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.....»»
Dramatic decline in Tongariro"s native plants as invasive heather spreads
Native plants in the Tongariro National Park are being hit hard by the spread of invasive heather with a 40% to 50% drop in native species in some areas, a new study published in Oecologia has found......»»
Soil ecosystem more resilient when land is managed sustainably, finds study
Compared to intensive land use, sustainable land use allows better control of underground herbivores and soil microbes. As a result, the soil ecosystem is more resilient and better protected from disturbance under sustainable management than under in.....»»
Collaboration key to ultimate genotypes in plants and livestock, say researchers
University of Queensland researchers are setting the agenda for breeding high yield, heat tolerant and disease-resistant crops and low emission cattle with excellent feed conversion efficiency as they search for the ultimate genotype......»»
With new imaging approach, scientists closely analyze microbial adhesive interactions
Scientists have identified many types of bacteria in the mouth, but many problems remain in understanding how they work with one another. One of the problems is that microbes assemble themselves into densely packed multi-species biofilms. Their densi.....»»
Tiny worm makes for big evolutionary discovery: Scientists describe "Uncus," the oldest ecdysozoan
Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa......»»
A single cell"s siesta: How non-moving single-celled organisms manage to avoid bright light
Too much of a good thing is no good at all. Living organisms enjoy sunlight—in fact, they need it to stay alive—but they tend to avoid light that is too bright. Animals go to their shelter, humans have a siesta, even plants have mechanisms to avo.....»»
When marine algae get sick: How viruses shape microbe interactions
By looking at the tiniest virus-infected microbes in the ocean, researchers are gaining new insights about the marine food web that may help improve future climate change predictions. The new study, co-authored by Wake Forest Assistant Professor of B.....»»
Antarctica may have once been covered by a jungle of trees, new study shows
Picture Antarctica—not as an endless expanse of snow and ice, but as a lush, green rainforest teeming with towering trees and mysterious plants. It sounds … The post Antarctica may have once been covered by a jungle of trees, new study shows.....»»
Methylmercury: How microbes create the most toxic form of mercury
Mercury is extraordinarily toxic, but it becomes especially dangerous when transformed into methylmercury—a form so harmful that just a few billionths of a gram can cause severe and lasting neurological damage to a developing fetus. Unfortunately,.....»»
Biodiversity in the city: Designing urban spaces for humans and animals
Animals and plants also live and thrive on public squares. This creates opportunities for greater biodiversity and well-being for the human population. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have studied at 103 locations in Munich ho.....»»
Q&A: Holobiont biology, a new concept for exploring how microbiome shapes evolution of visible life
Microorganisms—bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms—may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstei.....»»
Lawsuit by US workers accuses Apple chipmaker TSMC of ‘anti-American discrimination’
TSMC’s Arizona plants will enable Apple chips for older devices to be made in the US for the first time, but things haven’t exactly been going to plan. The latest development is that a group of the company’s US workers have filed a lawsuit a.....»»
3D leaf edge reconstruction method enhances plant morphology analysis
Leaves, essential for photosynthesis and other physiological functions, exhibit diverse shapes that help plants adapt to their environments. Traditional methods for measuring leaf morphology have relied heavily on 2D imaging, which fails to capture t.....»»
Could microbes help create sustainable electronics?
Imagine a world where electronic devices are powered by living organisms and biodegrade after use, eliminating the problem of electronic waste. This isn't the plot of a futuristic sci-fi movie—it's a real, growing area of research known as bioelect.....»»
Mountaineering mice shed light on evolutionary adaptation
Teams of mountaineering mice are helping advance understanding into how evolutionary adaptation to localized conditions can enable a single species to thrive across diverse environments......»»
Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen
"How is plant growth controlled?" and "What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?" were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016......»»
Evolutionary anthropologist presents hypothesis about why humans are dominating the world over other animals
Why is human culture—the shared body of knowledge passed down across generations—so much more powerful than animal cultures?.....»»
Biologists discover how plants evolved multiple ways to override genetic instructions
Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA. This research could help scientists exploit a plant's existin.....»»
Bioinspired hydrogels harness sunlight: A step closer to artificial photosynthesis
Mimicking how plants convert sunlight into energy has long been a dream for scientists aiming to create renewable energy solutions. Artificial photosynthesis is a process that seeks to replicate nature's method, using sunlight to drive chemical react.....»»
New research may lead to potatoes that are less reliant on nitrogen fertilizers
Because nitrogen fertilizers contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are looking for ways to modify agricultural plants so that they rely on less nitrogen. In research published in New Phytologist, investigators have found that bloc.....»»