Fungi could reduce reliance on fertilizers
Introducing fungi to wheat boosted their uptake of key nutrients and could lead to new, 'climate smart' varieties of crops, according to a new study.
Read moreAgriculture and Food
Embracing sustainable practices would help some winery tasting rooms stand out
Wineries in the mid-Atlantic region should consider recycling and encouraging their customers to bring bottles to their tasting rooms for refilling to distinguish their businesses from so many others, according to a team of wine-marketing researchers who surveyed consumers.
Read moreStrategies of a honey bee virus
The Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus is a pathogen that affects honey bees and has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder, a key factor in decimating the bee population. Researchers have now analyzed in detail how the virus hijacks the cellular protein production machinery and misuses it for its own purposes.
Read moreMapping millet genetics
In the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa, conditions can be difficult for crops. Plants need to have short growing seasons, survive on poor soils and tolerate environmental stresses. Enter, the millets.
Read moreCrabs can solve and remember their way around a maze
A new study has revealed how common shore crabs can navigate their way around a complex maze and can even remember the route in order to find food.
Read moreHow rat-eating monkeys help keep palm oil plants alive
Found as an ingredient in many processed and packaged foods, palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil. Now, researchers have discovered an unlikely ally for palm oil production: pig-tailed macaques.
Read moreDefining the centromere
Centromeres are the chromosomal domains at which the kinetochore, a protein complex required for the correct separation of chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis, is assembled. The incorporation of the histone variant CenH3 into centromeric nucleosomes is a prerequisite for the proper assembly and function of the kinetochore. A new study describes the chaperone protein NASPSIM3 and how it affects the depositioning of CenH3.
Read moreLimiting mealtimes may increase your motivation for exercise
Limiting access to food in mice increases levels of the hormone, ghrelin, which may also increase motivation to exercise, according to a new study. The study suggests that a surge in levels of appetite-promoting hormone, ghrelin, after a period of fasting prompted mice to initiate voluntary exercise.
Read moreFirst report of cotton blue disease in the United States
Reported from six counties in coastal Alabama in 2017, cotton blue disease affected approximately 25% of the state's cotton crop and caused a 4% yield loss. The disease was reported again in 2018, affecting 3-100% of cotton fields in Alabama but causing only a 1% yield loss. Symptoms, which include slowed plant growth, loss of chlorophyll, and dwarfing of infected leaves, usually do not appear until last August after full bloom. To date, there are no recommended strategies for management of this disease.
Read moreResearchers call for responsible development of synthetic biology
Engineering biology is transforming technology and science. Researchers outline the technological advances needed to secure a safe, responsible future.
Read more