Pests and Parasites – PossibleThreat Articles

The pectin is protectin': Study uncovers a plant barrier against toxic aluminum

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Botany, Endangered Plants, Genetics, mice, Pests and Parasites, Seeds, Soil Types

Aluminum toxicity is a major contributor to poor crop growth, especially in regions with acidic soils. How aluminum enters at the growing root tips of plants is not well understood. Researchers have found that pectin, a chemical component of the plant cell wall, may play a key role as a barrier to prevent aluminum from entering rice plants. The study sheds light on how rice plants may resist aluminum toxicity.

News Science

Immune reaction causes malaria organ damage

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Heart Disease, Immune System, Liver Disease, Malaria, mice, Microbiology, Pests and Parasites, rodents

Immune cells can be the body's defenders and foes at the same time.

News Science

First report of cotton blue disease in the United States

October 19, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biochemistry Research, Biology, Botany, Life Sciences, Microbiology, Pests and Parasites, Virology

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.

News Science

Newly discovered virus infects bald eagles across America

October 18, 2019 0 Comments Bird Flu Research, Birds, Microbes and More, New Species, Pests and Parasites, Veterinary Medicine, Virology, Zoology

Researchers have discovered a previously unknown virus infecting nearly a third of America's bald eagle population. Scientists found the virus while searching for the cause of Wisconsin River Eagle Syndrome, an enigmatic disease endemic to bald eagles near the Lower Wisconsin River. The newly identified bald eagle hepacivirus, or BeHV, may contribute to the fatal disease, which causes eagles to stumble and have seizures.

News Science

Parasite paralysis: A new way to fight schistosomiasis?

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Biochemistry Research, Biology, Healthy Aging, Human Biology, Pests and Parasites, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacology

Scientists have isolated a natural chemical that acts as a potent kryptonite against parasitic worms that burrow through human skin and cause devastating health problems. Researchers now describe the successful characterization of this chemical, which could help in finding new ways to fight the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis.

News Science

How plant roots grow hair

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Botany, Endangered Plants, Genetics, Nature, New Species, Pests and Parasites, Seeds, Soil Types

The roots of plants can do a lot of things: They grow in length to reach water, they can bend to circumvent stones, and they form fine root hairs enabling them to absorb more nutrients from the soil. A team of researchers has now identified an important regulator of this process.

News Science

DEET gives humans an 'invisibilty cloak' to fend off mosquito bites

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Diseases and Conditions, Dogs, Human Biology, Infectious Diseases, Insects (including Butterflies), Malaria, Nature, Pests and Parasites

Since its invention during the Second World War for soldiers stationed in countries where malaria transmission rates were high, researchers have worked to pinpoint precisely how DEET actually affects mosquitoes.

News Science

Efficient synthesis of ginkgo compound could lead to new drugs, 'green' insecticides

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Construction, Food, Inorganic Chemistry, Nature, Organic Chemistry, Pests and Parasites, Trees

Chemists have invented an efficient method for making a synthetic version of the plant compound bilobalide, which is naturally produced by gingko trees. It's a significant feat because bilobalide — and closely related compounds — hold potential commercial value as medicines and 'green' insecticides.

News Science

Ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Botany, Exotic Species, Geochemistry, Grassland, Insects (including Butterflies), Pests and Parasites

New research shows that ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases. The small insects secrete antibiotics from glands in the body. On their legs and body, they also host colonies of bacteria that secrete antibiotics. It is probably these substances that inhibit a number of different diseases and researchers now hope to find biological pesticides that may conquer resistant plant diseases.

News Science

Acaí berry extracts fight malaria in mice

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Diseases and Conditions, Genetically Modified, Infectious Diseases, Malaria, mice, Pests and Parasites, Pharmacology, rodents

Despite humanity's best efforts to eradicate malaria, the disease struck more than 200 million people in 2017, according to the World Health Organization. Worse yet, the parasite that causes malaria is developing resistance to many antimalarial drugs, including the mainstay, chloroquine. Researchers are actively searching for new treatments, and now, a group have found that acaí berry extracts can reduce parasites in the blood and prolong the survival of infected mice.

← Previous