From cross to self-pollination: Examining how plants develop different routes to replication
There are flowering plants that have the ability to self-pollinate, meaning that they can fertilize themselves without a partner. A biological advantage of self-pollination, also known as "selfing", is that one individual of these plants can single-h.....»»
New research visualizes how fishing communities can change fishing habits to adapt to climate change
In a massive research project spanning five years and stretching the length of the Northeast seaboard, a Wellesley College professor is examining how various fishing communities can change their fishing habits in order to adapt to climate change......»»
How plants compete for light: Researchers discover new mechanism in shade avoidance
Plants that are close together do everything they can to intercept light. This "shade avoidance" response has been extensively researched. It is therefore even more remarkable that researchers from the laboratory of Molecular Biology at Wageningen Un.....»»
Nitrogen-fixing plant diversity declines with over-fertilization, study finds
Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and climate change can reduce the competitive advantage of nitrogen-fixing plants, leading to reduced diversity of these plants in a community. Surprisingly, changes in temperature and aridity do not contribute to th.....»»
Loss of "nitrogen fixers" threatens biodiversity, ecosystems, say biologists
Mississippi State University is part of a European-American collaboration studying how human activities, like fertilizer use and pollution, are impacting nitrogen-fixing plants which are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems by adding nitrogen t.....»»
Materials of the future can be extracted from wastewater
A group of researchers is on the way to revolutionizing what biomass from wastewater treatment plants can be used for. Biopolymers from bacteria can be a sustainable alternative to oil-based products, and phosphorus and other minerals can also be har.....»»
Q&A: A faster way to identify drought-resistant plants for crop breeding research
Climate change is making droughts more common and more severe—which makes research into developing drought-resistant crops more important than ever. Now researchers have developed a new framework that should expedite this important research......»»
Nonnative plants are a major force behind global insect invasions, study finds
In an article in the journal BioScience, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Cleo Bertelsmeier from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, argues that the global spread of nonnative plants is a key factor driving the growing number of i.....»»
Can NZ"s supply chain build enough resilience and sustainability to survive the next global crisis?
New Zealand is highly reliant on trade—particularly on maritime routes, which are lifelines for exports and imports. Key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and wholesale and retail trade depend heavily on this global network......»»
New fabrication strategy enhances graphene aerogel sensitivity and durability for human-machine interfaces
In recent years, researchers have synthesized various new materials that could be used to develop more advanced robotic systems, devices and human-machine interfaces. These materials include graphene aerogels, ultralight, porous and graphene-based ma.....»»
Redbox easily reverse-engineered to reveal customers’ names, zip codes, rentals
The bankrupt company may not see any consequences. Since Redbox went bankrupt, many have wondered what will happen to those red kiosks and DVDs. Another question worth examining.....»»
Discovery of key protein for biosynthesis of plant defense steroids could enhance pest control strategies
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have identified GAME15 as a key protein that regulates the biosynthesis of both steroidal glycoalkaloids and steroidal saponins in plants of the genus Solanum......»»
Stem carbohydrate richness in two cycad species
Terrestrial plants have developed strategies to cope with suboptimal conditions. Storage of nonstructural resources is one of those strategies. Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) of plants are primarily sugars and starch, and have been studied extens.....»»
ULA is examining debris recovered from Vulcan rocket’s shattered booster nozzle
"I’m pretty confident... that we’ll get to the bottom of this pretty quickly and move on.” When the exhaust nozzle on one of the Vulcan rocket's strap-on boosters failed sho.....»»
La Nina could soon arrive. Here"s what that means for winter weather
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center says there is a 60% chance that a weak La Niña event will develop this autumn and could last until March......»»
Researchers develop database for catalytic bioparts with experimental evidence
Catalytic bioparts are fundamental to the design, construction and optimization of biological systems for specific metabolic pathways. A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has recently developed a Registry and Database of Biopar.....»»
Research finds that simplistic and outdated communication tools narrows news focus, restricts user interactivity
Digital media technology has changed journalism considerably, and perhaps most obviously in data journalism. Data journalism uses the power of data analysis and visualization to develop news stories that can be highly engaging and accessible to the p.....»»
mRNA vaccines for disease outbreaks can be synthesized in less time with new technique
In an era where viral outbreaks can escalate into global pandemics with alarming speed, the ability to quickly develop new vaccines has become crucial. However, the speed of vaccine production is limited because the mRNA used in it is partly chemical.....»»
Trace gas measurements could advance carbon cycle predictions
A novel method for estimating the rate of photosynthesis from land plants reveals that satellite observations—the current gold standard for quantifying terrestrial carbon uptake—underestimate this important metric, a result that could inform and.....»»
Researchers develop polyurea membranes for lithium recovery from waste batteries
In a study published in the Journal of Membrane Science, a research group led by Prof. Wan Yinhua from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences propose a new zone-regulated interfacial polymerization strategy, aim.....»»
In a fusion device plasma, a steep ion temperature gradient slows the growth of magnetic islands
Future fusion power plants will require good plasma confinement to sustain reactions and generate energy. One way to contain plasma for fusion reactions is to use a tokamak, a device that applies magnetic fields to "bottle" plasma. However, magnetic.....»»