Deciphering the mysteries of enigmatic fungi
Few things alive on Earth occupy as little of our brain space as fungi. The vast majority of these organisms—neither plant nor animal—are invisibly small or perpetually hidden underneath our feet. Only when mushrooms breach the soil can we even s.....»»
Ancient Adélie penguin DNA reveals that small repeats persist for hundreds of millions of years
Microsatellites are valuable tools for studying inheritance, genetic diversity, and population dynamics across a wide range of organisms including bacteria, plants, animals, and fungi. These short, repeating sequence motifs are a common feature of bo.....»»
Saturn"s moon Enceladus top target for ESA
A fresh, icy crust hides a deep, enigmatic ocean. Plumes of water burst through cracks in the ice, shooting into space. An intrepid lander collects samples and analyzes them for hints of life......»»
Uncovering the mysteries of microproteins
Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a method to identify and characterize microproteins—a development that opens the door for understanding physiology and disease at a molecular level of detail not previously possible, according to find.....»»
Unseen travelers: Dust storms may spread bacteria and fungi around the world
When allergy season hits, many blame their reactions on the local flora in the spring. However, African Saharan-Sahelian dust plumes, large enough to register on weather radar, travel around the globe every summer, bringing their own form of air poll.....»»
Citizen scientists contribute vital information about 35 seahorse species
Thanks to diligent observers, seahorses, those enigmatic and charismatic fish, are not only being discovered in new habitats and expanded geographic ranges, they are also being found at new ocean depths. While their capacity for male pregnancy has lo.....»»
Researchers discover evolutionary "tipping point" in fungi
Scientists have found a "tipping point" in the evolution of fungi that throttles their growth and sculpts their shapes. The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, demonstrate how small changes in environmental factors can lead to huge chang.....»»
Astrophysicist"s research could provide a hint in the search for dark matter
Dark matter is one of science's greatest mysteries. It doesn't absorb, reflect or emit light, so we can't see it. But its presence is implied by the gravitational effects it appears to have on galaxies......»»
Engineers manage a first: Measuring pH in cell condensates
Scientists trying to understand the physical and chemical properties that govern biomolecular condensates now have a crucial way to measure pH and other emergent properties of these enigmatic, albeit important, cellular compartments......»»
Deadly morel mushroom outbreak highlights big gaps in fungi knowledge
Prized morels are unpredictably and puzzlingly deadly, outbreak report shows. Enlarge / Mature morel mushrooms in a greenhouse at an agriculture garden in Zhenbeibu Town of Xixia District of Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hu.....»»
It"s hearty, it"s meaty, it"s mold: Hacking the genome of fungi for smart foods of the future
With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it's easy to see how biotechnology can change the food industry. Advances in genetic engineering are allowing us to harness microorganisms to produce cr.....»»
Deciphering how viruses choose to turn nasty or not to their bacterial host
Researchers from the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at Tel Aviv University have deciphered a novel complex decision-making process that helps viruses choose to turn nasty or stay friendly to their bacterial host. In a new paper, th.....»»
Researchers resurrect long-extinct fossil creature as a robot
Robot designed to mimic enigmatic sea creature can help us understand how it moved. Enlarge (credit: Carnegie Mellon University) Until now, when scientists and engineers have developed soft robots inspired by organisms,.....»»
Facing illegal wildlife trade in the European union: A call for comprehensive measures
Wildlife trade affects all kinds of species, from insects and fungi to large plants and mammals. The global trade of numerous species poses a significant threat to their survival, increasing their risk of extinction......»»
Horizontal gene transfer: How fungi improve their ability to infect insects
Researchers at the Kiel Evolution Center have investigated for the first time in detail how a fungus important for biological plant protection can pass on an advantageous chromosome horizontally, using a previously little-studied way of exchanging ge.....»»
Exploring the genetic composition of fungi and its role in plant health
The complex and very diverse world of fungi is often referred to as the fifth kingdom of organisms. It includes various yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. A team of scientists from the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) has uncovered the genetic secrets of a.....»»
Mystery of curling paper solved
Although mankind has been using paper for at least 2,000 years, it still presents us with one or two mysteries. For example, it was previously unknown why paper printed on one side using inkjet printing starts to curl up after a few hours to days, ev.....»»
Scientists reveal molecular mysteries to control silica scaling in water treatment
Collaborative research that combined experiments at Yale University and molecular dynamics simulations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides new insights into solving a major technical obstacle to efficient and sustaina.....»»
Deciphering the fragrance code: High-quality sequencing and analysis of the "XiangQingCai" (XQC) genome
'Vanilla' (XQC, brassica variety chinensis), a Brassica rapa subspecies chinensis, is a vital vegetable crop in the Brassicaceae family, renowned for its intense volatile fragrance. Despite the significant progress that has been made in understanding.....»»
A crown rust fungus could help manage two highly invasive plants in Minnesota
Though some crown rust fungi are known to cause widespread damage to oat and barley crops, new research from the University of Minnesota suggests a close relative of these major pathogens could actually be a valuable asset in managing two highly inva.....»»
Researchers discover a new plant species whose name tells a story
A new species and genus of fairy lantern, tiny glass-like white plants that feed on fungi, has been discovered in Japan. In a country known for its extensive flora research, the discovery of a new plant genus is extremely rare and has not occurred in.....»»