Irrigated Scots pines in the dry Pfyn Forest (canton of Valais) had their water supply turned off after 11 years. The trees' response surprised the international research group as it suggests that tree growth is also influenced by past conditions. Trees, you might say, do not forget.

Israel-based firm Pangea has introduced an end to end platform that aims to assist airlines and the tourism industry across the globe to get back to business amidst Covid-19. The company’s smart card acts as an immunity ‘passport’ which means that the cardholder is not infected and can travel to public places.

Physicians from Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, Austria, presented results of the world's most extensive study investigating the value of 5-aminolevulinic acid in surgery of brain metastases.

By performing experiments on Tubifex worms bought at the local pet shop, researchers at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have discovered that the wiggling motion of living worms gives rise to surprising physics.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) intends to speed up its regulatory procedures with an aim to grant marketing authorisations of safe and high-quality Covid-19 related medicines at the earliest. For this purpose, the Agency has shared an outline of its strategic plan.

Spanish researchers have developed a nanosensor that can detect very low quantities of nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere. The solutions also improves the reliability and sensitivity of existing sensors by 300 %.

Novartis has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a large Phase III clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine in hospitalised patients with the Covid-19 disease in the United States. The trial aims to speed up the process in order to determine if hydroxychloroquine will be beneficial for patients with this disease.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed the risks to public health from Listeria contamination of vegetables that are blanched — scalded in hot water or steam for a short time — before they are frozen. They conclude that the risks associated with the consumption of these products is lower than for ready-to-eat foods such as smoked fish, cooked meat, sausages, pâté, soft cheese.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major bacterial pathogen which leads to periodontitis, also known as gum disease. What’s more, P. gingivalis has also been linked to rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, pancreatic cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease. A research has provided new insights into bacteriology and is a crucial step towards combating the diseases this bacterium is associated with.

Researchers from Cambridge University and University of California San Diego have 3D printed coral-inspired structures that are capable of growing dense populations of microscopic algae. Their results, reported in the journal Nature Communications, open the door to new bio-inspired materials and their applications for coral conservation.