German China
Fruit-eating spider monkeys are extraordinarily sensitive to the taste of ethanol. (Olga Mendenhall)
Sweden: Dietary Habits

Why Monkeys Acquire a Taste for Alcohol

Fruit-eating monkeys show a preference for concentrations of alcohol found in fermenting fruit, but do not seem to use alcohol as a source of supplementary calories, according to a study from Linköping University in Sweden and the Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. The findings do not support the idea that human alcoholism originated from a predilection of primates for alcohol-containing overripe fruit.

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During the first months of the pandemic, researchers were able to determine the structure of the coronavirus. (Uppsala University)
Sweden: Coronavirus

Promising Weakness of Covid-19 Discovered

Uppsala researchers have succeeded in designing a molecule that inhibits the replication of coronaviruses and that has great potential for development into a drug suitable for treating Covid-19. The molecule is effective against both the new variant and previously identified coronaviruses.

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WASP-189b has a layered type of atmosphere where three-dimensional chemistry, thermal effects and dynamics in the form of winds play an important role. (Bibiana Prinoth)
Sweden: Astronomy

Mapping the Atmosphere of an Exoplanet

Researchers at Sweden’s Lund University have announced that they have succeeded in mapping the atmosphere of an exoplanet – WASP-189b with the assistance of high-resolution spectroscopy. The study of the hot gas surrounding the exoplanet which is outside our solar system will help researchers understand the functioning of Earth-like planets.

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Study co-author Marlon Ac-Pangan visits a cacao farm in Lachua region, Guatemala. (University of Illinois)
USA: Food Contamination

How Cadmium Ends Up in Your Chocolate

Researchers have chased the source of cacao’s cadmium contamination for years, but an array of distinct sampling methods and sites led to mixed results. In a new analysis, University of Illinois scientists consider the soil factors influencing cadmium’s ride into cacao beans, with the aim of recommending feasible and cost-effective ways farmers can minimize uptake.

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