Seed microorganisms override soil microorganisms when colonizing plants
New research shows that when it comes to colonizing plants, microorganisms from seeds have more staying power than microorganisms from the soil......»»
In Spain, hi-tech hops keep beer bitter as climate bites
Outside the warehouse in northwestern Spain, it's a freezing, foggy morning but inside it's balmy, the warmth and LED lights fooling 360 hop plants to flower as if it were late August......»»
Tracking and tracing members of the plant microbiome with DNA barcodes
A research team led by Paul Schulze-Lefert from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, developed a modular toolkit for tracking bacterial strains colonizing plant tissue in competition with other microbiome members......»»
Sandy soil reptiles are more threatened by climate change than has been supposed, study shows
Reptiles that live in sandy soils in dry areas and tolerate high temperatures have been considered beneficiaries of global warming as suitable habitats expand owing to climate change. However, a study by Brazilian researchers shows this is not necess.....»»
Cacao plants" defense against toxic cadmium unveiled
Researchers from the University Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France, together with the ESRF, the European Synchrotron located in Grenoble, France, used ESRF's bright X-rays to unveil how cacao trees protect themselves from toxic metal cadmium. This knowledg.....»»
Genes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil
Some soil bacteria can acquire sets of genes that enable them to pump the heavy metal nickel out of their systems, a study has found. This enables the bacteria to not only thrive in otherwise toxic soils but help plants grow there as well......»»
Enhancing rapeseed maturity classification with hyperspectral imaging and machine learning
Rapeseed oil, a vital oilseed crop facing growing global demand, encounters a significant challenge in achieving uniform seed maturity, owing to asynchronous flowering. Traditional maturity assessment methods are limited by their destructive nature......»»
System detects microorganisms that mar the quality of beer
With the aid of molecular biology, the quality of Brazilian beer—the country's most popular alcoholic beverage, especially during the summer—may soon be significantly enhanced......»»
A new lexicon in the age of microbiome research
Over the past 20 years, life science research has come to realize that all living beings—from the simplest animal and plant organisms to humans—live in close association with a large number of microorganisms. Together with the multicellular host.....»»
Tropical plants beat drought by interacting with specific microbes, study shows
Plant-soil-microbe interactions play a crucial role in processes that take place in the soil directly around plant roots, or the rhizosphere, and these processes contribute to nutrient cycling and metabolite turnover in the environment. Amid the wate.....»»
Pour points: A novel method for woodland water resource management
Vegetation plays a vital role in regulating the percentage of precipitation reaching the ground to nourish the root systems of plants both in the canopy and undergrowth, which consequently supports the survival of the entire forest ecosystem. Water a.....»»
ASCII art elicits harmful responses from 5 major AI chatbots
LLMs are trained to block harmful responses. Old-school images can override those rules. Enlarge / Some ASCII art of our favorite visual cliche for a hacker. (credit: Getty Images) Researchers have discovered a new way.....»»
Researchers use ASCII art to elicit harmful responses from 5 major AI chatbots
LLMs are trained to block harmful responses. Old-school images can override those rules. Enlarge / Some ASCII art of our favorite visual cliche for a hacker. (credit: Getty Images) Researchers have discovered a new way.....»»
Urban humans have lost much of their ability to digest plants
Rural populations still have lots of the gut bacteria that break down cellulose. Enlarge (credit: Nathan Devery) Cellulose is the primary component of the cell walls of plants, making it the most common polymer on Earth......»»
Shade-grown coffee demonstrates the benefits of combining agriculture and conservation
Increasing shade cover over coffee plants can increase biodiversity and provide new ways to combine agriculture and conservation, a new study has revealed......»»
Advanced analytical technologies for controlling medical cannabis production
To facilitate the use of cannabis in the medical field, researchers from the IBeA group of the UPV/EHU have developed a rapid analytical technique for the strict control of the growth of cannabis plants. The plants have been classified according to c.....»»
SpaceX poised for third launch test of Starship megarocket
SpaceX plans on Thursday to attempt another launch of Starship, the world's most powerful rocket that is vital to NASA's plans for landing astronauts on the moon later this decade—and Elon Musk's hopes of eventually colonizing Mars......»»
It"s hearty, it"s meaty, it"s mold: Hacking the genome of fungi for smart foods of the future
With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it's easy to see how biotechnology can change the food industry. Advances in genetic engineering are allowing us to harness microorganisms to produce cr.....»»
Summer solstice found to trigger synchronized beech tree reproduction across Europe
A new study published in Nature Plants has found that the summer solstice acts as a "starting gun" to synchronize beech tree reproduction across vast distances in Europe, affecting ecosystem functions......»»
Researchers use genetic engineering to create flood-tolerant plants
Adding too much water to your plants can damage them as much as not having enough water. In the environment, plants submerged under excessive rain have limited access to light and oxygen, which reduces or eliminates their ability to thrive. This pose.....»»
Study brings scientists a step closer to successfully growing plants in space
New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention, report University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers in the journal Device......»»