Feature Channels: Plants

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Released: 11-Sep-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Bees struggle to find flowers because of air pollution
University of Birmingham

A new study has found that air pollution is preventing pollinators finding flowers because it degrades the scent.

Newswise: Contours that kill: Geometry influences prey capture in carnivorous pitcher plants
Released: 8-Sep-2023 12:05 PM EDT
Contours that kill: Geometry influences prey capture in carnivorous pitcher plants
University of Oxford

Researchers at the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and the Mathematical Institute have shown that the shape, size, and geometry of carnivorous pitcher plants determines the type of prey they trap. The results have been published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Newswise: Switching from harmful to helpful fungi
Released: 6-Sep-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Switching from harmful to helpful fungi
University of Tokyo

Mold and diseases caused by fungi can greatly impact the shelf life of fruit and vegetables.

Newswise: Engineering of plant cell wall modifying enzymes opens new horizons
Released: 5-Sep-2023 8:05 PM EDT
Engineering of plant cell wall modifying enzymes opens new horizons
University of Adelaide

A newly discovered way of optimising plant enzymes through bioengineering has increased knowledge of how plant material can be converted into biofuels, biochemicals and other high-value products.

Released: 5-Sep-2023 2:15 PM EDT
Farms that create habitat key to food security and biodiversity
Stanford University

It seems intuitive that forests would provide better habitat for forest-dwelling wildlife than farms.

Newswise: Pioneering research sheds surprising new light on evolution of plant kingdom
4-Sep-2023 6:05 AM EDT
Pioneering research sheds surprising new light on evolution of plant kingdom
University of Bristol

A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the evolution of plant biology, effectively rewriting the history of how they evolved over the past billion years.

Released: 28-Aug-2023 2:50 PM EDT
Paving the way for sustainable agriculture: Fungal-plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
University of Turku (Turun yliopisto)

Researchers inoculated oilseed rape plants with a species of fungus that is known for its ability to combat pest insects.

Released: 25-Aug-2023 1:35 PM EDT
Reefs made from culled trees can help kickstart sea life in threatened waters
Frontiers

Reefs, whether natural or man-made, are hotspots of marine biodiversity.

Newswise: How local communities depend on the ivory palm tree in coastal Ecuador
Released: 25-Aug-2023 11:05 AM EDT
How local communities depend on the ivory palm tree in coastal Ecuador
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The ivory palm tree, also known as tagua, is endemic to the Chocó-Darien region on the Pacific coast of South America. Two studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) explore the ecosystem services provided by tagua in coastal Ecuador.

Newswise: Fungi-eating plants and flies team up for reproduction
Released: 24-Aug-2023 1:30 PM EDT
Fungi-eating plants and flies team up for reproduction
Kobe University

Fungi-eating orchids were found for the first time to offer their flowers to fungi-eating fruit flies in exchange for pollination, which is the first evidence for nursery pollination in orchids.

Newswise: Sweet corn yield at the mercy of the environment, except for one key factor
Released: 24-Aug-2023 11:05 AM EDT
Sweet corn yield at the mercy of the environment, except for one key factor
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has identified the top factors accounting for yield variability in processing sweet corn (used for canned and frozen products), including one within the control of processors.

Released: 23-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Tree mortality in the Black Forest on the rise - climate change a key driver
University of Freiburg

Forest scientists at the University of Freiburg are analysing the impacts of climate change on the region’s trees in a long-term study

Released: 23-Aug-2023 2:00 PM EDT
MSU research suggests natural selection can slow evolution, maintain similarities across generations
Michigan State University

New research from Michigan State University suggests that natural selection, famous for rewarding advantageous differences in organisms, can also preserve similarities.

Newswise: New Research Identifies a Biotechnology Approach to Improve Hybrid Breeding of Soybean
Released: 23-Aug-2023 1:00 PM EDT
New Research Identifies a Biotechnology Approach to Improve Hybrid Breeding of Soybean
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Cross-pollinated soybeans offer potential for researchers to introduce new crop improvements, improve farmer’s harvests and provide forage for pollinators.

