Glycerol, used in the past as antifreeze for cars, is produced by a range of organisms from yeasts to vertebrates, some of which use it as an osmoprotectant - a molecule that prevents dangerous water loss in salty environments - while others use it as an antifreeze. Here, scientists from the University of Nevada and Miami University in Ohio show that two species of the single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas from Antarctica, called UWO241 and ICE-MDV, produce high levels of glycerol to protect them from osmotic water loss, and possibly also from freezing injury. Presently, only one other organism, an Arctic fish, is known to use glycerol for both purposes. Both species synthesize glycerol with enzymes encoded by multiple copies of a recently discovered ancient gene family. These results, published today in the open-access journal Frontiers in Plant Science, illustrate the importance of adaptations that allow life to not only survive but to thrive in extreme habitats.

Glycerol, used in the past as antifreeze for cars, is produced by a range of organisms from yeasts to vertebrates, some of which use it as an osmoprotectant – a molecule that prevents dangerous water loss in salty environments – while others use it as an antifreeze.

Despite being located in the hot and dry Mojave Desert, Nevada is home to 52 fish species found nowhere else in the world.

United States authorities are trying to eradicate Asian giant wasps , which are often dubbed killer wasps . However, the wasp which was first reported to appear there at the end of 2019 is feared to spread throughout the country and become a permanent species.

Asian giant hornets have the potential to spread across the United States and establish a permanent presence in the country, experts have told Newsweek.

A cave deep in the wilderness of central Nevada is a repository of evidence supporting the urgent need for the Southwestern U.S. to adopt targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new UNLV study finds.

A cave deep in the wilderness of central Nevada is a repository of evidence supporting the urgent need for the Southwestern U.S. to adopt targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a new UNLV study finds.

Nearly three weeks since a 5-month-old pup died of toxic shock after a dip in the Virgin River at Zion National Park, park and health officials are still puzzled how the deadly organisms wound up in the waters.

Picture this: you’re sitting in your backyard, enjoying the sunshine, maybe sipping a lemonade. Then WHAM! A large, fast bug whizzes past your head. If that bug is a horsefly, you can worry a little bit. But if that bug is a dragonfly, fret not—it’s one of the best insects to have around, especially because they’ll eat up all the mosquitos. “Dragonflies love to eat mosquitoes and gnats and can help cut down on them,” says Allen Gibbs, an insect expert and life science professor at the University of Las Vegas.

The long-standing rules for assigning scientific names to bacteria and archaea are overdue for an update, according to a new consensus statement backed by 119 microbiologists from around the globe.

The long-standing rules for assigning scientific names to bacteria and archaea are overdue for an update, according to a new consensus statement backed by 119 microbiologists from around the globe.

You do what you can.

Staying home as much as possible, and wearing a mask when you can’t.