and part of the membrane will typically shift from the center of the pit to one side to seal the pit opening said Barry Goodell a professor of sustainable biomaterials in the College of Natural resources and Environment at Virginia Tech.
The American Journal of Botany is one of the 10 most influential journals over the last 100 years in the field of biology and medicine according to the Biomedical & Life sciences Division of the Special Libraries Association.
and fractionation difficult--the first step in extracting natural chemicals from wood to make products ranging from medicinal polymers to sugars that are the basis for bioenergy systems.
In addition to his work on the bordered pits in wood Goodell works in the area of advanced engineered composites fabrication and in biomass bioconversion.
He is also a leading authority on the biochemistry of brown rot wood-decay fungi
which some day may be used in biomass conversion processes for energy and sustainable biomaterials production. His study of the brown rot fungi led him to study tree defenses at the nanostructure scale.
#African caterpillars resistant to GM maizelike many other transgenic crops Bt maize synthesises its own pesticide:
Bt maize and resistance developmentgenetically engineered maize is created by introducing a gene into the plant genome that expresses a toxic protein from a bacterium i e.
Such perspectives could include a more diverse array of toxins for the control of pest populations possibly supplemented with a biological component such as pathogenic fungi or parasitic wasps.
or by transferring resistance genes between bacteria. It is therefore important to only use antimicrobial agents as required to prevent overuse.
#X-ray science taps bug biology to design better materials and reduce pollutionbug spray citronella candles mosquito netting--most people will do anything they can to stay away from insects during the warmer months.
Researchers using the cutting-edge X-ray technology at the U s. Department of energy's Advanced Photon Source (APS) were able to take an inside look at several insects gathering results that go beyond learning about insect physiology and biology.
but try to put super glue in your bathtub without it ever getting a chance to dry says Jeff Yarger professor of chemistry biochemistry
and physics at Arizona State university and author of a study in Biomacromolecules that examined caddisfly silk.
and collagen-like Yarger and his team had to examine the biopolymers tiny molecular structures that serve as the building blocks for the silk using the Biocars sector 14 at the Argonne National Laboratory-based APS.
Scott Kirkton associate professor of biology at Union College observed that just before molting a growth process in
To conduct this research Tom Daniel professor of biology at the University of Washington and author of a study in Science that examined the cross bridge cycling in the muscles of moths had to seek out Thomas Irving.
Irving is the director of the Biophysics Collaborative Access Team at sector 18 of the APS.
Daniel says it is thanks to Irving's wizardry--his expertise in biophysics and experience hooking up insects to gizmos--that helped Daniel pull together this experiment.
Otherwise a vital part is missing--the biology is a key ingredient. Professor Nick Ostle from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology a joint partner in the research said:
if they know how to reduce allergens in the areas surrounding the home said allergist Richard Weber MD president of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
The above story is provided based on materials by American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI.
while protecting biodiversity and human livelihoods said WCS president and CEO Cristiã¡n Samper. WCS congratulates Madagascar
which contains an estimated one percent of the world's biodiversity including 20 lemur species hundreds of species of birds
and the valuing of biodiversity. Thus the sale of carbon stored in the protected forests of Makira Natural Park provides a significant financial opportunity for Madagascar.
and has received a'Gold'level validation by the Climate Community and Biodiversity Alliance. Avoided deforestation has been identified as a key mechanism for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
#Heavily logged forests still valuable for tropical wildlifenew research has found rainforests that have been logged several times continue to hold substantial value for biodiversity
and is perceived to hold little value for timber carbon or biodiversity. Dr Struebig Lecturer in Biological Conservation from DICE explains:'
'Recent studies have emphasised similar numbers of species living in unlogged and logged sites but what surprised us was just how resilient some species were even in sites almost unrecognisable as rainforest.'
'For biodiversity simple measures such as setting artificial nest boxes for bats and birds may if guided by research help bring some species back to the numbers found in unlogged areas'he said.
'Quantifying the Biodiversity Value of Repeatedly Logged Rainforests: Gradient and Comparative Approaches from Borneo'is published In advances in Ecological Research Volume 48
and ancestral genetic toolkit that enabled animals and fungi to evolve into diverse multicellular life forms.
