Lifeboat Foundation

Legume plants have the unique ability to interact with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, known as rhizobia. Legumes and rhizobia engage in symbiotic relations upon nitrogen starvation, allowing the plant to thrive without the need for externally supplied nitrogen.

Symbiotic nodules are formed on the root of the plant, which are readily colonized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The cell-surface receptor SYMRK (symbiosis receptor-like kinase) is responsible for mediating the symbiotic signal from rhizobia perception to formation of the nodule. The activation mechanism of the receptor was until recently unknown.

In this study, appearing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have now identified four essential phosphorylation sites that act as the catalyst for the symbiotic relationship between legume plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The initial steps of the symbiotic pathway at the cell surface are well characterized; however, understanding of how the signal is relayed downstream has eluded the research field for years.

LG Chem is building a $3 billion battery cathode factory for EVs in Tennessee – and it just inked a multi-billion dollar deal with GM.

LG Chem has secured a long-term cathode material supply contract with General Motors (GM) worth $19 billion. The contract will commence in 2026 – when the factory is expected to come online – and run until 2035.

Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and GM, will primarily use the NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum) cathode materials made at LG’s Tennessee factory.

The H2 Barge 2 is a hydrogen fuel-cell powered ship designed to transport containers on the Rhine between Rotterdam (NL) and Duisburg (DE) with zero emissions that could represent a massive reduction in carbon emissions.

Developed by Dutch shipowner Future Proof Shipping (FPS) and funded by the EU Flagships project and the Interreg ZEM Ports NS project, the H2 Barge 2 (formerly Fenny 1 and FPS Waal) was built as a conventionally powered containership before being converted to electric drive – with the 1.2 MW of power to drive the vessel’s motors coming from six PEM fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and a number of battery packs placed below deck.

Compared to its previous incarnations, the H2 Barge 2 is expected to reduce 3,000 tons of CO₂ annually while sailing a comparable amount of shipping containers up and down the Rhine. And, in doing so (the company says), the vessel proves that the European river fleet can be, “fully zero emission already today.”

Step-On-Feet Tuning.

Scaling self-alignment of llms via bootstrapping.

Join the discussion on this paper page.

Pre-liver-transplant information for patients and families.

“Aging reversal is something that’s been proven about eight different ways in animals,” geneticist George Church says. So when will humans get to turn back t…

LISA, a collaborative mission between ESA and NASA, aims to detect gravitational waves from space, offering new insights into the cosmos through advanced technology and international cooperation.

The first space-based observatory designed to detect gravitational waves has passed a major review and will proceed to the construction of flight hardware. On January 25, ESA (European Space Agency), announced the formal adoption of LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, to its mission lineup, with launch slated for the mid-2030s. ESA leads the mission, with NASA serving as a collaborative partner.

Continue reading “How LISA — A Gravitational Wave Observatory in Space — Will Transform Our Cosmic Understanding” »

Innovative research introduces a practical, model-free method for exploring topological properties in materials, enhancing the scope and efficiency of topological studies.

The branch of mathematics known as topology has become a cornerstone of modern physics thanks to the remarkable – and above all reliable – properties it can impart to a material or system. Unfortunately, identifying topological systems, or even designing new ones, is generally a tedious process that requires exactly matching the physical system to a mathematical model.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam and the École Normale Supérieure of Lyon have demonstrated a model-free method for identifying topology, enabling the discovery of new topological materials using a purely experimental approach.

Benjamin Franklin famously wrote: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” While that may still be true, there’s a controversy simmering today about one of the ways doctors declare people to be dead.

Bioethicists, doctors and lawyers are weighing whether to redefine how someone should be declared dead. A change in criteria for brain death could have wide-ranging implications for patients’ care.