#Bed bugs modify microbiome of homes they infest

“#Bed bugs modify microbiome of homes they infest” Bed bugs can modify microbial communities in home they infest. Credit: Benoit Guenard Homes infested by bed bugs appear to have different bacterial communities—often referred to as microbiomes—than homes without bed bugs, according to a first-of-its-kind study from North Carolina State University. In addition, once bed bug…

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#Bird droppings carry risk of antibiotic resistance

“#Bird droppings carry risk of antibiotic resistance” Urban crows, ducks and gulls are a potentially important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes, according to Rice University engineers who studied their droppings. Credit: Rice University Urban crows, ducks and gulls are a potentially important reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes, according to Rice University engineers who studied their…

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#Who’s your daddy? Male seahorses transport nutrients to embryos

“#Who’s your daddy? Male seahorses transport nutrients to embryos” New research by Dr. Camilla Whittington and her team at the University of Sydney has found male seahorses transport nutrients to their developing babies during pregnancy. This discovery provides an opportunity for further comparative evolutionary research. Seahorses and their relatives are the only vertebrates that have…

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#Biologists trace plants’ steady mitochondrial genomes to a gene found in viruses, bacteria

“#Biologists trace plants’ steady mitochondrial genomes to a gene found in viruses, bacteria” Arabidopsis plant that lacks functional copies of MSH1. Researchers investigated the role of this gene in mitochondrial genome stability. Credit: Colorado State University One could say that mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles inside every human cell, dance to their own beat. After all,…

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#Scientists identify specific molecular elements that regulate root development

“#Scientists identify specific molecular elements that regulate root development” Brachypodium plants grown at EMSL phytotron. Plant roots were harvested at different developmental stages for phenotyping and molecular analysis. A) Leaf development; B/C) Early- and late-tillering is when new shoots emerge after the initial parent shoot grows from a seed; D) Booting/heading: as the head moves…

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#Dynamical and allosteric regulation of photoprotection in light harvesting complex II

“#Dynamical and allosteric regulation of photoprotection in light harvesting complex II” Credit: CC0 Public Domain The photosynthetic systems of green plants have developed a dual function of efficient light collection under low light intensity and photoprotection under intense sunshine to prevent the oxidative damage of reaction centers. Whereas it is widely accepted that such a…

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#Lizards need their coffee, too: Could caffeine help bring threatened species back from the brink?

“#Lizards need their coffee, too: Could caffeine help bring threatened species back from the brink?” Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In an article just published in Conservation Physiology, Macquarie University’s Simon Clulow and colleagues reveal a new sperm freezing and revival technique that shows considerable promise—and involves a surprising ingredient. The group took sperm from a…

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#Wounded plants: How they coordinate their healing

“#Wounded plants: How they coordinate their healing” Arabidopsis thaliana. Credit: Wikipedia. When we cut our fingers, blood rushes out of the wound to close it. However, the vegetable we just wanted to slice and dice, would have reacted completely differently to this injury. Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) investigated…

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#A method to anaerobically disinfect soil to increase phosphorus using diluted ethanol

“#A method to anaerobically disinfect soil to increase phosphorus using diluted ethanol” Alkaline phosphatase availability under oxidation and reduction conditions. Credit: Takashi Kunito, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University Scientists in Japan and the Netherlands have independently developed anaerobic soil disinfestation, also known as biological soil disinfestation or reductive soil disinfestation, to…

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