Jeffrey Silberman a professor of biological sciences isolated a new unicellular anaerobic eukaryote and worked with former graduate student Matt Brown and others in the lab of Andrew Roger at Dalhousie University in Halifax Nova scotia Cananda on the genomics and description of this organism
which they named Pygsuia biforma. Brown now a biology professor at Mississippi State university is the lead author of the study
which was published August 28 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (Biology The importance of this finding is that it helps us decipher how multicellularity evolved Silberman said.
It demonstrates that some genes and proteins that most people think are specific to being multicellular in animals are already present in their unicellular relatives.
It is as if the genetic toolkit for becoming multicellular was assembled and modified bit by bit in the single-cell lineages that share a common ancestry with animals.
Silberman and Brown study the origins and relationships among single-celled eukaryotes which have nucleus amoebae and flagellates some
Genomic analyses of single cell organisms that are specifically related to multicellular lineages often provide clues to understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of multicellular life.
and sequenced the protein-coding genes of the organism to construct a 159-protein matrix for phylogenetic analyses.
The genus name for Pygsuia biforma is derived from part of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks sports cheer Wooo Pig Sooie
which suids the ancient biological family of pigs belong. Consequently the genus name also means little pig in mock Latin.
The species name biforma is derived from the presence two distinct cell forms that are observed in the life cycle.
The researchers'work was funded partially by the Arkansas Biosciences Institute. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by University of Arkansas Fayetteville.
Lead author Dr Louise Matthews Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Biodiversity Animal health and Comparative Medicine said:
and applied to crop fields contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria resistance genes and about 75 percent of the antibiotics consumed by the animals.
and chickens along with improved cassava varieties that resist a deadly virus. They also are growing high-value crops like tomatoes onions and watermelons.
which sectors cause environmental impact and biodiversity loss. At the same time it was established which sectors produce value added.
biodiversity loss land use and ecotoxicity. The calculation method allows a detailed analysis to find the most important production chains for each type of impact.
when it comes to influencing atmospheric carbon dioxide said second author Lars Hedin a Princeton professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and the Princeton Environmental Institute.
and that the level of biodiversity in a tropical forest may determine the size of the carbon sink.
Forest degradation however comes with a loss of biodiversity that can affect nitrogen fixers too
Nitrogen fixers are a component of biodiversity and they're really important for the function of these forests
Referred to as biological nitrification inhibition or BNI the mechanism markedly reduces the conversion of nitrogen applied to soil as fertilizer into nitrous oxide according to papers prepared for the 22nd International Grasslands Congress.
and causing food supply problems if other benefits and disbenefits from revegetating agricultural landscapes are taken not also into account in land-use decisions according to an article published in the October issue of Bioscience.
which do not support biodiversity and provide few environmental benefits to local inhabitants. But alternatives such as planting strips of trees on farms agroforestry--integrating trees into cropping systems
The above story is provided based on materials by American Institute of Biological sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
which Washington University in St louis biologist Joan Strassmann characterizes as a noxious and terrifying environment for the little things that live there.
Supernatants (washings) from bacterial cultures had similar effects suggesting that the bacteria were secreting biomolecules that poisoned nonfarmers preventing them from eating the farmers'crops.
The big question for the team all evolutionary biologists was why is farming evolutionarily stable among Dicty?
#Genetics of how and why fish swim in schools: Research sheds light on complex social behaviorhow
and why fish swim in schools has fascinated long biologists looking for clues to understand the complexities of social behavior.
To be published online in the Sept. 12 issue of Current Biology the study found that two key components of schooling--the tendency to school
if researchers can identify the genes that influence the fishes'interest in being social they may be closer to understanding how genes drive human social behavior.
and humans said Greenwood a staff scientist in the Human biology Division at Fred Hutch. Some of the same brain regions and neurological chemicals that control human social behavior are involved probably in fish social behavior as well.'
'Some kind of genetic factor'controlling behavior Greenwood and several colleagues in the Peichel Lab at Fred Hutch have been studying sticklebacks for several years to understand the genesis of natural variation.
