Researchers have produced crops in Mars and moon soil simulant developed by NASA. The research supports the idea that it would not only be possible to grow food on Mars and the moon to feed future settlers, but also to obtain viable seed from crops grown there.
Read moreA study from MIT reveals glycans, branched sugar molecules found in mucus, can prevent bacteria from communicating with each other and forming infectious biofilms, effectively rendering the microbes harmless.
Read moreMany farmers across sub-Saharan Africa try to coax crops out of sandy soils that are not ideal for holding water and nutrients. Traditional approaches would have them apply more fertilizers and use irrigation, but both require access to resources and infrastructure that many do not have. A relatively new technology modeled for eight African countries, and currently being tested in Zimbabwe, shows potential for improving harvests through increased water retention and accumulation of organic material.
Read moreIrrigation significantly exacerbated the earthquake-triggered landslides in Palu, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, in 2018, according to an international study.
Read moreLimits to growth lie at the heart of how all living things function. The diversity of life is staggering. From microscopic algae to elephants, life has devised countless ways to thrive in every environment on the planet. But while biologists have tended to focus on the many varied forms that species have evolved, the age of 'big data' offers an unprecedented view of some surprisingly common features shared by all creatures, great and small.
Read moreEthiopian parents try to level out the life chances least-advantaged children affected by early life shocks such as famine and low rainfall levels by investing more in their education.
Read moreA new study examining carbon stocks in an actively managed mixed wood forest in New Hampshire finds that places with more trees have more carbon stored in both the trees and the soil. The findings demonstrate the connection between above ground and below ground carbon, which has implications for forest management strategies.
Read moreResearchers report on the average life expectancy of chimpanzees in Japan. The average life expectancy of chimpanzees who reach adulthood — reported as 12-years-old in the paper — is 40 years: 41.5 years for males and 39.2 years for females.
Read moreThe Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 and the tsunamis it spawned may have washed a tropical fungus ashore, leading to a subsequent outbreak of often-fatal infections among people in coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest, according to a new article.
Read moreSimply by moving tropical soils down a mountainside into warmer environments, a team has discovered that much more CO2 may be released due to increased microbial activity as soils warm.
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