The origins of farming insects
A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae. When these bore another tree, the adult beetles will be the transmission vecto.....»»
A new approach to producing high-performance plastics from agricultural waste
In our rapidly industrialized world, the quest for sustainable materials has never been more urgent. Plastics, ubiquitous in daily life, pose significant environmental challenges, primarily due to their fossil fuel origins and problematic disposal......»»
AI for astrophysics: Algorithms help chart the origins of heavy elements
The origin of heavy elements in our universe is theorized to be the result of neutron star collisions, which produce conditions hot and dense enough for free neutrons to merge with atomic nuclei and form new elements in a split-second window of time......»»
Solar-Powered Farming Is Quickly Depleting the World"s Groundwater Supply
Farmers in hot, arid regions are turning to low-cost solar pumps to irrigate their fields, eliminating the need for expensive fossil fuels and boosting crop production. But by allowing them to pump throughout the day, the new technology is drying up.....»»
Facing illegal wildlife trade in the European union: A call for comprehensive measures
Wildlife trade affects all kinds of species, from insects and fungi to large plants and mammals. The global trade of numerous species poses a significant threat to their survival, increasing their risk of extinction......»»
Horizontal gene transfer: How fungi improve their ability to infect insects
Researchers at the Kiel Evolution Center have investigated for the first time in detail how a fungus important for biological plant protection can pass on an advantageous chromosome horizontally, using a previously little-studied way of exchanging ge.....»»
Researchers reveal how a virus hijacks insect sperm: May help control disease vectors and pests
A widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm, preventing them from fertilizing eggs of females that do not have the same combination of bacteria and virus......»»
How insects tell different sugars apart
Whereas humans have one receptor on their tongues that can detect all sorts of sweet things, from real sugar to artificial sweeteners like aspartame, insects have many receptors that each detect specific types of sugars. Yale researchers have now unc.....»»
India"s "drone sisters" steer farming and social change
Once a housewife in rural India, Sharmila Yadav always wanted to be a pilot and is now living her dream remotely, flying a heavy-duty drone across the skies to cultivate the country's picturesque farmlands......»»
Modeling the origins of life: New evidence for an "RNA World"
Charles Darwin described evolution as "descent with modification." Genetic information in the form of DNA sequences is copied and passed down from one generation to the next. But this process must also be somewhat flexible, allowing slight variations.....»»
A lightweight fish pen to move farms to deeper seas
The University of Queensland has co-led a project to design a cost effective yet robust pen to expand fish farming into deeper ocean areas to help feed the growing global population. The research is published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engi.....»»
Scientists discover 18 new species of gut microbes in search for origins of antibiotic resistance
In a paper published February 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a research team describes the discovery of 18 never-before-seen species of bacteria of the Enterococcus type that contain hundreds of new genes—findings tha.....»»
How molecular "handedness" emerged in early biology
Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions akin to the left and right versions of human hands. One of the great mysteries about the origins of life on Earth is that.....»»
Ecologist cautions researchers to look more closely at apparent mismatches between birds and their prey
Climate change may speed up the emergence of insects in northern countries at the end of winter. This may cause breeding birds migrating from the south to come too late to benefit from the insect peak if they do not adjust their travel schedules to t.....»»
Scientists propose new method for tracking elusive origins of CO₂ emissions from streams
A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst that specializes in accounting for the carbon dioxide release by streams, rivers and lakes has recently demonstrated that the chemical process known as "carbonate buffering" can accou.....»»
New study shows similarities and differences in human and insect vision formation
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered profound similarities and surprising differences between humans and insects in the production of the critical light-absorbing molecule of the retina, 11-cis-retinal, also known as th.....»»
Study shows orchid family emerged in northern hemisphere and thrived alongside dinosaurs for 20 million years
In a new study published in New Phytologist, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, along with partners in Latin America, Asia and Australia, present an updated family tree of orchids, tracing their origins to the northern hemisphere some 85 m.....»»
Report makes five recommendations to promote regenerative farming
In a new report, researchers at Ivey Business School offer evidence-based research, best practices, and critical recommendations for farming that supports ecosystems through natural agricultural principles, a method known as regenerative agriculture......»»
Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke know critics may not get "Drive-Away Dolls"
The married "Drive-Away Dolls" writers/directors/editors/producers discuss their road trip comedy's origins and its trashy nature. Interview. For decades, the Coen Bros (Ethan and Joel) collaborated on a wild and heralded array of American film.....»»
Car fumes, weeds pose double whammy for fire-loving native plants
Springtime brings native wildflowers to bloom in the Santa Monica Mountains, northwest of Los Angeles. These beauties provide food for insects, maintain healthy soil and filter water seeping into the ground—in addition to offering breathtaking disp.....»»
A new look at our linguistic roots
A controversial analytic technique offers new answers for Indo-European languages. Enlarge (credit: Roman Rybalko via Getty) Almost half of all people in the world today speak an Indo-European language, one whose origins.....»»