That really suggests that there's some kind of genetic factor controlling this difference Greenwood said. This time around the researchers used lab-raised hybrids of the strongly schooling saltwater-dwelling marine sticklebacks and the schooling-averse sticklebacks that live in freshwater.
Alison Bell Ph d. an associate professor of animal biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said the linking of behaviors to different genomic regions in the same species
It's been hard to find regions of the genome that are associated with any kind of behavioral traits in natural populations.
Hans Hofmann Ph d. a professor of integrative biology at the University of Texas at Austin said the study also refutes the assertion that human behavior is too complex to understand.
Beyond its findings connecting specific behaviors with genomic regions the study also found that the same regions of the genome appear to control both the stickleback's ability to school as well as the anatomy of its lateral line a system of organs that detect movement
That suggests a single gene could cause fish to detect their environment differently Greenwood said
It provides a promising starting point in trying to locate the gene involved and Fred Hutch researchers are now working on manipulating the gene they think causes changes in the stickleback's lateral line to see
if that alters the fishes'schooling behavior. Research on schooling behavior in fish may seem an odd fit for a cancer research center
and the genes that tend to be affected during evolution in these other model systems we can apply that to humans she said.
Dilcher an IU professor emeritus of geological sciences and biology in the College of Arts and Sciences discovered fossil flowers and fruits resembling those of magnolias
This massive array of underexplored biodiversity will face an unprecedented threat before the end of the century.
However an unprecedented rate of projected temperature gain in the region over the next century 5 degrees Celsius will have them going upslope faster than ever before says Miles Silman professor of Biology at Wake Forest University.
Bioscience at the University of Queensland Australia and colleagues from other institutions. The small protein named orally active insecticidal peptide-1 (OAIP-1) was found to be highly toxic to insects that consumed it with potency similar to that of the synthetic insecticide imidacloprid.
Alternately the authors suggest the genes encoding these peptides could be used to engineer insect-resistant plants
The work published Sept. 11 in the journal Biology Letters could help Indian farmers protect their crops from marauding elephants and save the lives of both people and animals.
The Duke university-led study published online Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Global Change Biology is the first to show that a changing climate may have dual impacts on forests.
It will have far-reaching consequences for biodiversity and carbon storage. To test whether trees are migrating northward having faster turnover
. and others found this gene to encode A g protein called GÎ. Further experiments indicated an unexpected interaction between GÎ
and propose a somewhat revolutionary model we needed a multidisciplinary approach associating several microscopy and biochemistry techniques.
#Influenza virus in wild birds in Norwayducks and gulls are the natural hosts of Influenza a virus.
In rare cases if introduced from wild birds to poultry some viruses of the H5
One example of this is the highly pathogenic H5n1 virus in Southeast asia known to cause#oebird flu#.
#Due to the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5n1 in Southeast asia a programme to monitor influenza viruses in wild birds in Norway was initiated in 2005.
The results showed that low pathogenic avian influenza viruses were present in 15.5%of the samples
and that the virus occurrence was higher in dabbling ducks than in gulls. The virus prevalence was lowest in December.
Many different subtypes of the Influenza a virus were detected but not the highly pathogenic H5n1 virus. The complete genetic material from a total of five influenza viruses from mallard and common gull were sequenced and characterized.
The results showed that the genes of the Norwegian viruses resembled the genes found in influenza viruses from other wild birds in Europe.
Due to limited overlap between the routes used by migratory birds in Eurasia and America influenza viruses with different genetic material have developed between these two continents.
However in some areas it has been observed that genes can be exchanged between influenza viruses from Eurasia and America.
Tønnessen studied the role that gulls play in the transfer of virus genes between these two continents.
Genes from American avian influenza viruses were detected not in the European gull viruses studied. However within avian influenza viruses from Eurasia she found that virus genes were exchanged between influenza viruses typically found in gulls and ducks respectively.
During the breeding seasons of 2008 and 2009 Tønnessen studied the occurrence of influenza virus in the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) at Hornã¸ya in Finnmark in Northern Norway.
