From genes to jeans: New genetic insights may lead to drought-resilient cotton
Cotton is woven into the very fabric of our lives, from soft T-shirts to comfortable jeans and cozy bedsheets. It's the world's leading renewable textile fiber and the backbone of a global industry worth billions......»»
Love island: Bird"s refusal to leave resort life leads to genetic change
A little yellow-and-white bird that prefers to date its mates in an idyllic island lifestyle rather than fly to the mainland to mingle is an example of avian species evolution in action, according to new Australian research......»»
Convergent evolution study sheds light on how new genes arise
Where do new genes come from? That's the question a team of biological sciences researchers from the U of A set out to answer in a new study......»»
Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
A new international collaborative study provides a list of the wildlife species present at the market from which SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely arose in late 2019. The study is based on a new analysis of meta.....»»
Scientists can now predict catastrophic river shifts that threaten millions worldwide
Indiana University researchers have uncovered key insights into the dangerous phenomenon of "river avulsion," offering a way to predict when and where rivers may suddenly and dramatically change course. Published in Nature, this breakthrough study sh.....»»
Moderate levels of exotic species invasions may help maintain biodiversity, study suggests
Globally, more than 13,000 plant species, equivalent to the entire native flora of Europe, have been naturalized outside their native ranges. A study, jointly conducted by scientists from China and the U.S., provides new insights about biodiversity,.....»»
New computational insights use Marcus theory to unlock the potential of photocatalysis
Dr. Albert Solé-Daura and Prof. Feliu Maseras have explored the application of the Marcus theory, traditionally used to model electron transfer, to estimate the free-energy barriers underlying energy transfer (EnT) processes. These results support t.....»»
Decoding "Chachi" citrus: Unveiling the secrets of flavorful phytonutrients
Citrus reticulata "Chachi" (CRC), a staple in traditional medicine and modern pharmacology, is renowned for its rich flavonoid content, which underpins its health-promoting properties. Despite its widespread use, the biosynthetic pathways and genetic.....»»
Plant pathogen battle: A tomato protein"s dual role in defense and susceptibility
Tomatoes, a staple crop worldwide, are increasingly threatened by biotic stressors such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria, with the effects worsening under climate change. These challenges lead to reduced yields and compromised nutritional quality, hig.....»»
Observations provide crucial insights into the nature of a white dwarf–brown dwarf binary
Using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), astronomers have performed spectrophotometric observations of an eclipsing white dwarf–brown dwarf binary known as WD1032+011. Results of their observational campaign, published September 10 on the preprint s.....»»
New technique zeros in on the genes that snakes use to produce venom
Only about 10% of the world's roughly 4,000 snake species have venom strong enough to seriously hurt a human, but that's enough for snake bites to be an important public health concern. To help better understand how snakes make their venom and how ve.....»»
Patents for software and genetic code could be revived by two bills in Congress
PERA and PREVAIL want to re-enable patents struck down by Supreme Court rulings. Enlarge / An image from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where in 1874, the newest thing was not software or genetic compositions, but shutter.....»»
Greenhouse gains: Cucumbers genetic upgrade through innovative pollen tech
Genetic modification in horticultural crops, particularly within the Cucurbitaceae family, is often hindered by complex tissue culture requirements and environmental pressures such as climate change. Traditional transformation techniques, like Agroba.....»»
Scientists find new epigenetic switch, revealing how genes are regulated in early development
The team of Professor Christof Niehrs at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, Germany, has discovered that a DNA modification called 5-formylcytosine (5fC) functions as an activating epigenetic switch that kick-starts genes in early emb.....»»
Projections show future droughts could be longer than expected
The average longest periods of drought could be ten days longer by the end of the century than previously predicted by climate models, according to research published in Nature. The findings suggest that the hazards droughts pose to societies and eco.....»»
Sitting in a Chair All Day Can Lead to Disease. Standing Up and Moving Around Every Hour Can Help
Days spent in a desk chair can lead to heart disease or cancer. Getting up often and exercising more vigorously can stave off the ill effects.....»»
Critical VMware vCenter Server bugs fixed (CVE-2024-38812)
Broadcom has released fixes for two vulnerabilities affecting VMware vCenter Server that can be triggered by sending a specially crafted network packet, and could lead to remote code execution (CVE-2024-38812) or privilege escalation (CVE-2024-38813).....»»
Pollen affects cloud formation and precipitation patterns, researchers find
Ground-based and satellite observations in the United States show that increased pollen concentrations in spring lead to more cloud ice and more precipitation—even at temperatures between minus 15 and minus 25 degrees Celsius......»»
Study: Ducks in the UK are still regularly shot with lead, despite ban
Ducks are still commonly killed with lead shot in England despite a ban and voluntary moves by shooting groups, research published in Environmental Pollution shows......»»
Computational tool can pinpoint causal relationships from complex biological data
Researchers have developed a tool that provides new insights into cause-and-effect relationships between cells and how these change over time......»»
Analyzing economic activity in a growing city: Insights from 19th century Paris
Researchers have just published their findings on the analysis of economic activities over a century of urban growth in the city of Paris......»»