Newswise: As Tropical Forests Reach Critical High-Temperatures, the Time to Act Is Now
25-Jul-2023 4:00 PM EDT
As Tropical Forests Reach Critical High-Temperatures, the Time to Act Is Now
Northern Arizona University

A new study, which combines satellite thermal and in situ warming experiment data from across the world’s tropical forests, looks at the variation of leaf temperatures within forest canopies. The data collected revealed that a small percentage of tropical leaves are already reaching, and occasionally exceeding, the temperatures at which they can no longer function—suggesting that as climate change continues, entire canopies could die, eliminating a key regulator of Earth’s climate and putting the world’s biodiversity at risk.

Released: 22-Aug-2023 11:40 PM EDT
Heat sensor protects the Venus flytrap from fire
University of Würzburg

The Venus flytrap can survive in the nutrient-poor swamps of North and South Carolina because it compensates for the lack of nitrogen, phosphate and minerals by catching and eating small animals.

Newswise: Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, revealing a time capsule of plant life
Released: 22-Aug-2023 10:50 AM EDT
Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, revealing a time capsule of plant life
University of Oxford

For the first time, a group of researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick.

Newswise: Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife
Released: 22-Aug-2023 1:05 AM EDT
Fire, disease threatening sanctuary plants for Australian wildlife
University of South Australia

New research has revealed that Australia's iconic grass trees - aka yaccas - play a critical role in protecting wildlife from deadly weather extremes, thereby ensuring their survival. But the grasses themselves are under threat due to back burning, clearing and disease.

Newswise: Agrela Ecosystems Ignites Innovation in Data-Driven Agriculture
Released: 21-Aug-2023 11:35 AM EDT
Agrela Ecosystems Ignites Innovation in Data-Driven Agriculture
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Agrela Ecosystems, a startup launched by Nadia Shakoor, PhD, principal investigator, at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced the pilot launch of its flagship product, PheNodeTM.

Newswise: World’s Deepest Coral Calcification Rates Measured Off Hawaiian Islands
Released: 16-Aug-2023 1:55 PM EDT
World’s Deepest Coral Calcification Rates Measured Off Hawaiian Islands
University of Hawaii at Manoa

In the waters off the Hawaiian Islands, rates of calcification were measured in the deepest coral colonies and reported recently in a study led by a University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa oceanographer.

Released: 15-Aug-2023 4:05 PM EDT
Vegan trend in Europe: In Germany, milk substitutes from plants are most popular alternative
University of Hohenheim

Plant-based alternatives to dairy products do not have to copy the original – but in addition to tasting good, they should also have a pleasant mouthfeel and a varied product range, according to the results of a recent acceptance study.

Newswise: Discarded aloe peels could be a sustainable, natural insecticide (video)
7-Aug-2023 11:45 PM EDT
Discarded aloe peels could be a sustainable, natural insecticide (video)
American Chemical Society (ACS)

While aloe sap is in high demand, the peels are thrown away as agricultural waste. Now, scientists who have identified several bioactive compounds in extracts from the peels that deter insects report that these peels can act as a natural insecticide. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.

Newswise: Researchers Find Global Plant Water Use Efficiency Stalled Due to Climate Change
Released: 14-Aug-2023 9:25 AM EDT
Researchers Find Global Plant Water Use Efficiency Stalled Due to Climate Change
University of New Hampshire

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that water use efficiency has stalled since 2001 which implies not as much CO2 was being taken in by plants and more water was consumed and that could have implications on carbon cycling, agricultural production and water resources.

Newswise: 3D-printed vegan seafood could someday be what’s for dinner (video)
7-Aug-2023 11:45 PM EDT
3D-printed vegan seafood could someday be what’s for dinner (video)
American Chemical Society (ACS)

To create desirable and healthful vegan seafood mimics, researchers have 3D-printed an ink made of microalgae protein and mung bean protein. They air-fried their proof-of-concept calamari rings for a tasty, quick snack. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2023.

Newswise: Oldest extant plant has adapted to extremes and is threatened by climate change
Released: 9-Aug-2023 3:35 PM EDT
Oldest extant plant has adapted to extremes and is threatened by climate change
University of Freiburg

The rare moss Takakia has adapted over millions of years to a life at high altitudes.

