist Douglas Kennett of Pennsylvania State University in State College examined the remains found at Chaco Canyon, in room 33 of the Pueblo Bonito complex. Now, these were stored at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, by using DNA sequencing. Firstly, the team of scientists established the order in which all the bodies were buried by making use of radiocarbon dating.

The oldest ones dated back 800 C.E., from the very beginning of the Chacoan era. The youngest ones pertained to people from Chacoan societies which lived there in 1130. Scientists used genetic analysis to examine mitochondrial DNA which can only be passed through the maternal line. Nine of the bodies there indicated the same mitochondrial DNA.

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NASA satellite is bound to estimate the supply of water coming from snowfalls and rain.

STATES CHRONICLE – A NASA satellite is meant to monitor snowfall, mainly focusing on the snow falling in the western United States. Their primary purpose is to be able to estimate the supply of fresh water accurately. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt is controlling a satellite GPM which is bound to trace snow and rain at a global level.

Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum, a researcher working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, claimed that the satellite was specially created to track the amount of rain and falling snow through the atmosphere of our planet. The device uses the most advanced tools to be able to go on with its work. Thus, NASA explores the next generation of devices which are bound to be launched.

A team of researchers is flying over a snowpack in Colorado Rockies, being aboard of a plane to test the new tools contrary to what scientists on the ground are tracking. Dr. Kirshbaum argued that their purpose is to measure the layer of snow by taking a look at the snow depth, trying to determine the water which is usually stored in snow.

The scientists also pointed out that another goal is to understand better how this equipment could actually be used on a future satellite mission. Scientists do not only research for the sake of science. They are trying to determine the amount of water which is contained by the snow. The quantities are crucial to life on this planet, being difficult used for agriculture and drinking.

Not only the western part of the Unites States lacks in water, but there are decreased water levels throughout the whole world. Dr. Kirshbaum asserted that approximately a sixth of the world, meaning 20% of the entire population, depends on glaciers and snowpack to use the water when they melt. If scientists can understand the process through which those water resources are stored, this could help us develop methods to manage the resources of fresh water better.

People who live in areas around large mountainous regions depend on those water resources. The snow in the mountains melts in summer, the water going down, gradually flowing into the lowlands during warm seasons. That is when humans need a high amount of water.

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Students from Stanford University used a 5,000-year-old beer recipe to brew beer.

STATES CHRONICLE – A team of students from Stanford University managed to brew beer recreating a 5000-year-old recipe. They gathered at the Stanford Archaeology Center. There, they managed to develop their plan. Li Liu, a professor of Chinese archaeology at Stanford, helped the students, showing them a collection of glass beakers filled with yellow liquid.

White layers of foam floated above that fluid. Students were not pleased to smell and taste the liquid, especially after their professor informed them that those bottles were the outcomes of their final project for the course Archaeology of Food: Production, Consumption, and Ritual. The liquids in the glasses represented homemade beer developed by students who used old brewing mechanisms of early human civilizations.

One of the experiments made by students has even imitated a beer recipe dating back 5,000 years ago. Liu and her team of students managed to reveal that technique and then used it to develop a research which was published last year. Liu, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Professor in Chinese Archaeology, stated that students are used to misinterpreting the goal of archaeology. This science is not only about reading books and examining artifacts.

She also argued that trying to use the exact methods our ancestors used when brewing beer really helped students to figure out how difficult it must have been for them to do such complicated processes, understanding how they worked. Liu collaborated with a doctoral candidate, Jiajing Wang and a team of researchers discovered the ancient recipe while analyzing the residue which remained on the inner walls of vessels revealed in northeast China, in an excavated site.

The new study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It provided the earliest proof ever discovered regarding beer production in China. Ancient Chinese people made beer out of cereal grains, including barley and millet. What is more, they also used Job’s tears, a plant popular in Asia. The residues of the inner walls of the vessels also indicated traces of lily roots and yam.

Liu claimed that they were surprised to find out that barley was used back then, mainly because barley is used today in the beer industry. Apparently, the earliest evidence of barley seeds in China dates back 4,000 years ago. This indicates why this ingredient, which was first introduced in western Asia, reached to spread across China.

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