Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Bacterial Cellulose Triggers Plant Regeneration Mechanism

A groundbreaking study, co-led by researchers from the Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP) and Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), has elucidated the mechanism by which bacterial cellulose mediates plant tissue regeneration.

13 Feb 2025

DNA Methylation Governs Citric Acid Production in Lemons

Lemons owe their signature tang to citric acid, yet the molecular mechanisms governing its accumulation have long remained a mystery.

12 Feb 2025

Genetic Improvements Offer Pathways to Boost Livestock Productivity in Africa

African livestock producers have a unique opportunity to improve the production of meat, milk and eggs through modern breeding technologies and innovations being tested in Africa, according to a recent perspective paper published in Nature Genetics.

12 Feb 2025

New Research Tracks the Spread of Biological Control Agent for Lantana camara

New CABI-led research using publicly-shared DNA barcodes and citizen science images have provided new evidence on the establishment and spread of a biological control agent used for the control of the major invasive shrub Lantana camara.

10 Feb 2025

The Link Between Climate Change and Salmonella Incidence

Research links specific weather conditions to salmonellosis outbreaks, emphasizing the need for weather-based models in food safety and public health planning.

6 Feb 2025

Genetic Map of Yerba Mate Offers Insight into Evolution of Caffeine Biosynthesis

Yerba mate, along with tea and coffee, is one of the world's most popular caffeinated beverages. Widely consumed in South America, this remarkable plant is rich in diverse, bioactive compounds that contribute many health benefits.

5 Feb 2025

Coffee's Bitter Taste Linked to Genetics and Roasting Process

Why does coffee taste more bitter to some people than it does to others? Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich have now come closer to answering this question.

30 Jan 2025

New Epigenetic Tool Can Track Androgen Exposure Over Time

Researchers from the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka have created a world-first epigenetic tool which has implications for medicine, sports, and agriculture.

28 Jan 2025

Synthesizing Inaoside A from Edible Mushroom

Although natural compounds from plants and animals have long been utilized in drug development, the chemical potential of mushrooms is still poorly understood. Inaoside A, a substance obtained from the edible mushroom Laetiporus cremeiporus, has now been effectively synthesized for the first time by Japanese researchers.

24 Jan 2025

Mapping Global Microbial Diversity Using Genomic Sequencing Data

Metagenomic datasets could help map out microbial diversity hotspots. Published January 17, 2025 in Science Advances, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Berkeley Laboratory, have taken stock of the current state of microbial genomic biodiversity.

20 Jan 2025

Oxygen Sensor Protein Offers Solution for Enhancing Nitrogen Fixation in Plants

A small helper for big tasks: an oxygen sensor protein protects the enzymatic machinery of biological nitrogen fixation from serious damage.

17 Jan 2025

Study Reveals How Gut Bacteria and the Body Regulate Bile Acids

Our gut is a bustling hub of activity, home to trillions of microbes that work together with our bodies to keep us healthy.

15 Jan 2025

Uncovering the Ancient Genetic Secrets of Hornworts

Over 450 million years ago, plants began the epic transition from water to dry land. Among the first pioneers were the ancestors of humble hornworts, a group of small, unassuming plants that have persisted to this day.

7 Jan 2025

Unique CO₂-Concentrating Mechanism Drives the Future of Sustainable Agriculture

Researchers have been exploring methods to enhance the ability of plants to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into biomass, a process that could increase crop yields and contribute to climate change mitigation.

7 Jan 2025

Genetic Discovery Offers Potential for Higher Crop Yields and Biofuel Production

A team of scientists with two Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers -; the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, or CABBI, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign -; identified a gene in a poplar tree that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height by about 30% in the field and by as much as 200% in the greenhouse.

6 Jan 2025

Bacteria in Lake Mendota Evolve with Changing Seasons

Like Bill Murray in the movie "Groundhog Day," bacteria species in a Wisconsin lake are in a kind of endless loop that they can't seem to shake. Except in this case, it's more like Groundhog Year.

6 Jan 2025

Genomic Study Reveals Key Insights into Modern Maize Inbred Lines

Maize is a globally cultivated staple crop and one of the most successful examples of heterosis utilization in food production.

3 Jan 2025

Biologists Reveal Genetics Behind Walnut Trees' Alternating Sexes

The genetics behind the alternating sexes of walnut trees has been revealed by biologists at the University of California, Davis.

3 Jan 2025

Plant Research Reveals Unexpected Function for Key Cellular Protein

A cell protein previously believed only to provide a scaffolding for DNA has also been shown to directly influence DNA transcription into RNA – the first step of the process by which an organism's genetic code expresses itself. The fundamental breakthrough was discovered in apple cells but is relevant to all living organisms made of nucleus-containing cells, including humans.

24 Dec 2024

New Synthetic Biology Tool Improves Genetic Circuit Integration and Functionality

The research team led by Professor Jongmin Kim from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH, along with graduate students Hyunseop Goh and Seungdo Choi, has successfully developed the 'Synthetic Translational Coupling Element (SynTCE),' significantly enhancing the precision and integration density of genetic circuits in synthetic biology.

23 Dec 2024