Gene editing and plant domestication essential to protect food supplies in a worsening climate, scientists say
We all need to eat, but the impact of the climate crisis on our crops is throwing the world's food supply into question. Modern crops, domesticated for high food yields and ease of harvesting, lack the genetic resources to respond to the climate cris.....»»
Ancient maize samples in Brazilian caves suggest the crop"s domestication may have been completed in South America
Brazilian scientists have determined that ancient specimens of partially domesticated maize (Zea mays, also known as corn) originally from Peruaçu Valley in Minas Gerais state (Brazil) were the farthest from Mexico, the plant's historic center of or.....»»
20-year study in Congo"s largest protected park confirms that rangers are effective in preserving endangered bonobos
Scientists now know how many bonobos live in one of the largest pristine tropical forests, a place believed to be the world's stronghold for the endangered species......»»
Peroxisomal protein boosts plant immunity to thrive under environmental stress
Salicylic acid is vital for protecting plants from pathogens, but its synthesis remains unclear. A team of Shinshu University researchers has discovered that the protein HSR201 is key to its production. They found that HSR201 localizes to specific or.....»»
Empathy with "sad" bananas compels shoppers to reduce food waste, shows research
Faced with a pile of loose, unsold single bananas, retailers can motivate customers to buy overlooked fruit by giving it emotional appeal, according to new research from the University of Bath's School of Management......»»
Coastal revelations from space: New satellite tech maps sandy beaches
Scientists have developed a method to map sandy beach intertidal zones with unprecedented accuracy using satellite data. This innovative approach allows for precise measurements of coastlines that are constantly shaped by tides and waves, providing c.....»»
Scientists create an enzyme not found in nature for use in efficient synthetic metabolic pathways
A team of researchers led by Tobias Erb at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg has succeeded in developing a new enzyme. The "lactyl-CoA mutase" can efficiently convert a key metabolic compound into valuable products......»»
"Spooky action" at a very short distance: Scientists map out quantum entanglement in protons
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how.....»»
Resurrecting an ancestral protein as a novel tool to study RNA biology
By deducing the possible ancient forms of a bacterial enzyme, OIST scientists have resurrected one of its ancestral versions, with a comparably higher ability to chemically modify RNA......»»
Seeing is believing: Leveraging defining morphological features for accurate selection of brain organoids
By combining morphological and single-cell level gene expression analyses, a team of researchers led by Professor Jun Takahashi in the Department of Clinical Application at Kyoto University has established a new non-destructive system to select high-.....»»
Getting to the bottom of Cenozoic deep-ocean temperatures
Understanding ancient ocean temperatures—particularly from the Cenozoic era (the past 66 million years), in which Earth experienced dramatic climate shifts—helps scientists reveal more about the planet's past climates......»»
Scientists develop self-sustained protein transport and tissue assembly in artificial cells
In a new Nature Communications study, scientists have developed a novel method for artificial cells to interact with their external environment without the need for complex modification processes......»»
Exploring the ecological role of deep-sea viruses
The significance of deep-sea virology and its impact on global climate and biogeochemical structures is not unknown, though its importance might be understated......»»
Four projects blending First Nations knowledge and science to rewrite our understanding of the past
A lot of things scientists study are part of Country—the lands, waters and skies to which First Nations peoples are connected. In Australia, there has to date been little respect for the significance or value of cultural knowledge in scientific pra.....»»
Media literacy is self-defense against child exploitation online
A leading University of South Australia researcher is calling for greater media literacy, early in children's formal education, as an 'essential line of defense' against online child abuse and sexual exploitation......»»
How hedges on the ski slopes could save Alps resorts
Ski resorts faced with falling visitor numbers due to climate change should hedge their income by taking out separate weather derivatives (insurance-like financial products) for each month of the season, academics suggest......»»
Cool water from the deep could protect pockets of the Great Barrier Reef into the 2080s
For coral reefs, climate change is an existential threat. Australia's Great Barrier Reef has endured seven mass bleaching events over the past 25 years. Five have occurred in the past eight years......»»
Desertification talks open in Saudi Arabia as experts fire warning
UN talks aimed at halting the degradation and desertification of vast swathes of land start in Saudi Arabia on Monday after scientists fired a stark warning over unsustainable farming and deforestation......»»
Using LIDAR technology researchers study the impact of contrails on climate
In the skies over Virginia it is common to see contrails, cloud-like strips of condensed water left behind by aircraft at high altitude......»»
Using DNA to identify seabird bycatch
Australian Antarctic Program scientists have used DNA technology to help identify threatened albatross, petrel and shearwater species caught unintentionally (as 'bycatch') during longline fishing operations in Australian waters......»»
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