From recycling to food: Can we eat plastic-munching microbes?
Researchers are trying to turn plastic-eating bacteria into food source for humans. Enlarge (credit: Olga Pankova/Moment via Getty Images) In 2019, an agency within the US Department of Defense released a call for resear.....»»
Drones prove effective way to monitor maize re-growth, researchers report
Maize, or corn, grows tall, with thin stalks that boast ears of the cereal grain used in food production, trade and security globally. However, due to rain, wind and other increasingly extreme weather events, the maize falls down, risking the entire.....»»
Visible light energy yields two-for-one deal when added to carbon dioxide recycling process
By combining visible light and electrochemistry, researchers have enhanced the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable products and stumbled upon a surprising discovery. The team found that visible light significantly improved an important chemica.....»»
Pathogenic system found on Providencia rustigianii has virulence gene akin to Salmonella"s
Salmonella and E. coli are well-known bacteria that cause food poisoning, but less understood are species of Providencia, another causative agent of serious symptoms......»»
Mangrove microbes show potential for breaking down plastics
A way to select a suite of mangrove bacteria that can transform plastic has been developed that potentially offers a new strategy in the global toolkit of plastic waste cleanup. Researchers have assessed the impact of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).....»»
Microbiome studies in humans and zoo animals pave the way for new drug development
Microorganisms do not just colonize the body of mammals during infections. Billions of microbes can be found on and in healthy humans and animals at any given time, communicating with each other via chemical signals and thus influencing their health......»»
Identifying the genes that viruses "steal" from ocean microbes
The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don't do the work on their own—the viruses that infect them also influence the process. It's a vital job for the rest of the planet, enabling oceans to absorb half of the human-generated carbon in the.....»»
Could life exist below Mars ice? Study proposes possibilities
While actual evidence for life on Mars has never been found, a new NASA study proposes microbes could find a potential home beneath frozen water on the planet's surface......»»
Zuckerberg sacks staff on six-figure salaries for abusing office’s food delivery scheme
Zuckerberg sacks staff on six-figure salaries for abusing office’s food delivery scheme.....»»
Wildlife, climate and plastic: how three summits aim to repair a growing rift with nature
By the end of 2024, nearly 200 nations will have met at three conferences to address three problems: biodiversity loss, climate change and plastic pollution......»»
Canada"s agricultural policies are falling short of health and sustainability goals
Oct. 16 marks World Food Day, a global initiative drawing attention to the "right to foods for a better life and a better future." However, Canada's food and agricultural policies are falling short of this objective......»»
City microbes surviving on disinfectants, research reveals
New research shows microbes in our cities are evolving to resist the very cleaners we use to eliminate them. It also identifies novel strains living in Hong Kong that were previously only found in Antarctic desert soil......»»
Water crisis threatening world food production: report
Inaction on the water crisis could put more than half of the world's food production at risk by 2050, experts warned in a major report published Thursday......»»
Chickpeas identified as key crop for future food security
Climate change has a negative impact on food security. An international research team led by Wolfram Weckwerth from the University of Vienna has now conducted a study to investigate the natural variation of different chickpea genotypes and their resi.....»»
Poppy Seed Tea Can Trigger a Morphine Overdose
Food and drinks containing unwashed poppyseeds can make people test positive for opioids—and can in some cases be fatal.....»»
GM invests $10 million in materials science company Forge Nano for EV batteries
The automaker has invested in and partnered with companies along the EV battery supply chain, from raw materials to recycling, as it works to secure a supply chain for its electric vehicles......»»
A $2,000 plastic Apple Vision could be an upgrade, not a downgrade [Poll]
Mark Gurman didn’t sound overly excited when he reported his expectation that a lower-priced Apple Vision product would launch as early as next year, but it might well be the model to have me press the button. Gurman said that Apple is expecting.....»»
Drugmakers can keep making off-brand weight-loss drugs as FDA backpedals
FDA is reviewing its decision to remove tirzepatide drugs from the shortage list. Facing a lawsuit, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to reconsider its decision to take.....»»
Arthropods dominate plant litter decomposition in drylands
Researchers have shown that larger insects such as woodlice and beetles play as much of a crucial role in leaf litter decomposition across different habitats and seasons as microbes and smaller invertebrates......»»
Nano-nutrients can blunt effects of soil contamination, boost crop yields
One of the pressing problems that the world faces in the era of climate change is how to grow enough healthy food to meet the increasing global population, even as soil contamination rises. Research recently published in Nature Food by an internation.....»»
Each glacier has a unique organic matter composition, study reveals
Melting glaciers release more than just water. Organic matter once trapped in ice can run into streams and rivers, where it becomes food for microbes. These organisms respire the organic matter back to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, wi.....»»