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Switching off 'master regulator' may offer neuroprotection from Parkinson's-related damage

Switching off a molecular "master regulator" may protect the brain from inflammatory damage and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, reports a study published today in Nature Neuroscience.

18 Aug 2020

Novel technique of biofortification converts leaves into nutrient stores

A new collaborative study led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona and the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP) in Valencia describes a promising strategy to improve the nutritional benefits of crops.

18 Aug 2020

Cover crop roots are essential to judge their overall effectiveness

To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants' roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.

14 Aug 2020

Flavonoids in sorghum roots may lead to development of frost-resistant crop

Flavonoid compounds -- produced by the roots of some sorghum plants -- positively affect soil microorganisms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a frost-resistant line of the valuable crop for North American farmers.

14 Aug 2020

New research suggests pollution is also a cause for antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health problem, but new research suggests it is not only caused by the overuse of antibiotics. It's also caused by pollution.

From University of Georgia 14 Aug 2020

Study finds agricultural additions as largest human source of sulfur in the environment

A new paper out today in Nature Geoscience identifies fertilizer and pesticide applications to croplands as the largest source of sulfur in the environment--up to 10 times higher than the peak sulfur load seen in the second half of the 20th century, during the days of acid rain.

11 Aug 2020

Many consumers are confused by whole grain labels on food packaging

Whole grain labels on cereal, bread, and crackers are confusing to consumers and could cause them to make fewer healthy choices, according to the results of a study that tested whether people are able pick out the healthier, whole grain option based on food package labels.

11 Aug 2020

Adapting the equipment and expertise of agtech labs could help combat pandemics

Just as redeploying a fleet of small British fishing boats helped during the Battle of Dunkirk, marshalling the research equipment and expertise of the many agtech labs around the world could help combat pandemics, say the authors of a just-published article in Nature Biotechnology.

11 Aug 2020

Scientists resolve photosynthetic bottlenecks to increase crop productivity

Plants are factories that manufacture yield from light and carbon dioxide--but parts of this complex process, called photosynthesis, are hindered by a lack of raw materials and machinery.

11 Aug 2020

Modeling predicted movements of aphids could help fight against banana bunchy top virus

Modelling the predicted movements of pervasive sap-sucking tiny insects before they infest banana crops has the potential to become a key tactic in the fight against a devastating virus, according to QUT research.

11 Aug 2020

Study could advance the field of beef production

While it's long been said "you are what you eat," a team of animal scientists in the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is taking an in-depth look at how what you are is influenced by your ability to eat, at least in cattle.

7 Aug 2020

Agricultural Research Service releases genomic data of Asian giant hornets

The first complete genome of the Asian giant hornet has been released by a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists.

7 Aug 2020

Researchers identify strategies to improve livelihoods through sustainable agricultural development

The Barotse Floodplain in Zambia is one of Africa's largest wetlands, representing varied ecotypes and high biodiversity conservation value.

7 Aug 2020

Discovery Could Lead To More Potent Garlic, Boosting Flavor And Bad Breath

For centuries, people around the world have used garlic as a spice, natural remedy, and pest deterrent, but they did not know how powerful garlic was.

6 Aug 2020

Novel method can examine dangerous levels of heavy metals in food and water

Finding out if the food and water we consume are safe from toxic and carcinogenic metals can now be much faster and simpler.

5 Aug 2020

Hudsonalpha researchers help elucidate functional elements of the genome

Although the Human Genome Project sequenced a nearly-complete human genome almost 20 years ago, only about two percent of the genes in the human genome have been extensively studied and identified as protein-coding genes. Proteins form the basis of living tissues and play a central role in biological processes.

3 Aug 2020

Konstanz biologists win Ursula M. Händel Animal Welfare Prize

Marcel Leist, Professor of In-Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine at the University of Konstanz, and Thomas Hartung, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Konstanz and Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair of Evidence-Based Toxicology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, have been awarded the Ursula M. Händel Animal Welfare Prize 2020 of the German Research Foundation.

3 Aug 2020