Scientists have developed a new approach enabling researchers to more efficiently identify the genes that control plant traits. This method will enable plant breeders and scientists to develop more affordable, desirable, and sustainable plant varieties. The application will be most valuable for the fruit, vegetable and grain crops that are critical for global food security and human nutrition.
Read moreResearchers have developed machine-learning algorithms that teach a computer system to analyze three-dimensional shapes of the branches and leaves of a plant. The study may help scientists better quantify how plants respond to climate change, genetic mutations or other factors.
Read moreStick and leaf insects are a strikingly bizarre group of insects with a worldwide distribution. They are famous for their impressively large body size and their remarkable ability to camouflage themselves as twigs, leaves or bark in order to hide from potential predators. A team of international researchers has now generated the first phylogenomic tree of these insects.
Read moreScientists have long known that nodulation is important to plant health. Nodulation occurs when nodules, which form on the roots of plants (primarily legumes), form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that deliver nutrients to the plant. This process is a key part of sustainable agriculture and makes legumes an important source of protein for much of the world. However, recent research shows that nodulation might positively impact the plant's microbiome in other ways.
Read moreA new songbird study that shows memories can be implanted in the brain to teach vocalizations — without any lessons from the parent.
Read morePartnerships between ant and plant species appear to arise from — but not drive — rapid diversification of ants into new species.
Read moreNew research shows that plants can communicate with each other when they come under attack from pests.
Read moreResearchers sequenced the genomes of the two Varroa mite species that parasitize the honey bee. They found that each species of mite used its own distinct strategy to survive in its bee host, potentially overwhelming the bees' defenses. In addition to pointing to how scientists might vanquish these deadly intruders, the findings also shed light on how parasites and hosts evolve in response to one another.
Read moreAs the Earth's temperature warms, its hydrological cycle kicks into overdrive – wet years get wetter, and dry years get drier. According to a new study, these increased rainfall extremes could have dire consequences for the semi-arid forests of the western U.S.
Read moreLimnologists and other researchers show that rapid genomic changes during antagonistic species interactions are shaped by the reciprocal effects of ecology and evolution.
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