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The coronavirus is continuing to mutate as it spreads

Millions of coronavirus mutations offer a new insight into evolution

7 February 2023

Using publicly available SARS-CoV-2 sequences, researchers have revealed the genetic sites that must be in a particular state for the coronavirus to survive and which can tolerate changes

Light micrograph of a section through the spleen of a patient with Gaucher's disease. Small lymphocytes and large macrophage cells (Gaucher?s cells, pink, a type of white blood cell) are present. Gaucher's disease is an inherited metabolic disorder in which a fatty substance called glucocerebroside accumulates in the spleen (in macrophages), lungs, liver and bone marrow, and sometimes the brain. This is due to an absence of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GC). The disease appears in childhood, and some forms are fatal in the first few years. Other forms cause enlargement of the affected organs, weak and painful bones and anaemia. Some forms also cause severe nervous system damage. There is no cure, but enzyme replacement therapy using GC can relieve the symptoms. Haematoxylin-eosin saffron (HES) stain. Magnification: x400 at 24x36 mm size.

Genes for Gaucher disease may have protected Jewish people against TB

6 February 2023

Gaucher disease, a genetic condition that is more common in Ashkenazi Jewish people, may confer protection against tuberculosis, according to research in zebrafish

Two images of a women, one generated by AI, look very similar

AI image generators that create close copies could be a legal headache

6 February 2023

Artificial intelligence models trained on millions of images can occasionally reproduce near-perfect copies, researchers have found, which could be significant for ongoing copyright infringement lawsuits

The hippocampus (orange) is a structure in the brain that plays a key role in memory. Less extensive damage to the hippocampus has been linked to worse amnesia than more severe injuries

Mild brain damage may affect memory more than severe injuries

6 February 2023

In a small study, memory recall was better in people with more severe damage to a brain region involved with memory, compared with those with milder damage. With severe damage, other parts of the brain may take on the damaged region's function

Three nautilus species new to science have been found in the Pacific

6 February 2023

The distinct branching patterns and stripes on the shells of three kinds of nautiluses have been used to identify them as separate species

A Chinese spy balloon drifting to the ocean after being shot down

Suspected Chinese 'spy balloon' shot down by US fighter jet over sea

6 February 2023

A Chinese balloon that was travelling over the US, including over military sites, was shot down by a fighter jet on 4 February

Diving drone can switch between flying and swimming

6 February 2023

A drone that can fly like a standard quadcopter but also operate underwater could be developed as a tool for engineers and search and rescue teams

Three smokestacks from a coal-burning power plant send up plumes of white smoke into a blue sky

US megadrought has led to more air pollution from power plants

3 February 2023

The ongoing drought in the western US depleted reservoirs and reduced hydropower generation. Fossil fuel power plants filled the gap but that has led to increased air pollution

Sperm-sorting device aims to find healthy samples to boost IVF success

3 February 2023

Healthier sperm are normally selected for IVF using a centrifuge, which can damage the cells, but an alternative method can do the job gently by creating a current for them to swim against

Part of the setup for creating medium density amorphous ice

Entirely new type of ice made using extremely cold steel balls

2 February 2023

A new type of ice called medium-density amorphous ice has the same density as liquid water, so studying it could help us understand water’s strange behaviour at low temperatures