Group Genomics Drive Aggression in Africanized Honey Bees
Researchers often study the genomes of individual organisms to try to tease out the relationship between genes and behavior. A new study of Africanized honey…
Agriculture
Feed of the Future: Taste-Testing Meat From Animals Fed Insects and Microalgae
Worldwide there is a growing demand for animal products for human nutrition, despite vegan and vegetarian diets becoming more popular in Western countries. Changing diets…
Eco-Friendly Superfood: Food-Grade Wheatgrass Variety Released for Public Use
Wheatgrass is packed with beneficial nutrients, which makes the crop a popular superfood. And now, more farmers will have access to growing this beneficial crop….
ESA’s Earth Explorer Satellite SMOS Monitoring Droughts [Video]
In orbit for more than a decade, ESA’s Earth Explorer satellite SMOS has not only exceeded its planned lifespan, but also surpassed its original scientific…
Rice Genetically Altered to Contain Anti-Hypertensive Peptides – Eating a Spoonful Lowers Blood Pressure
In the future, taking your blood pressure medication could be as simple as eating a spoonful of rice. This “treatment” could also have fewer side…
US Beekeepers Report Abnormally High Summer Losses After Lower Winter Losses
Beekeepers across the United States lost 43.7% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2019 to April 2020, according to preliminary results of the…
Biologists Unravel Tangled Mystery of Plant Cell Growth – Insight Could Lead to Bigger Crops and Better Yields
When cells don’t divide into proper copies of themselves, living things fail to grow as they should. For the first time, scientists now understand how…
Yale Scientists Solve a Thorny Problem: Where Do Thorns Come From?
“Why do plants have thorns?” is an easy question: The thorns help protect against hungry animals that like to munch on the plants. “Where do…
Warning on Avocado Oil Sold in the U.S.: 82% Tested Rancid or Mixed With Other Oils
Food scientist says standards needed to protect consumers and industry. Consumer demand is rising for all things avocado, including oil made from the fruit. Avocado…
Tomato’s Hidden DNA Mutations Revealed in Genetic Study of 100 Varieties
Human appetites have transformed the tomato — DNA and all. After centuries of breeding, what was once a South American berry roughly the size of…
MIT Chemical Engineers Develop Technique to Enable Cheaper Fertilizer Production
Chemical engineers take a step toward generating ammonia with small-scale, electrochemical reactors. Most of the world’s fertilizer is produced in large manufacturing plants, which require…
Chicken Whisperer: Simple Way of “Listening” to Chicks Could Dramatically Improve Welfare
A simple and low-cost method of ‘listening’ to chicks may allow welfare issues to be picked up at the earliest possible opportunity, according to new…
“Unparalleled Discovery” of Ancient Skeletons Reveals First Use of Maize in Mesoamerica
Almost any grocery store is filled with products made from corn, also known as maize, in every aisle: fresh corn, canned corn, corn cereal, taco…
How Some Crops Replenish Their Own Fertilizer Through Bacteria in Their Roots – A Surprisingly Complex Interaction
Plants need nitrogen in the form of ammonium if they are to grow. In the case of a great many cultivated plants, farmers are obliged…
‘Bee’ Thankful for the Evolution of Pollen – Discovery Made With Highly Detailed Electron Scanning Microscope
University of Missouri researchers discover wildflower’s spiny pollen adapts to help plants reproduce. Have pollen. Must travel. Over 80% of the world’s flowering plants must…
Should Ripe Tomatoes Go in the Fridge? Scientific Testing Seeks to Resolve the Debate
Research team from the University of Göttingen investigates the influence of storage on the flavor of ripe tomatoes. There is much debate about the correct…
Garden of Eden for Ancient Humans and Animals Revealed by Migration Patterns
Pinnacle Point, a series of archaeological sites that overlook a now submerged section of South Africa’s coastline and one of the world’s most important localities…
Key to Past & Future Habitat of West Coast Marine Species Is Ocean ‘Breathability’
Marine life off the West Coast, from Mexico up through Canada, inhabit the California Current. The cool, nutrient-rich water supports life from invisible phytoplankton to…