Low amounts of influenza virus were detected in 5-15%of the samples from adult kittiwakes
and she discovered that more than 70%of the adult birds had developed antibodies against Influenza a virus. The majority of the kittiwakes had antibodies against an influenza virus subtype typically found in gulls namely H16.
Ducks can become infected with influenza virus through consumption of surface water contaminated with faeces shed by virus infected birds.
Most subtypes of influenza virus from ducks can retain their infectivity in water over long periods of time.
Experiments performed by Tønnessen showed that influenza virus subtypes primarily found in gulls (i e.
H13 and H16) can also remain infectious in water for several months under different salinity and temperature conditions.
To assess if a typical influenza virus subtype from gull can infect chickens Tønnessen inoculated chickens with an H16n3 virus obtained from herring gull.
Influenza virus was detected in the oropharynx of 2 of the 19 virus inoculated chickens and specific antibodies against H16 were found in the same two chickens.
The chickens did not become ill and the virus did not infect the contact chickens.
These results suggest that H16n3 virus from gull can cause a limited infection in chickens.
In order to find out why influenza viruses of the H13 and H16 subtypes primarily infect gulls Tønnessen examined
whether the internal proteins of these viruses have particular signatures (amino acid composition) possibly related to host adaptation.
Several signatures which can be related to host adaptation were detected but their importance needs to be evaluated further in experimental studies.
#The research was conducted at the Department of Food safety and Infection Biology at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science and at Section for Virology at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute.
which normally happens at six says the researcher of the Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry of the Cinvestav.
When in contact with the roots a biochemical communication starts that allows the trees to adapt with no problems
#Panda poop microbes could make biofuels of the futureunlikely as it may sound giant pandas Ya Ya
and Le Le in the Memphis Zoo are making contributions toward shifting production of biofuels away from corn
Brown and her students based at Mississippi State university now have identified more than 40 microbes living in the guts of giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo that could make biofuel production from plant waste easier and cheaper.
when it comes to biofuel production--that's why we focused on the microbes in the giant panda.
and transform them into oils and fats for biodiesel production. Brown said that either the bacteria themselves
and our analysis methods will provide California policymakers with valuable tools to do so said Eric Masanet associate professor of mechanical engineering and of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern's Mccormick School of Engineering and Applied science.
In a talk at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) scientists are describing identification of the genes responsible for pesticide-resistance in bedbugs
The surprise discovery we never expected is that most of the genes responsible for pesticide resistance in the bedbug are active in its outer skin-like shell or cuticle.
Zhu of Washington state University and colleagues who are with the University of Kentucky quickly realized that the location was the ideal spot for genes that mute the effects of pyrethroid insecticides--today's mainstay home
Some genes in the cuticle for instance produce substances that tear apart the molecular backbone of insecticides rendering them harmless.
Other genes manufacture biological pumps that literally pump insecticides back out of the cuticle before they can enter the body.
Zhu's team sifted through the bedbug's genome--its complete set of genes--to identify the genes responsible for this pesticide resistance.
We took advantage of cutting-edge next-generation genetic sequencing technology that's now available. It enabled us to perform quickly an analysis that would have taken years in the 1990s--a genome-wide analysis of the insecticide-resistance related genes in bedbugs.
They found 14 genes that in various combinations help bedbugs survive pesticide treatments with pyrethroid-type insecticides.
Most were active in the bug's cuticle and block or slow an insecticide from reaching the nerve cells where it can kill.
In case insecticides slip past the armor other genes kick in to prevent the toxins from attacking the nervous system.
Zhu said the findings suggest that development of new pesticides should focus on chemicals that shut down or mute genes in the cuticle that thwart today's pesticides.
They also removed the additives from the shisha and found little difference before and after thus the tobacco is the likely source of the metals they said.
And they include crop seeds with genetic traits that enable farmers to apply herbicides to their fields without harming the crops.
which could be used as animal feed in various food applications or as a raw material for biofuel production.