Newswise: A Single Gene and a Unique Layer of Regulation Opens the Door for Novel Plant-Fungi Interactions
Released: 9-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
A Single Gene and a Unique Layer of Regulation Opens the Door for Novel Plant-Fungi Interactions
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Plants have a complex layer of regulation that allows beneficial fungi to colonize their roots while protecting them from harmful ones such as pathogens. Researchers recently identified the underlying plant signaling processes within this layer of regulation that permits a specific beneficial bacteria species to colonize the roots of switchgrass.

Released: 9-Aug-2023 12:25 PM EDT
Astonishing complexity of bacterial circadian clocks
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Munich)

An international team led by LMU chronobiologists analyses circadian rhythms in microorganisms – and observes mechanisms that are reminiscent of clocks in more complex organisms.

Newswise: Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Presents Plant-Based Biopharmaceutical Research to Combat Cancer Cells in Lab Animals
Released: 8-Aug-2023 8:55 AM EDT
Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Presents Plant-Based Biopharmaceutical Research to Combat Cancer Cells in Lab Animals
Chulalongkorn University

For the first time in Thailand, lecturers at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences have successfully developed antibody from tobacco plants with inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells in laboratory animals. This signals hope for access to effective cancer medication and treatment at a lower cost.

   
Released: 4-Aug-2023 3:10 PM EDT
A new, long-term study finds nitrogen fixation hotspots in Atlantic seaweed
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined nitrogen fixation among diazotrophs—microorganisms that can convert nitrogen into usable form for other plants and animals—living among sargassum.

Newswise: A path to defeating crop-killing gray mold without toxic chemicals
Released: 3-Aug-2023 5:05 PM EDT
A path to defeating crop-killing gray mold without toxic chemicals
University of California, Riverside

It’s a mold that causes billions in crop losses every year, infecting berries, tomatoes and most other fruits and vegetables. Now, researchers have found a way to defeat the mold without showering toxic chemicals on the crops.

Newswise: On-off switch for enzymes
Released: 3-Aug-2023 4:05 PM EDT
On-off switch for enzymes
Graz University of Technology

Light affects living organisms in many different ways: for example, plants orient their growth direction towards the sun, while circadian rhythms in humans are controlled by daylight.

Released: 3-Aug-2023 4:05 PM EDT
New-generation geostationary satellite reveals widespread midday depression in dryland photosynthesis during 2020 western US heatwave
Seoul National University

The western U.S., particularly the Southwest, has experienced a notable increase in record-breaking high temperatures over recent decades, with recurring drought and heatwaves.

Newswise: Taking a swing at protecting turfgrass
Released: 3-Aug-2023 12:00 PM EDT
Taking a swing at protecting turfgrass
University of Delaware

A team of researchers found that UD1022, a University of Delaware-patented beneficial bacteria, could be effective against fungal pathogens that affect turfgrass ( such as creeping bent grass) found on golf courses and other professionally managed fields.

Newswise: Amazon dark earth boosts tree growth as much as sixfold
Released: 1-Aug-2023 3:10 PM EDT
Amazon dark earth boosts tree growth as much as sixfold
Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

A type of soil called terra preta da Amazônia, or Amazon dark earth (ADE), promotes faster growth of trees and enhances their development in qualitative terms, according to an article published in the journal Frontiers in Soil Science.

Newswise: The very hungry Caterpillar: 60 Million-year-old Feeding Traces. Sharing of food plants as a driving force for insect diversity
Released: 1-Aug-2023 2:00 PM EDT
The very hungry Caterpillar: 60 Million-year-old Feeding Traces. Sharing of food plants as a driving force for insect diversity
Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum

Researchers from the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt have uncovered the factors that determine the enormous diversity of herbivorous insects.

Released: 1-Aug-2023 9:30 AM EDT
UMN commercializes new variety of fast-growing tree
University of Minnesota

On the market for fast landscaping and more; research is underway for pollution clean-up, carbon capture, biomass feedstock crop.

Released: 31-Jul-2023 3:30 PM EDT
Plans to plant billions of trees threatened by massive undersupply of seedlings
University of Vermont

The REPLANT Act provides money for the US Forest Service to plant more than a billion trees in the next nine years. The World Economic Forum aims to help plant a trillion trees around the world by 2030.

