Copying nature to help plants resist viruses
For thousands of years, crops have been shaped by domestication processes. Farmers cross-breed and select new varieties, adapted to constantly changing environments. Although efficient, this process is time consuming. Moreover, the desired trait must.....»»
AI can help researchers understand what viruses are up to in the oceans and in your gut
Viruses are a mysterious and poorly understood force in microbial ecosystems. Researchers know they can infect, kill and manipulate human and bacterial cells in nearly every environment, from the oceans to your gut. But scientists don't yet have a fu.....»»
Fossil captures starfish splitting itself in two—showing this has been happening for 155 million years
One of the wildest wonders of nature is the ability of some animals to reproduce by splitting in half. There is still so much we don't know about this process. So the discovery of a 155-million-year-old starfish fossil frozen partway through this pro.....»»
A penguin with an unconventional call inspires researchers to change how they study penguins
An emperor penguin's sex determines the nature of their courtship call—male vocalizations are composed of long, slow bursts with lower frequency tones than the female version. But calls of SeaWorld San Diego male penguin E-79 caught the attention o.....»»
Soy biodiesel byproduct could enhance 3D printing industry
In a development that could advance the 3D printing industry, researchers at the University of Louisville have discovered a way to transform a significant waste output from soy biodiesel plants into a valuable resource......»»
Can Philly become a hothouse for bananas and pineapples as the climate warms?
As climate change warms Philadelphia, the plants that can be grown in the city will change, too......»»
Bears in the Washington"s North Cascades: What you should know if you spot one
Meandering through the evergreens, spring's arrival was marked by unfurling fern and flowering berry plants......»»
Scientists develop sticky pesticide to combat pest insects
Researchers from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Leiden University have engineered a biological barrier that protects plants from diseases and pests. It concerns a sticky substance that is sprayed on leaves, to which pests stick......»»
Long-term study finds organic farming leads to adaptations in the genetic material in plants
Plants adapt genetically over time to the special conditions of organic farming. This has been demonstrated in a long-term study conducted at the University of Bonn......»»
The secret to mimicking natural faults? Plexiglass and Teflon
When a fault ruptures in nature, some sections of the fault slip suddenly and seismically, weakening as velocity increases. Other regions creep slowly and strengthen with increasing velocity. The relative locations of these sections affect the size a.....»»
Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants
In a new study published in Nature Genetics, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design.....»»
Nature"s 3D printer: Bristle worms form bristles piece by piece
A new interdisciplinary study led by molecular biologist Florian Raible from the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna provides exciting insights into the bristles of the marine annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii. Specialized cells, called chae.....»»
Spectral evidence found for Dirac spinons in a kagome lattice antiferromagnet
A new study, published in a recent issue of Nature Physics, sheds light on the long-anticipated emergence of quasiparticles, akin to the famous Dirac particles obeying the relativistic Dirac equation. These quasiparticles, known as Dirac spinons, wer.....»»
Researchers achieve first condensation of non-ground state cesium atoms
In a pioneering effort, researchers from the University of Innsbruck in collaboration with the University of Durham have for the first time achieved Bose-Einstein condensation of non-ground state cesium atoms. Published in Nature Communications, this.....»»
Ford offers laid-off Canada workers "preferential" placement at Windsor plants
Ford Canada is offering “preferential” placements to several dozen laid-off workers in Oakville, Ont., who are willing to relocate as vehicle production ceases for a prolonged period that could last up to 3½ years. .....»»
In Defense of Parasitic Worms
Nature can’t run without parasites, and climate change is driving some to extinction. What happens when they start to disappear?.....»»
Scientists unlock key to breeding "carbon gobbling" plants with a major appetite
The discovery of how a critical enzyme "hidden in nature's blueprint" works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth......»»
Unveiling crucial virulent milRNAs implicated in the initial infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a typical soil-borne fungus that causes Fusarium wilt by infecting the roots and blocking the vascular tissues of host banana plants, and threatens global banana production. In total, four races have been re.....»»
Tauonium: The smallest and heaviest atom with pure electromagnetic interaction
The hydrogen atom was once considered the simplest atom in nature, composed of a structureless electron and a structured proton. However, as research progressed, scientists discovered a simpler type of atom, consisting of structureless electrons, muo.....»»
There is an urgent need for democratizing knowledge to revolutionize global food systems, researchers argue
In an article published today in Nature Food, a team of international experts delves into the urgent need for democratizing knowledge to revolutionize global food systems. Titled "Knowledge Democratization Approaches for Food Systems Transformation,".....»»
The wasps that tamed viruses
Some insects have transformed wild viruses into tiny biological weapons. Enlarge / Xorides praecatorius is a parasitoid wasp. (credit: TorriPhoto via Getty) If you puncture the ovary of a wasp called Microplitis demolito.....»»