An evolutionary battleground: Plants vs. microbes
Gazing out on a freshwater pond, you may see tiny green plants with oval-shaped leaves floating in clusters. In overgrown ponds, these plants coat the water's surface. These plants—called duckweed or water lentils—can grow so fast that they can d.....»»
With the right plants, wetlands can recover, says researcher
Wetlands, such as bogs and marshes, have largely disappeared in the Netherlands. With humidification and the growth of the right plants, wetlands can be restored. This is evident from research by Renske Vroom, who will receive her doctorate on this s.....»»
How Front Range cow waste and car exhaust are hurting Rocky Mountain National Park"s ecosystem
For decades, gases from car exhaust and cow waste have drifted from Colorado's Front Range to harm plants, fish and wildlife in Rocky Mountain National Park, and while a decades-long effort to slow the damage is working, it's not moving as quickly as.....»»
Found dead in the snow: How microbes can help pinpoint time of death for forensic investigations in frigid conditions
What happens to a dead body in an extremely cold environment? Does it decompose? How do these conditions affect how forensic scientists understand when the person died?.....»»
Study fills in gaps and biases in plant biodiversity data
It is hard to protect something if you don't know where it is. Yet many people who study and want to safeguard native plants are faced with this exact problem......»»
New firmoss species found in Guizhou, China
Huperzia is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses. It contains about 25 species that mainly occur in temperate and boreal climatic zones of the world......»»
Q&A: What 106°F heat does to plants
With temperatures across much of Southern California crossing triple digits this week, we are relying more than ever on plants to keep us cool outside. But the plants don't get much of a break from the relentless sun......»»
Plant thermogenesis has played key role in attracting pollinating insects for at least 200 million years, study suggests
Thermogenesis is a process by which organisms generate internal heat. Although it is usually associated with animals, some plants have also developed this ability. This metabolic process allows certain parts of the plant, such as flowers and inflores.....»»
Plant scientists link phospholipid sensing with control of gene expression
Plant scientists have long known that phosphorus is a crucial component in plant growth. A major discovery by a Kansas State University (K-State) biologist and her lab is leading to a better understanding of how plants detect and use that resource—.....»»
Angiosperms study provides insights into genome evolution after whole-genome duplications
Whole-genome duplication (WGD, or polyploidy) is a common and frequent occurrence in plants, providing raw genetic material for evolution. Homoeologs (duplicate genes from a WGD) often diverge in expression levels, while some still maintain similar (.....»»
New filter removes chemical contaminants from water even at very low concentrations
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products pose a major environmental threat. These chemicals, found in everyday items like medicines and cosmetics, can pollute waterways, harming the plants and animals living in the waterways and the humans who use.....»»
Unraveling the evolutionary secrets of how whales and dolphins adapted their backbones for aquatic life
If you've ever seen a dolphin swim, you may have wondered why they undulate their bodies up and down when swimming, instead of side to side as fishes do. Though they have a fishlike body, cetaceans (a group comprised of whales, dolphins, and porpoise.....»»
Researchers: J.D. Vance got "single cat women" all wrong—our study shows they wouldn"t vote for him anyway
The Trump/Vance ticket seems to have a problem attracting the support of women voters. In fact, recent polling shows women in the battleground states report 17 points less support for the Trump/Vance ticket than men......»»
Researcher helps develop new technique to explore oceanic microbes
When Southern Methodist University (SMU) researcher Alexander Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth's tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed. Th.....»»
Research uncovers new strategy for salt-resistant poplar
Salt stress disrupts plant growth by impairing ion balance and reducing water uptake, posing a significant challenge to agriculture and forestry. Maintaining sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) balance is particularly vital in woody plants like poplar, w.....»»
Promising antibiotic candidates discovered in microbes deep in the Arctic Sea
Antibiotics are the linchpin of modern medicine: without them, anyone with open wounds or needing to undergo surgery would be at constant risk of dangerous infections. Yet we continue to face a global antibiotics crisis, as more and more resistant st.....»»
Scientists modify citrus pectin with induced electric field
Pectin, a natural and nontoxic acidic polysaccharide, is widely found in the primary cell wall and inner layer of terrestrial higher plants. The main domains of pectin are homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan I, which contribute to the complexity.....»»
Study reveals distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in winter wheat vernalization
Vernalization is the phenomenon whereby plants require prolonged exposure to low temperatures to flower. This ensures that overwintering plants undergo reproductive growth under suitable light and temperature conditions, thereby securing yield......»»
Drowning tomatoes for science
I can barely hear Esther Ngumbi over the roar of greenhouse fans as she shows me around her rooftop laboratory in Morrill Hall. The benches are full of tomato plants, and the tomatoes don't look good. Half of the plants are submerged in bins of water.....»»
Molecularly imprinted polymers help get the stink out of smoke-tainted wine
Wildfires can damage crops, even if flames come nowhere near the plants. One outcome can be an unpleasant flavor and smell of wine that is made from grapes exposed to smoke. But researchers report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry tha.....»»
A chloroplast-mimicking nanoreactor for enhanced CO₂ electrocatalysis
Chloroplast, which is a double-membrane-bounded organelle, is the main site for CO2 fixation via photosynthesis in green plants. The double-membrane configuration can regulate the transport of substances into and out of the chloroplasts with the aid.....»»