The author Ashley E. Larsen a Ph d. candidate in the Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology built on an earlier study published in PNAS by extending the temporal dimension of that analysis. That study found a strong positive
Using a new satellite-based vegetation monitoring system researchers found that about 12 percent of the biomass has disappeared in this country that's more than twice the size of Texas
The findings were published in Global Change Biology. Overgrazing accounts for about 80 percent of the vegetation loss in recent years researchers concluded and reduced precipitation
Related research has found that heavy grazing results in much less vegetation cover and root biomass and an increase in animal hoof impacts.
Their study could provide the framework for pest management that helps both farmers and biodiversity.
In recent years Stanford biologists have found that coffee growers in Costa rica bolster bird biodiversity by leaving patches of their plantations as untouched rainforest.
The benefits that we might get are said huge Daniel Karp a graduate student in biology and lead author of the study.
Stanford biologists have been studying the intersection of nature and agriculture in Costa rica since the 1990s in part because of the vast amounts of land in that country dedicated to coffee production.
and thus a greater biodiversity of insect-eating birds fared better under attack from the insects.
The work was authored co by Stanford biology Professors Gretchen Daily Paul Ehrlich and Elizabeth Hadly;
biology graduate student Chase Mendenhall; Nicolas Chaumont a software engineer at the Natural Capital Project; and Randi Figueroa Sandi a field assistant in Copal de Agua Buena in Costa rica.
and poverty alleviation as vital to national security said Gretchen Daily a biology professor at Stanford
%The team also determined that at most of the sampling points the oil content in the biomass of the male tree was greater than that in the biomass of the female tree.
Prior to joining Dr. Bowden's laboratory Dr. Dickinson earned her Phd through the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at the UA studying oxidative stress and heart disease.
when it comes to inhibiting cancer-causing pathways (such as the AP-1 protein) while activating chemoprotective genes (such as the Nrf2 gene).
To quantify the impact of genetic improvement in wheat disease and climate change over a 26-year period a team of researchers at Kansas State university examined wheat variety yield data from Kansas performance tests along with location-specific weather and disease data.
Diseases such as fungi and viruses can attack wheat and lower yields. This research quantifies the impact of weather diseases and new wheat varieties on yields.
So far genetic improvement has allowed wheat yields to increase significantly over time but there are challenges ahead to keep up with potential increases in temperature.
and genetic improvement) using a unique data set and state-of-the-art statistical methods Barkley said. The results update
#Sharing the risks/costs of biomass cropsfarmers who grow corn and soybeans can take advantage of government price support programs
but similar programs are not available for those who grow biomass crops such as Miscanthus. A University of Illinois study recommends a framework for contracts between growers
and biorefineries to help spell out expectations for sustainability practices and designate who will assume the risks
The current biomass market operates more along the lines of a take-it -or-leave-it contract
and promote a more sustainable stable biomass supply a new kind of contract needs to be created said Jody Endres a U of I professor of energy and environmental law.
If we get these considerations into the contracts those who finance this new biomass crop industry will have more certainty to invest.
The study identifies considerations that should be included in the framework for a biomass contract including a control for moral hazard risk incentive tradeoff existing agricultural practices
if biorefineries receive money in the form of carbon credits for reducing pollution incentives for farmers should be included in contracts
but the biorefinery gets carbon credit for those sustainable practices. This should be worked into the contract--that
Due to the power relationships in this industry the onus is on the biorefinery to be the leader in developing contracts in this new landscape.
The perennial nature of biomass crops also makes developing contracts challenging. We're in a unique environment
Crop insurance is not currently available for farmers who grow biomass crops so they take on additional risk.
and do not want to be locked into a multi-year contract with a lessee to grow a perennial biomass crop.
although sustainability requirements are important having an adequate supply of biomass is important as well. We're trying to envision a future in
which we have a lot of biomass and one way to secure that is to recognize all of the risks
A newly forming biomass standards group in which Endres holds a leadership role is looking at how the value of sustainability practices can be measured at the watershed eco-shed or air-shed level rather than on the scale of individual farms.
and consumers of biomass including through contracts. I'm optimistic that it can be done she said.
There's also a real need for education in both developed and underdeveloped countries about biomass contracting Endres said.
The research was supported by funding from the Energy Biosciences Institute and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project No.
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