Showing 20 articles starting at article 421
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Botany, Space: Exploration
Published How plants obtain nitrogen by supplying iron to symbiotic bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered peptide factors that function in the shoot and root systems to transport iron into the root nodules colonized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Moreover, these peptide factors regulate nitrogen homeostasis by maintaining a balance between nitrogen and iron concentrations in plants without rhizobial symbiosis.
Published Understanding the moon's history with Chang'e-5 sample
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source China's Chang'e-5, the first lunar sample return mission since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976, delivered 1.73 kilograms of regolith from the Oceanus Procellarum, a plane named for its vast size. The sample landed with CE-5 in late 2020 and included a new mineral, Changesite-(Y), as well as a perplexing combination of silica minerals. Researchers now compare CE-5's material composition to other lunar and Martian regolith samples and examine potential causes and origins for the lunar sample's unique makeup.
Published Which came first: Black holes or galaxies?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Black holes not only existed at the dawn of time, they birthed new stars and supercharged galaxy formation, a new analysis of James Webb Space Telescope data suggests.
Published Two new freshwater fungi species in China enhance biodiversity knowledge
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered two new freshwater hyphomycete (mould) species, Acrogenospora alangii and Conioscypha yunnanensis, in southwestern China. The discovery marks the addition of these species to the Acrogenospora and Conioscypha genera, further enriching the diversity of freshwater fungi known in the region.
Published Vitamin B12 adaptability in Antarctic algae has implications for climate change, life in the Southern Ocean
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The algae P. antarctica has two forms of the enzyme that makes the amino acid methionine, one needing B12, and one that is slower, but doesn't need it. This means it has the ability to adapt and survive with low B12 availability. The presence of the MetE gene in P. antarctica gives the algae the ability to adapt to lower vitamin B12 availability, giving it a potential advantage to bloom in the early austral spring when bacterial production is low. P. antarctica takes in the CO2 and releases oxygen through photosynthesis. Understanding its ability to grow in environments with low vitamin B12 availability can help climate modelers make more accurate predictions.
Published Neptune-like exoplanets can be cloudy or clear
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have shown new atmospheric detail in a set of 15 exoplanets similar to Neptune. While none could support humanity, a better understanding of their behavior might help us to understand why we don't have a small Neptune, while most solar systems seem to feature a planet of this class.
Published Scammed! Animals 'led by the nose' to leave plants alone
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fake news works for wallabies and elephants. Herbivores can cause substantial damage to crops or endangered or protected plants, with traditional methods to deter foraging lethal, expensive or ineffective. Biologists are now using aromas from plants naturally repellent with remarkable success to deter the animals.
Published Rare 3D fossils show that some early trees had forms unlike any you've ever seen
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the fossil record, trees typically are preserved with only their trunks. They don't usually include any leaves to show what their canopies and overall forms may have looked like. In a new study, researchers describe fossilized trees from New Brunswick, Canada with a surprising and unique three-dimensional crown shape.
Published Gas on the run -- ALMA spots the shadow of a molecular outflow from a quasar when the Universe was less than one billion years old
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Theoretical predictions have been confirmed with the discovery of an outflow of molecular gas from a quasar when the Universe was less than a billion years old.
Published Plant receptors that control immunity and development share a common origin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have traced the origin and evolutionary trajectory of plant immune receptors. Their discovery will make it easier to identify immune receptor genes from genomic information and could help in the development of pathogen-resistant crops.
Published Bright galaxies put dark matter to the test
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The earliest galaxies are thought to have formed as the gravitational pull of dark matter, which has been impossible to study directly, slowly drew in enough hydrogen and helium to ignite stars. But astrophysicists now show that after the Big Bang, hydrogen and helium gas bounced at supersonic speeds off dense, slowly moving clumps of cold dark matter. When the gas fell back in millennia later, stars formed all at once, creating small, exceptionally bright galaxies. If models of cold dark matter are correct, the James Webb Space Telescope should be able to find patches of bright galaxies in the early universe, potentially offering the first effective test for theories about dark matter. If it doesn't, scientists have to go back to the drawing board with dark matter.
Published 'Tiny tornadoes' around leaves spread deadly plant pathogens
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has analyzed plant spore dispersion at its source, where rain droplets shake flexible leaves to initially disperse pathogens.
Published AI-powered app can detect poison ivy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To find poison ivy before it finds you, scientists have published a new study in which they show how they used artificial intelligence to confirm that an app can identify poison ivy. The app is not yet commercially available, nor is there a timetable for it to be available.
Published Asparagus and orchids are more similar than you think
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How is a beech leaf constructed? What determines the appearance of an asparagus? A new 'encyclopaedia' helps us learn more about the building blocks of plants. The encyclopaedia, probably the largest of its kind, could be used to improve targeted plant breeding efforts, to make them both more climate-resilient and more easily digestible.
Published Using CRISPR technology, researchers succeed in growing tomatoes that consume less water without compromising yield
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have succeeded in cultivating and characterizing tomato varieties with higher water use efficiency without compromising yield. The researchers, employing CRISPR genetic editing technology, were able to grow tomatoes that consume less water while preserving yield, quality, and taste.
Published Staggering structure in 19 nearby spiral galaxies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The James Webb Space Telescope observed 19 nearby face-on spiral galaxies in near- and mid-infrared light as part of its contributions to the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) program.
Published Do tree-planting campaigns follow best practices for successful forest restoration?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research reviewed publicly available information for 99 different organizations that coordinate large-scale tree-planting programs around the globe to see if these organizations seemed to be applying best practices for successful reforestation.
Published A non-allergenic wheat protein for growing better cultivated meat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the world's population increases, cultivated or lab-grown meat -- animal muscle and fat cells grown in laboratory conditions -- has emerged as a potential way to satisfy future protein needs. And edible, inexpensive plant proteins could be used to grow these cell cultures. Now, researchers report that the non-allergenic wheat protein glutenin successfully grew striated muscle layers and flat fat layers, which could be combined to produce meat-like textures.
Published Moth keeps a firm eye on the proboscis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Just as when we humans reach for objects, the hummingbird hawk moth uses its visual sense to place its long proboscis precisely on a flower to search for nectar, according to biologists. This is why the moth is a great model organism for research into the visual control of appendages.
Published Researchers spying for signs of life among exoplanet atmospheres
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The next generation of advanced telescopes could sharpen the hunt for potential extraterrestrial life by closely scrutinizing the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets, new research suggests.