SciGlow | All Science News In One Place
SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
Providing seeds with a protective coating that also supplies essential nutrients to the germinating plant could make it possible to grow crops in otherwise unproductive soils, according to new research at MIT. A team of engineers has coated seeds with silk that has been treated with a kind of bacteria that naturally produce a nitrogen … Read more
In a world of rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, plants should be happy, right? Experiments have shown that, yes, increased carbon dioxide does allow plants to photosynthesize more and use less water. But the other side of the coin is that warmer temperatures drive plants to use more water and photosynthesize less. So, which … Read more
Researchers from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London) have worked with a team of scientists from institutions across the globe – to uncover the truth behind the origin of venom in some very unusual mammals. As outlined in a paper published today in PNAS, the team focused their attention on … Read more
Global simulations suggest plankton and fish species are showing resilience to climate change by going deeper underwater or moving to higher latitudes. Anticipating changes in community composition in response to warming is challenging because species respond differently and the interactions change between them. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change shows how changes in marine … Read more
A new study published today in Nature Sustainability exemplifies the breadth of ways in which biodiversity can contribute to achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and thereby help to underpin sustainable development. “People benefit from biodiversity in so many ways that are under-appreciated or ignored” says Associate Professor Malgorzata Blicharska, the study’s co-lead … Read more
Named one of the world’s ‘weirdest’ animals by National Geographic, basking sharks are also the second largest shark after the whale shark. They are also Canada’s most endangered marine fish as the Pacific Ocean population is almost extinct. That’s why any confirmation of transatlantic movement for the large-mouthed leviathan is a game-changing finding. A new … Read more
The emergence of a new coral disease in Micronesian reefs, termed grey-patch disease, is reported in the open access journal Microbiome. The disease alters the community of microbes found on the host coral and measuring these changes may be a useful tool for monitoring coral health across reefs. Coral reef communities are sensitive to the environmental … Read more
When studying how organisms evolve, biologists consider most traits, or features, as derived from some earlier version already present in their ancestors. Few traits are regarded as truly “novel.” Insects were wingless, then winged. Animals were blind, then had eyes. And in biology textbooks, novelty has a strict definition: it must have no relationship to … Read more
The DNA of a single cell is 2-3 meters long end-to-end. To fit and function, DNA is packaged around specialized proteins. These DNA-protein complexes are called nucleosomes, and they are a small part of a larger structure called chromatin. Nucleosomes can be thought of as the cell’s DNA storage and protection unit. When a particular … Read more
Changes in the genes that control development can potentially make large contributions to evolution by generating new morphologies in plants and animals. However, because developmental genes frequently influence many different processes, changes to their expression carry a risk of “collateral damage”. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, and collaborators, … Read more