In a world first discovery, a team of researchers led by the University of South Australia have uncovered that blossom bats play a unique role in the pollination of the Fijian Dillenia biflora trees.
Associate Professor SUETSUGU Kenji and independent photographer GOMI Koichi have observed a Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis) routinely feeding on well-known species of poisonous toadstool mushroom, including fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) and panther cap (Amanita pantherina), in Nagano prefecture, Japan.
Climate change is causing plants in the UK to flower a month earlier on average, which could have profound consequences for wildlife, agriculture and gardeners.
A new, internet-connected lighting system for greenhouses could sharply reduce a farmer’s electrical bill, according to a study by University of Georgia researchers.
New research from the University of Delaware examines how staple grains can be used as an effective food group for dietary shifts that can be culturally appropriate as well as environmentally sustainable.
For as much as modern society worships chocolate, cacao — the plant chocolate comes from — was believed to be even more divine to ancient Mayas. The Maya considered cacao beans to be a gift from the gods and even used them as currency because of their value.
Scientists can create synthetic communities of bacteria and other microbes to learn how they affect their plant hosts. New research presents a culture collection of 3,211 individual strains of bacteria from the root community of Populus trees. This huge new collection will help scientists study how microbes can assist plant hosts and may help improve these trees’ resistance to stresses.
Green spaces in cities have a number of positive effects: they’re good for our physical and mental health, they’re good for the environment, and they can even help fight off the effects of climate change.
A new study from Iowa State University scientists could help to breed more resilient crops as well as shed light on mechanisms that play a critical role in plant growth. The study focuses on how phenotypic plasticity, or the way a given trait can differ as a result of environmental conditions, influences the growth of sorghum.
Woods Hole, MA (January 19) -- A global effort to map the genomes of all plants, animals, fungi, and other eukaryotic life (organisms with a cellular nucleus) on Earth is entering a new phase as it moves from pilot projects to full-scale production sequencing. This new phase of the The Earth BioGenome Project (EBP) is marked with a collection of papers published January 17 in Proceedings of the National Academies of Science describing the project’s goals, achievements to date, and next steps. Included among these are an ambitious effort co-led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the University of Connecticut (UConn) to obtain fundamental new knowledge of the organization, evolution, functions, and interactions of life in one of Earth’s least-understood regions: the deep ocean.
A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, in co-operation with colleagues from Goethe University, Frankfurt, has uncovered the first insights into the origins of West African plant-based cuisine, locked inside pottery fragments dating back some 3,500 years ago.
Russian biologists have studied strains of the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which causes diseases in potatoes and other plants. Among them, three particularly dangerous strains to be not susceptible to the common fungicide pencycuron and can survive at high temperatures.
A new Cornell University-led project will accelerate the application of a proven biotechnology to enhance food and nutritional security in Bangladesh and the Philippines while protecting the health of farmers and the environment.
The word ‘honeydew’ sounds benign, but the sugary waste product of aphids can promote growth of bacteria that are highly virulent to the pests, according to a new Cornell University study.
Elliott Kellner, PhD, has joined the Center as Senior Program Manager. As part of the Innovation Team, Kellner manages the Danforth Center’s Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and Center for AgTech and Location Science Technologies (CATALST) programs.
Recent work shows that the plant microbiome—the microorganisms in a plant and its immediate environment—influences plant health, survival, and fitness. New research on the microbiome of several types of poplar trees found that the composition of the microbiome changed dramatically over time, and the trees’ genetic makeup proved to be less of a factor than researchers had expected.
A group of grassland scientists will assess how the biodiversity of restoration mixes, specifically species richness, genetic composition and relatedness, may impact soil health and pollinator habitat.
Gardens in cities provide a long and continuous supply of energy-rich nectar from March to October, scientists at the University of Bristol have found.
The macroalga giant kelp, which is an iconic and important ecosystem-structuring species found off the coast of California and many other coastlines, can grow 100-feet long within 1-2 years.
Some microbes can form thin films called biofilms that give those microbes an advantage by protecting them from stresses such as a lack of nutrients. Some biofilms also benefit plants and other host organisms. New research has identified an enzyme in bacteria that is key to the formation of helpful biofilms on willow and cottonwood trees. The research could lead to advances in studies of microbes important to medicine and agriculture.
The seeds of the common tropical vine contain compounds that could be useful for treating mental and physical diseases as well as promoting well-being, according to Tulane researchers.
Shrubs in the desert Southwest have increased their water use efficiency at some of the highest rates ever observed to cope with a decades-long megadrought. That’s the finding of a new study from University of Utah researchers, who found that although the shrubs’ efficiency increases are unprecedented and heroic, they may not be enough to adapt to the long-term drying trend in the West.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide up to $30 million for basic research that will lead to transformative approaches to determine and validate gene function in plant species relevant to the sustainable production of bioenergy and bioproducts.
Research from the lab of Kimberly Parker at the McKelvey School of Engineering looks at the interactions of different herbicides and what they mean for herbicide drift.
Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya, professor of biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been inducted into the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) Academy of Scholars and Fellows. The induction of the new cohort of distinguished scholars and researchers took place during a Dec. 9 ceremony at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.
Two Harrisburg University of Science and Technology alumni and a professor examined the evidence that exists regarding the therapeutic efficacy of green tea extracts as an anti-infective. The study results indicate that currently, there is no conclusive evidence that green tea extract is appropriate to treat any infectious disease (including COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide up to $36 million for basic research into microbial processes and community interactions in natural systems.
The team of researchers led by Clemson University’s Chris Saski, associate professor of systems genomics, are working to explore the cotton genome. The goal is to facilitate the ability to directly edit the genome of elite cotton varieties, quickly adding traits like disease resistance or drought tolerance without the need for the lengthy conventional breeding process that can take over a decade.
In an oceanic omen for climate change’s intensifying effects, new research shows that seagrass suffers from a lesion-filled wasting disease through large swaths of intertidal meadows in the Pacific Northwest. The grasses’ once-vibrant plant root systems are deteriorating, too.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a plan to provide up to $110 million for basic research and technology development to design and engineer plants and microbes for the production of advanced biofuels, bioproducts, and biomaterials.
Increasing adoption of certain agricultural practices can help combat climate change, according to a new report by researchers from Rutgers and the University of Maine. The study explores how New Jersey’s plants and soils can help to absorb and store carbon dioxide from greenhouse gas emissions.
New research led by Christopher Topp and Keith Duncan have pioneered X-ray microscope technology to image plant cells, whole tissues, and even organs at unprecedented depths with cellular resolution.
A new high-flavor, shelf-stable grape tomato is the latest variety released from Cornell University aimed at small farms, organic growers and home gardeners.
Georgia Tech scientists and engineers are building a new DOE-funded instrument that captures 3D images of plant-microbe chemical reactions underground in an interdisciplinary effort to develop biofuels and fertilizers — and help mitigate climate change.
Research finds that a single test for phosphorus in soil can outperform multiple other tests. This could help farmers track their soil nutrients more easily and accurately.