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Posted: 17 Jun 2021 01:37 PM PDT By cleverly combining complementary sequencing techniques, researchers have deepened our understanding of the function of known RNA molecules and discovered thousands of new RNAs. A better understanding of our transcriptome is essential to better understand disease processes and uncover novel genes that may serve as therapeutic targets or biomarkers. |
Beneficial bacteria can be restored to C-section babies at birth Posted: 17 Jun 2021 01:36 PM PDT Babies born by Cesarean section don't have the same healthy bacteria as those born vaginally, but a new study finds that these natural bacteria can be restored. |
Sorghum, a close relative of corn, tested for disease resistance on Pennsylvania farms Posted: 17 Jun 2021 01:34 PM PDT With sorghum poised to become an important crop grown by Pennsylvania farmers, researchers tested more than 150 germplasm lines of the plant for resistance to a fungus likely to hamper its production. |
Passive rewilding can rapidly expand UK woodland at no cost Posted: 17 Jun 2021 11:58 AM PDT A long-term passive rewilding study has shown that natural woodland regeneration could make a significant contribution to meeting the UK's ambitious tree planting targets - potentially at no cost and within relatively short timescales. The research found natural growth due to seed dispersal by birds, mammals and wind can produce biodiverse and resilient woodland. |
Heat spells doom for Aussie marsupials Posted: 17 Jun 2021 11:36 AM PDT When animals are hot, they eat less. This potentially fatal phenomenon has been largely overlooked in wild animals, explain researchers. |
Coelacanths may live nearly a century, five times longer than researchers expected Posted: 17 Jun 2021 11:36 AM PDT Once thought to be extinct, lobe-finned coelacanths are enormous fish that live deep in the ocean. Now, researchers have evidence that, in addition to their impressive size, coelacanths also can live for an impressively long time -- perhaps nearly a century. |
Excess nitrogen puts butterflies at risk Posted: 17 Jun 2021 10:38 AM PDT Nitrogen from agriculture, vehicle emissions and industry is endangering butterflies in Switzerland. The element is deposited in the soil via the air and has an impact on vegetation -- to the detriment of the butterflies, as researchers have discovered. |
Wild chimpanzee orphans recover from the stress of losing their mother Posted: 17 Jun 2021 10:37 AM PDT Chronic stress could be one reason why some animal orphans have shorter lives and less offspring. Researchers assessed if, as orphan humans, orphan chimpanzees are exposed to chronic stress. They found that maternal loss is stressful but orphans experience little chronic stress since stress hormones return to normal after two years, possibly thanks to care provided by other chimpanzees. |
Posted: 17 Jun 2021 08:55 AM PDT Outside the breeding season many parrots live in dynamic social systems in which individuals travel and forage. These flocks are characterized by frequent changes in composition and their dynamic nature entails a unique set of challenges, such as potential increased aggression and competition for resources. Therefore, the ability to selectively choose the right flock members may be essential to maximize individual fitness. |
'Unshackled' palm-destroying beetles could soon invade Australia Posted: 17 Jun 2021 08:55 AM PDT A destructive pest beetle is edging closer to Australia as biological controls fail, destroying home gardens, plantations and biodiversity as they surge through nearby Pacific islands. |
A remote control for gene transfer Posted: 17 Jun 2021 08:55 AM PDT Researchers develop technology to introduce genes into single cells in a targeted manner. |
Posted: 17 Jun 2021 08:55 AM PDT Bacteria from an Indian landfill could help eliminate contaminated chemicals. The focus is on pesticides such as lindane or brominated flame retardants, which accumulate in nature and in food chains. Researchers used these bacteria to generate enzymes that can break down these dangerous chemicals. |
Mutant genes can promote genetic transfer across taxonomic kingdoms Posted: 17 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Researchers now have a better understanding of the mechanism underlying how certain bacteria can transfer genetic material across taxonomic kingdoms, including to fungi and protists. Their work could have applications in changing how bacteria perform certain functions or react to changes in their environment. |
Best strategy to reduce human-bear conflict Posted: 17 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Conservationists have long warned of the dangers associated with bears becoming habituated to life in urban areas. Yet, it appears the message hasn't gotten through to everyone. News reports continue to cover seemingly similar situations -- a foraging bear enters a neighbourhood, easily finds high-value food and refuses to leave. The story often ends with conservation officers being forced to euthanize the animal for public safety purposes. |
Alpine plant spins its own flavonoid wool Posted: 17 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Like the movie version of Spider-Man who shoots spider webs from holes in his wrists, a little alpine plant has been found to eject cobweb-like threads from tiny holes in specialized cells on its leaves. It's these tiny holes that have taken plant scientists by surprise because puncturing the surface of a plant cell would normally cause it to explode like a water balloon. |
Dorsal navigation found in a flying insect Posted: 17 Jun 2021 07:12 AM PDT Sweat bees navigate through dark tropical forests guided by canopy patterns. |
New models predict fewer lightning-caused ignitions but bigger wildfires by mid century Posted: 16 Jun 2021 04:15 PM PDT Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, modeling suggests. |
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