Tracing Chile"s Indigenous roots through genetics and linguistics
How do today's Indigenous communities of South America trace back to the history of human migration and contact in the continent? An international team has worked to reconstruct the legacy of Chile's largest Indigenous community, the Mapuche, in a qu.....»»
From roots to resilience: Investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
Georgia's saltwater marshes—living where the land meets the ocean—stretch along the state's entire 100-mile coastline. These rich ecosystems are largely dominated by just one plant: grass......»»
Genetics provide key to fight crown-of-thorns starfish
Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a University of Queensland study into the pest's genetics......»»
Fine roots make the difference in metabolomes and microbiomes
Bacteria and fungi live together on the surface of plant roots, which can promote symbiotic interactions with the plant. Plant roots that are especially fine can support various niches for their microbial proliferations, but traditionally, microbiome.....»»
Christianity is changing in South Africa as Pentecostal and indigenous churches grow—what"s behind the trend?
Studies show that South Africa is one of only three countries in the world where religious participation has increased in recent years. The other two countries are Italy and the US......»»
Tracing the origins of organic matter in Martian sediments
Although Mars presents a barren, dusty landscape with no signs of life so far, its geological features such as deltas, lakebeds, and river valleys strongly suggest a past where water once flowed abundantly on its surface. To explore this possibility,.....»»
Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants
In a new study published in Nature Genetics, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design.....»»
Unveiling crucial virulent milRNAs implicated in the initial infection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a typical soil-borne fungus that causes Fusarium wilt by infecting the roots and blocking the vascular tissues of host banana plants, and threatens global banana production. In total, four races have been re.....»»
Extreme heat drives Chile wildfires leaving at least 51 dead
Chileans Sunday feared a rise in the death toll from wildfires blazing across the South American country that have already killed at least 51 people, leaving bodies in the street and homes gutted......»»
Call of the conch: Archaeologists suggest Indigenous Americans used sound to organize local communities
Archaeologists have modeled the auditory range of conch-shell trumpets in the 9th–11th century US Southwest, proposing that the sound was key in the structuring of pre-Columbian Pueblo communities......»»
New observatory in Chile—the highest in the world—aims to reveal origins of planets, galaxies and more
How do planets form? How do galaxies evolve? And ultimately, how did the universe itself begin? A unique astronomical observatory that researchers hope will unravel some of the biggest mysteries out there marks its opening on April 30, 2024......»»
Automated machine learning robot unlocks new potential for genetics research
University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research......»»
Barley plants fine-tune their root microbial communities through sugary secretions
Different types of barley recruit distinct communities of soil microbes to grow around their roots by releasing a custom mix of sugars and other compounds, according to a new study led by Jacob Malone of the John Innes Center, UK, published in the op.....»»
Researchers uncover "parallel universe" in tomato genetics
In a paper appearing in Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers have unraveled a surprising genetic mystery centered on sugars found in what gardeners know as "tomato tar.".....»»
New Relic AI monitoring helps enterprises use AI with confidence
New Relic announced New Relic AI monitoring with a suite of new features to meet the evolving needs of organizations developing AI applications. New features include in-depth AI response tracing insights with real-time user feedback and model compari.....»»
Pressure in the womb may influence facial development
Physical cues in the womb, and not just genetics, influence the normal development of neural crest cells, the embryonic stem cells that form facial features, finds a new study led by UCL researchers......»»
Researchers reveal a hidden trait in Mycobacterium genomes governing stress adaptation
A new study, led by Qingyun Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, has uncovered a genetic feature known as "transcriptional plasticity," which plays a pivotal role in governing the transcriptional response of Mycobacteria to.....»»
Indigenous businesses are worth billions but we don"t know enough about them
Indigenous businesses generate about A$16 billion a year in revenue and employ more than 116,000 people—almost as many as the massive Coles retail group......»»
NASA observations find what helps heat roots of "moss" on sun
Did you know the sun has moss? Due to its resemblance to the earthly plants, scientists have named a small-scale, bright, patchy structure made of plasma in the solar atmosphere "moss." This moss, which was first identified in 1999 by NASA's TRACE mi.....»»
Whales and dolphins now have legal personhood in the Pacific—but one treaty won"t be enough to protect them
Whales and dolphins have been officially recognized as "legal persons" in a new treaty formed by Pacific Indigenous leaders from the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Tonga......»»
How phytochemical diversity affects plant adaptation to stress
Phytochemical diversity plays a critical role in determining plant adaptation and fitness, as well as ecosystem functions and services. However, phytochemicals and their ecological adaptations have long been ignored. Fine (or absorptive) roots, micro.....»»