Washington, Nov 15 : Scientists have discovered an unusual microorganism in the sea that plays an important role in ocean ecology, and may force them to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems.

A research team led by Jonathan Zehr, a marine scientist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, characterized the new microbe by analyzing its genetic material, even though researchers have not been able to grow it in the laboratory.

Kuala Lumpur, Nov 15 : The world’s first-ever humanoid robot Asimo is showcasing its abilities in Malaysia during an ongoing road tour until Nov 30.

Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd has brought in Asimo, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, which is capable to grip objects and recognise people.

London, Nov 15 : Reports indicate that the Mars rover Spirit is still working and is slowly recharging its batteries after a weekend dust storm that caused the craft’s power levels to drop to an all-time low.

The storm that hit Spirit came less than two weeks after similar weather in the far north sent NASA’s Phoenix Lander to an early grave.

Rover team members were awaiting a sign this week that the craft had survived the storm, which blanketed Spirit’s solar panels with dust.

Washington, Nov 15 : Scientists have determined that to understand how life began on Earth, it is important to study the chemistry that preceded early life, as well as studying Mars.

These two new approaches for understanding how life started on our planet were discussed at a European Science Foundation (ESF) and COST ‘Frontiers of Science’ conference in Sicily, which was held recently.

The first applies complex systems theory to the chemistry that preceded early life. The second involves studying Mars, which may yield ample evidence about what Earth was like when life evolved.

Washington, November 11 : A contact lens solution loses its anti-fungal properties when exposed to high temperatures, according to a new study.

Published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, the study involved the same contact lens solution that was implicated in the epidemic of the eye infection Fusarium keratitis, which occurred between 2004 and 2006.

Background information in the article suggests that Bausch & Lomb launched in 2004 its ReNu with MoistureLoc, which contains an antimicrobial agent not found in other solutions.