Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Researchers discover DNA differences in 100 varieties of tomatoes

A study has revealed over 230,000 DNA variations across 100 varieties of tomatoes, which will enable scientists to engineer juicier and larger plants.

18 Jun 2020

Gut bacteria may modify host animal's behavior, influence food choices

Gut bacteria are tiny but may play an outsized role not only in the host animal's digestive health, but in their overall well-being.

18 Jun 2020

Study calls for more research on bacteriophages involved in plant health

In an individual’s own gut and in marine environments, bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, play an important role in the regulation of microbiome.

17 Jun 2020

Newly discovered gene could help crops collaborate better with underground fungi

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered an important gene in plants that could help agricultural crops collaborate better with underground fungi--providing them with wider root networks and helping them to absorb phosphorus.

17 Jun 2020

Soil biology research can provide solutions for a sustainable future

Soils are home to more than 25 percent of the earth's total biodiversity, supporting life on land and water, nutrient cycling and retention, food production, pollution remediation and climate regulation.

17 Jun 2020

Exposure To Air Pollution Impairs Cellular Energy Metabolism

Exposure to air particulate matter impairs the metabolism of olfactory mucosal cells, according to a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland.

17 Jun 2020

Do Warning Labels Help People Choose Healthier Drinks?

Warning labels on sugary drinks lead to healthier drink choices, according to a new analysis of more than 20 studies examining these warnings.

17 Jun 2020

COVID-19 Antibody Tests: How Reliable Are They?

With stay-at-home orders expiring around the world, many hope that COVID-19 antibody testing will help businesses and institutions reopen safely.

17 Jun 2020

Eating Whole Grains Could Help Lower Diabetes Risk

An analysis of more than 200,000 people found that eating high-quality carbohydrates, such as whole grains, was associated with a lower risk for diabetes.

17 Jun 2020

Agroforestry Is 'Win Win' For Bees And Crops

Planting woody plant species alongside crops could double the number of insect pollinators helping farmers produce food, new research has demonstrated.

17 Jun 2020

Fish Oil May Help With Depression

A study shows that patient-derived adult stem cells can be used to model major depressive disorder and test how a patient may respond to medication.

17 Jun 2020

Adding Lean Beef To A Healthy Diet

Results show that risk factors for cardiovascular disease were similar when participants consumed a healthy eating pattern with and without lean beef.

17 Jun 2020

Remodeling of gut microbiome strongly inhibits thickened-artery condition in mice

Scientists at Scripps Research have developed molecules that can remodel the bacterial population of intestines to a healthier state and they have shown--through experiments in mice--that this reduces cholesterol levels and strongly inhibits the thickened-artery condition known as atherosclerosis.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers discover new mechanism which may stimulate blood vessels' inner liner

Blood vessels are the body's transportation system, carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and whisking away waste.

15 Jun 2020

Symbiotic bacteria support the unusual life cycle and diet of reed beetles

Insects that feed only on plants have a number of challenges to overcome. But they also have some active helpers to assist them with the supply of important nutrients.

15 Jun 2020

Activating specific neurons can trigger hibernation-like state in mice

In Sci-Fi movies, astronauts often enter an inactive state in "hibernation chambers" to cross the vastness of space.

15 Jun 2020

Study proposes "microbial Noah's ark" to protect long-term health of humanity

A new study finds that proposal to create a "microbial Noah's ark" to protect the long-term health of humanity is feasible and should move forward into a pilot project phase, that would include installing infrastructure to store microbes in a site such as Norway or Switzerland and a collaboration for collecting samples all over the world.

15 Jun 2020