The surprising scoop on essential oils
Even though essential oils have been around for centuries, dating back to the early Egyptians and were brought as gifts to Jesus in biblical times (remember frankincense?), they’ve become more relevant today than ever before. While people traditionally see a…
Ben-Gurion University researchers develop new method to remove dust on solar panels
(American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) Particle removal increased from 41% on hydrophilic smooth Si wafers to 98% on superhydrophobic Si-based nanotextured surfaces. The researchers confirmed these results by measuring the adhesion of a micron-sized particle to the flat and nanotextured substrate using an atomic force microscope. They found that the adhesion in water is reduced by a factor of 30.
How do you cultivate a healthy plant microbiome?
Crops today never see their parents’ microbiome, so how do they develop a leaf microbial community that’s healthy and resistant to invasion by pathogens? Biologists sequenced the microbiomes of tomatoes through four generations and saw three-quarters of the bacteria disappear, leaving a core community that proved resistant to random invaders. The findings show it’s possible to cultivate a robust plant microbiome, and suggests that probiotic additions could survive on crops, providing lasting benefits.
Siberian researchers contribute to global monitoring of the Earth’s Green Lungs
(Siberian Federal University) Researchers of Siberian Federal University took part in a global project to collect, systematize and universalize data on the composition of forests in all climatic zones and on all continents of the planet.
Raising plants to withstand climate change
(Flinders University) Success with improving a model plant’s response to harsh conditions is leading plant molecular researchers to move to food crops including wheat, barley, rice and chickpeas. Flinders University and La Trobe researchers in Australia are focusing on genes that encode antioxidant enzymes to minimise harmful oxidative responses in leaf cells to environmental stress. Experiments showed the plant with enhanced enzyme levels becoming more hardy and recovering more readily from exposure to drought and ‘high light’.
Winning images of British Ecological Society photography competition announced
(British Ecological Society) An image of a Malagasy tree boa perched in a tree, taken by Roberto García Roa, has been awarded Overall Winner in the British Ecological Society’s annual photography competition, ‘Capturing Ecology.’
Nature’s secret recipe for making leaves
The secret recipe nature uses to make the diverse leaf shapes we see everywhere around us has been revealed in research.
Nature’s secret recipe for making leaves
The secret recipe nature uses to make the diverse leaf shapes we see everywhere around us has been revealed in research.
Who knew? Plants âpanicâ when it rains
Using a spray bottle to simulate rain, researchers found a “panic-like” response in plants. Complex chemical warning signals were passed from leaf to leaf and even communicated to other plants.
Researchers clear the path for ‘designer’ plants
A team of researchers has found a way to identify gene regulatory elements that could help produce ‘designer’ plants and lead to improvements in food crops at a critical time.
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