Newswise: Novel technology may lead to improved citrus varieties
Released: 27-Jul-2023 11:50 AM EDT
Novel technology may lead to improved citrus varieties
Texas A&M AgriLife

Developing disease-resistant, high-quality improved crop varieties to benefit agricultural producers and consumers may seem like a “hairy” task, but Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists may have gotten to the root of the issue.

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This news release is embargoed until 26-Jul-2023 2:00 PM EDT Released to reporters: 24-Jul-2023 2:05 PM EDT

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Newswise: Climate change threatens 771 endangered plant and lichen species
24-Jul-2023 9:35 AM EDT
Climate change threatens 771 endangered plant and lichen species
PLOS

All plants and lichens listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act are sensitive to climate change but there are few plans in place to address this threat directly, according to a new study.

Newswise: Earlier and earlier high-Arctic spring replaced by “extreme year-to-year variation”
Released: 26-Jul-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Earlier and earlier high-Arctic spring replaced by “extreme year-to-year variation”
Cell Press

About 15 years ago, researchers reported that the timing of spring in high-Arctic Greenland had advanced at some of the fastest rates of change ever seen anywhere in the world.

Newswise: Soil microbes help plants cope with drought, but not how scientists thought
Released: 25-Jul-2023 3:05 PM EDT
Soil microbes help plants cope with drought, but not how scientists thought
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

In a multi-generation experiment, researchers from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) found microbes helped plants cope with drought, but not in response to plants’ cries for help. Instead, the environment itself selected for drought-tolerant microbes. And while those hardy microbes were doing their thing, they just happened to make plants more drought-tolerant, too.

Newswise: Towards artificial photosynthesis with engineering of protein crystals in bacteria
Released: 25-Jul-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Towards artificial photosynthesis with engineering of protein crystals in bacteria
Tokyo Institute of Technology

In-cell engineering can be a powerful tool for synthesizing functional protein crystals with promising catalytic properties.

Newswise: Taming Undomesticated Bacteria with a High-Efficiency Genome Engineering Tool
Released: 24-Jul-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Taming Undomesticated Bacteria with a High-Efficiency Genome Engineering Tool
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Genetic engineers use synthetic biology to provide novel functions in microbes by introducing new genes. A new method called Serine recombinase-Assisted Genome Engineering (SAGE) borrows components from bacterial viruses to aid the stable insertion of genes into bacterial chromosomes. This new tool has the potential to work well in many species of bacteria, including newly discovered bacteria that must grow outside controlled laboratory conditions. These features will help accelerate synthetic biology research for bioenergy.

Newswise: Miocene period fossil forest of Wataria found in Japan
Released: 21-Jul-2023 8:40 AM EDT
Miocene period fossil forest of Wataria found in Japan
Hokkaido University

An exquisitely preserved fossil forest from Japan provides missing links and helps reconstruct a whole Eurasia plant from the late Miocene epoch.

Newswise: A reason to celebrate Christmas in July: Research shows real Christmas trees boost mental health
Released: 20-Jul-2023 2:00 PM EDT
A reason to celebrate Christmas in July: Research shows real Christmas trees boost mental health
West Virginia University

While the smell of fresh pine or the softness of fir branches can ease holiday woes, West Virginia University researchers have discovered that even the act of shopping for real Christmas trees offers consumers mental health benefits they don’t get on a hunt for artificial ones.

   
Newswise: Can we predict if a plant species will become exotic?
Released: 20-Jul-2023 1:15 PM EDT
Can we predict if a plant species will become exotic?
Pensoft Publishers

Plant species become exotic after being accidentally or deliberately transported by humans to a new region outside their native range, where they establish self-perpetuating populations that quickly reproduce and spread.

Released: 20-Jul-2023 1:00 PM EDT
Desert microbes turn on drought tolerance when needed
King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)

Priming crop plants with a microbe sourced from the roots of desert plants could be a powerful tool to boost crop plant's resilience to drought.

Released: 20-Jul-2023 10:30 AM EDT
Gene variation makes apple trees ‘weep,’ improving orchards
Cornell University

Plant geneticists have identified a mutation in a gene that causes the “weeping” architecture – branches growing downwards – in apple trees, a finding that could improve orchard fruit production.



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