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Categories: Biology: Botany, Chemistry: General
Published Discovery: Plants use 'Trojan horse' to fight mold invasions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that plants send tiny, innocuous-seeming lipid 'bubbles' filled with RNA across enemy lines, into the cells of the aggressive mold. Once inside, different types of RNA come out to suppress the infectious cells that sucked them in.
Published Tree plantations can get better with age -- but original habitats are best
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Older tree plantations can be more attractive to animals who are looking for a new home than younger plantations, according to a new study. In the tropics, older plantations also welcome a greater variety of different plants and animals -- though sadly, Christmas tree plantations do not become more biodiverse over time.
Published One small material, one giant leap for life on Mars: New research takes us a step closer to sustaining human life on the red planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered the transformative potential of Martian nanomaterials, potentially opening the door to sustainable habitation on the red planet.
Published Research offers a reason why diversity in plant species causes higher farming yield, solving 'a bit of a mystery'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study appearing in Nature Communications based on field and greenhouse experiments at the University of Kansas shows how a boost in agricultural yield comes from planting diverse crops rather than just one plant species: Soil pathogens harmful to plants have a harder time thriving. While crop rotation and other farming and gardening practices long have reflected benefits of a mix of plants, the new research puts hard data to one important mechanism underpinning the observation: the numbers of microorganisms in the soil that eat plants.
Published New strategy reveals 'full chemical complexity' of quantum decoherence
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have developed a method to extract the spectral density for molecules in solvent using simple resonance Raman experiments -- a method that captures the full complexity of chemical environments.
Published Unveiling molecular origami: A breakthrough in dynamic materials
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has unveiled a remarkable breakthrough in the form of a two-dimensional (2D) Metal Organic Framework (MOF) that showcases unprecedented origami-like movement at the molecular level. This pioneering study represents a significant leap forward in the field of dynamic materials, while also hinting at futuristic applications in metamaterials and quantum computing.
Published Mysterious fruit shown to be the oldest known fossils of the Frankincense and Myrrh family
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Early in the 1970s, paleontologists discovered strange fossilized fruits between hardened rock from one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Earth's history. The identity of these fossils remained elusive for the next several decades. Using CT scanning, scientists have now determined they are the oldest fossils from species in the Frankincense and Myrrh family.
Published Scientists tackle difficult-to-recycle thermoset polymers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has got a step closer to making several different types of plastic much easier to recycle, using a method that could be applied to a whole range of difficult-to-recycle polymers, including rubbers, gels and adhesives.
Published Genetics of host plants determine what microorganisms they attract
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic variation in the host plants plays a role.
Published Little bacterium may make big impact on rare-earth processing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiny, hard-working bacterium -- which weighs one-trillionth of a gram -- may soon have a large influence on processing rare earth elements in an eco-friendly way.
Published For this emergent class of materials, 'solutions are the problem'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Materials scientists developed a fast, low-cost, scalable method to make covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of crystalline polymers whose tunable molecular structure, large surface area and porosity could be useful in energy applications, semiconductor devices, sensors, filtration systems and drug delivery.
Published Computational model captures the elusive transition states of chemical reactions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed a way to quickly calculate the transition state structure of a chemical reaction, using machine-learning models.
Published Upcycling leftover cardboard to make a new type of foam packaging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With the holiday season in full swing, gifts of all shapes and sizes are being shipped around the world. But all that packaging generates lots of waste, including cardboard boxes and plastic-based foam cushioning. Rather than discard those boxes, researchers have developed a cushioning foam from cardboard waste. Their upcycled material was stronger and more insulating than traditional, plastic foam-based cushioning.
Published Trees in wetter regions more sensitive to drought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source This holiday season brings surprising news about your Christmas tree. Scientists just discovered that globally, trees growing in wetter regions are more sensitive to drought. That means if your tree hails from a more humid clime, it's likely been spoiled for generations.
Published Resource-efficient and climate-friendly with sodium-ion batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The transition to a society without fossil fuels means that the need for batteries is increasing at a rapid pace. At the same time, the increase will mean a shortage of the metals lithium and cobalt, which are key components in the most common battery types. One option is a sodium-ion battery, where table salt and biomass from the forest industry make up the main raw materials. Now, researchers show that these sodium-ion batteries have an equivalent climate impact as their lithium-ion counterparts -- without the risk of running out of raw materials.
Published How forests smell -- a risk for the climate?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Plants emit odors for a variety of reasons, such as to communicate with each other, to deter herbivores or to respond to changing environmental conditions. An interdisciplinary team of researchers carried out a study to investigate how biodiversity influences the emission of these substances. For the first time, they were able to show that species-rich forests emit less of these gases into the atmosphere than monocultures. It was previously assumed that species-rich forests release more emissions. The Leipzig team has now been able to disprove this assumption experimentally.
Published The solar forest
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What would be the most effective use of a certain plot of land in terms of the climate crisis: planting a forest, which is a natural means of absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or erecting fields of solar panels, which reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? This dilemma has long been debated by decision-makers around the world. Now, for the first time -- based on findings from arid areas and on comprehensive measurements of the energy flow exchanged between the ground and the atmosphere -- we may have an answer to this question.
Published Ultra-hard material to rival diamond discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have solved a decades-long puzzle and unveiled a near unbreakable substance that could rival diamond, as the hardest material on earth, a study says. Researchers found that when carbon and nitrogen precursors were subjected to extreme heat and pressure, the resulting materials -- known as carbon nitrides -- were tougher than cubic boron nitride, the second hardest material after diamond.
Published Spinning up control: Propeller shape helps direct nanoparticles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Self-propelled nanoparticles could potentially advance drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip systems -- but they are prone to go rogue with random, directionless movements. Now, an international team of researchers has developed an approach to rein in the synthetic particles.
Published Single-use e-cigarettes contain batteries that last hundreds of cycles despite being discarded
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While the lithium-ion batteries in disposable electronic cigarettes are discarded after a single use, they can continue to perform at high capacity for hundreds of cycles, according to a new study. The analysis highlights a growing environmental threat from these increasingly popular vape pens, which are not designed to be recharged.