How plants produce defensive toxins without harming themselves
Plants produce toxic substances to defend themselves against herbivores. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and the University of Münster, Germany, were able to describe in detail the biosynthesis a.....»»
Researchers find a possible solution to the cosmic ray muon puzzle
Scientists have a problem with cosmic rays—they produce too many muons at the Earth's surface. Cascades of muons are byproducts of high-energy cosmic rays as they collide with nuclei in the upper atmosphere, and scientists see more muons at Earth's.....»»
Chemical replacement of TNT explosive more harmful to plants, study shows
The increased use of a chemical compound to replace TNT in explosive devices has a damaging and long lasting effect on plants, new research has shown......»»
Researchers identify two fungal enzymes that hijack the immune system of plants to colonize roots
In nature, plant roots are always colonized by fungi. This interaction can be either mutualistic, benefiting both the plant and the fungus, or pathogenic, where the fungus harms the host plant. A research group led by Professor Dr. Alga Zuccaro at th.....»»
Northern lights may be faintly visible across parts of the US this Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving, solar storms may produce faint auroras across the northern rim of the United States......»»
Fossilized dung reveals clues to dinosaur success story
In an international collaboration, researchers at Uppsala University have been able to identify undigested food remains, plants and prey in the fossilized feces of dinosaurs. These analyses of hundreds of samples provide clues about the role dinosaur.....»»
Same plant, different tactic: Habitat determines response to climate, thale cress study finds
Plants need light to grow, but too much light can induce damage to the photosynthetic complex known as photosystem II. It is known that plants adapted to growing under full sun repair this light-induced damage more. But this repair activity slows dow.....»»
Study discovers how algae produce a hormone they use to communicate
A study at the University of Cordoba shows how algae produce auxin, a plant hormone, opening a path of communication with bacteria to generate synergies that could benefit agricultural production. The paper is published in the journal iScience......»»
Smart agriculture technology attaches directly to underside of leaves for monitoring plants
With growing concerns over climate change and overpopulation, we urgently need to boost agricultural productivity. With the goal of creating a way to easily tell whether a plant is thriving or dying, a leaf-mounted sensor was created by researchers a.....»»
Researchers pioneer method to detect dehydration in plants
Have you ever wondered if your plants were dry and dehydrated, or if you're not watering them enough? Farmers and green-fingered enthusiasts alike may soon have a way to find this out in real time. Over the past decade, researchers have been working.....»»
Engineering nature"s blueprint: Dendron-based assemblies for chlorophyll"s materials
Researchers often look to photosynthesis—a process that turns sunlight into chemical energy in plants and bacteria—as a model for innovation. Photosynthesis is in turn linked to chlorophyll pigments, tiny green molecules that play a key role in h.....»»
Light-altering paint for greenhouses could help lengthen the fruit growing season in less sunny countries
Researchers in the UK have developed a new spray coating for greenhouses that optimizes the wavelength of light shining onto the plants, improving their growth and yield. The technology could in the future help extend the growing seasons in less sunn.....»»
Cas9-PE system achieves precise editing and site-specific random mutation in rice
Achieving the aggregation of different mutation types at multiple genomic loci and generating transgene-free plants in the T0 generation is an important goal in crop breeding. Although prime editing (PE), as the latest precise gene editing technology.....»»
River microbes near wastewater treatment plants express high levels of antibiotic resistance genes, study shows
Rivers and streams serve as critical connectors across vast geographical landscapes, trickling out of tucked-away headwaters and snaking thousands of miles toward oceans and deep seas. These waterways directly impact human and environmental health, a.....»»
Superior photosynthesis abilities of some plants could hold key to climate-resilient crops
More than 3 billion years ago, on an Earth entirely covered with water, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria. In the following millions of years, those bacteria evolved into plants, optimizing themselves along the way for various environm.....»»
Garden produce grown near Fayetteville works fluorochemical plant contains GenX, other PFAS
Residential garden produce grown near the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical plant can expose those who consume it to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a new study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University, E.....»»
Dramatic decline in Tongariro"s native plants as invasive heather spreads
Native plants in the Tongariro National Park are being hit hard by the spread of invasive heather with a 40% to 50% drop in native species in some areas, a new study published in Oecologia has found......»»
Collaboration key to ultimate genotypes in plants and livestock, say researchers
University of Queensland researchers are setting the agenda for breeding high yield, heat tolerant and disease-resistant crops and low emission cattle with excellent feed conversion efficiency as they search for the ultimate genotype......»»
A single cell"s siesta: How non-moving single-celled organisms manage to avoid bright light
Too much of a good thing is no good at all. Living organisms enjoy sunlight—in fact, they need it to stay alive—but they tend to avoid light that is too bright. Animals go to their shelter, humans have a siesta, even plants have mechanisms to avo.....»»
Triazenolysis: A new chemical process to produce raw materials
Researchers at the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion have developed a new chemical process to produce raw materials for the manufacture of polymers, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural compounds......»»
Neat, precise and brighter than ever: New technologies improve temporal coherence of XFEL pulses
X-ray free-electron lasers produce pulses of light that are exceptionally bright, making them powerful tools for studying ultrafast chemical reactions, biological processes, or probing the structure of materials at atomic scales......»»