Genetic studies toward plants that resist parasitic weeds
Sneaky parasitic weeds may steal genes from the plants they are attacking and use those genes against the host plant, according to a team of scientists.
Dec 01, 2016
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Parasitic plants may form weapons out of genes stolen from hosts
Sneaky parasitic weeds may be able to steal genes from the plants they are attacking and then use those genes against the host plant, according to a team of scientists.
Researchers prove fast microbial evolutionary bursts exist
There are more than a dozen species of finch that evolved on the Galapagos Islands, each identified by beak shape and size. Some have strong beaks to crack nuts while others have long, fine beaks to grasp larvae with surgical ...
'Water bear' protein shields human DNA from X-rays: researchers
A protein unique to a miniscule creature called a water bear, reputedly the most indestructible animal on Earth, protects human DNA from X-ray damage, stunned researchers reported Tuesday.
Gas sensors 'see' through soil to analyze microbial interactions
Rice University researchers have developed gas biosensors to "see" into soil and allow them to follow the behavior of the microbial communities within.
Stick insects produce bacterial enzymes themselves
Many animals depend on their microbiome to digest their food. Symbiotic microorganisms produce enzymes their hosts cannot, and these work alone or together with the animals' own enzymes to break down their food. Many plant-feeding ...
Why we can trust scientists with the power of new gene-editing technology
A summit of experts from around the world is meeting in Washington to consider the scientific, ethical and governance issues linked to research into gene editing. Convened in response to recent advances in the field, the ...
A huge chunk of a tardigrade's genome comes from foreign DNA
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have sequenced the genome of the nearly indestructible tardigrade, the only animal known to survive the extreme environment of outer space, and found something ...
The origin of the very first species and the start of Darwinian evolution
During the earliest evolution on earth, life probably resembled one big genetic jumble. At some time, presumably around 3.8 to 3.5 billion years before today, the very first biological species appeared – the ancestor of ...
The secret behind the power of bacterial sex discovered
Migration between different communities of bacteria is the key to the type of gene transfer that can lead to the spread of traits such as antibiotic resistance, according to researchers at Oxford University.
