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Categories: Biology: Botany, Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published A spectrum of possibilities: Insights into the evolution of far-red light photosynthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have unraveled the evolutionary journey of a unique type of photosynthesis that allows some bacteria to harness far-red light, a region beyond the visible spectrum. This discovery could pave the way for engineering plants with enhanced light absorption capabilities and has implications for our search for extraterrestrial life.
Published Scientists harness flower 'super power' to pave the way for new drug treatments
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a way of joining up the head and tail of a protein, making it more stable and easier to get into cells.
Published Slash-and-burn agriculture can increase forest biodiversity, researchers find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The slash-and-burn agriculture practiced by many Indigenous societies across the world can actually have a positive impact on forests, according to a new study done in Belize. Researchers found that in areas of the rainforest in which Indigenous farmers using slash-and-burn techniques created intermediate-sized farm patches -- neither too small nor too large -- there were increases in forest plant diversity.
Published The Fens of eastern England once held vast woodlands
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Fens of eastern England, a low-lying, extremely flat landscape dominated by agricultural fields, was once a vast woodland filled with huge yew trees, according to new research. Scientists have studied hundreds of tree trunks, dug up by Fenland farmers while ploughing their fields. The team found that most of the ancient wood came from yew trees that populated the area between four and five thousand years ago.
Published Hybrid transistors set stage for integration of biology and microelectronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers create transistors combining silicon with biological silk, using common microprocessor manufacturing methods. The silk protein can be easily modified with other chemical and biological molecules to change its properties, leading to circuits that respond to biology and the environment.
Published First experimental evidence of hopfions in crystals opens up new dimension for future technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hopfions, magnetic spin structures predicted decades ago, have become a hot and challenging research topic in recent years. New findings open up new fields in experimental physics: identifying other crystals in which hopfions are stable, studying how hopfions interact with electric and spin currents, hopfion dynamics, and more.
Published Researchers puncture 100-year-old theory of odd little 'water balloons'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Quinoa and many other extremely resilient plants are covered with strange balloon-like 'bladders' that for 127 years were believed to be responsible for protecting them from drought and salt. Research results reveal this not to be the case. These so-called bladder cells serve a completely different though important function. The finding makes it likely that even more resilient quinoa plants will now be able to be bred, which could lead to the much wider cultivation of this sustainable crop worldwide.
Published A stronger core for better plant breeding
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new software tool with enhanced genome-sequencing powers has been developed, increasing the speed and accuracy at which researchers can improve plants through breeding.
Published Looking for 'LUCA' and the timing of cellular evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source LUCA, the 'last universal common ancestor' of all living organisms, lived 4.32 to at most 4.52 billion years ago. What LUCA looked like is unknown, but it must have been a cell with among others ribosomal proteins and an ATP synthase.
Published Forest modeling shows which harvest rotations lead to maximum carbon sequestration
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Forest modeling shows that a site's productivity -- an indicator of how fast trees grow and how much biomass they accumulate -- is the main factor that determines which time period between timber harvests allows for maximum above-ground carbon sequestration.
Published Consumers, florists differ on floral arrangements
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Consumers don't necessarily pay attention to florists' arrangement design elements. And consumer love roses -- a lot.
Published People watched other people shake boxes for science: Here's why
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When researchers asked hundreds of people to watch other people shake boxes, it took just seconds for almost all of them to figure out what the shaking was for. The deceptively simple work by perception researchers is the first to demonstrate that people can tell what others are trying to learn just by watching their actions. The study reveals a key yet neglected aspect of human cognition, and one with implications for artificial intelligence. 'Just by looking at how someone's body is moving, you can tell what they are trying to learn about their environment,' said author Chaz Firestone, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences who investigates how vision and thought interact. 'We do this all the time, but there has been very little research on it.'
Published AI system self-organizes to develop features of brains of complex organisms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have shown that placing physical constraints on an artificially-intelligent system -- in much the same way that the human brain has to develop and operate within physical and biological constraints -- allows it to develop features of the brains of complex organisms in order to solve tasks.
Published New research suggests plants might be able to absorb more CO2 from human activities than previously expected
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet. This is because more realistic ecological modelling suggests the world's plants may be able to take up more atmospheric CO2 from human activities than previously predicted.
Published Wearables capture body sounds to continuously monitor health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source From heart beats to stomach gurgles, sounds hold important health information. New wireless devices sit on skin to continuously capture these sounds, then stream data to smartphones or tablets in real time. In pilot studies, devices accurately tracked sounds associated with cardiorespiratory function, gastrointestinal activity, swallowing and respiration. The devices are particularly valuable for premature babies, who can experience apneas and gastrointestinal complications, which are accompanied by sounds.
Published Realistic talking faces created from only an audio clip and a person's photo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has developed a computer program that creates realistic videos that reflect the facial expressions and head movements of the person speaking, only requiring an audio clip and a face photo. DIverse yet Realistic Facial Animations, or DIRFA, is an artificial intelligence-based program that takes audio and a photo and produces a 3D video showing the person demonstrating realistic and consistent facial animations synchronised with the spoken audio (see videos).
Published Plants that survived dinosaur extinction pulled nitrogen from air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ancient cycad lineages that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs may have done so by relying on symbiotic bacteria in their roots to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The finding came from an effort to understand ancient atmospheres, but became an insight into plant evolution instead.
Published Hemp cannabinoids may have evolved to deter insect pests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds found in hemp plants, may have evolved to deter pests from chewing on them, according to new research that showed higher cannabinoid concentrations in hemp leaves led to proportionately less damage from insect larvae.
Published Genetic discovery promises high-iron vegetables and cereals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A genetic breakthrough has opened new opportunities for iron-fortified vegetables and cereal crops to help address the global health issue of anemia.
Published Printed robots with bones, ligaments, and tendons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique. The new technology makes it possible to 3D print special plastics with elastic qualities in one go. This opens up completely new possibilities for the production of soft robotic structures.