There is something about sodium chloride (NaCl) that causes humans the world over to indulge in the delicious salty products. For example, I ate a large burrito last night for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants and when I got home feeling like I was about to explode, my appetite was miraculously...

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you only inherited traits from one parent?  Instead of having your mother’s nose and your father’s smile, you might resemble a clone of one parent, not a mixture between the two; however, without perfection of the cloning process, we do not need...

Today, I realized how many new things I have learned from writing these articles! For instance, I was under the assumption that the tomato is one fruit that can be grown anywhere. This thought was based on the wide variety of world cuisines that all make use of tomatoes. However, apparently there is...

This past week, I had the remarkable opportunity of visiting a country that has intrigued me for a very long time, that is, Japan. Since childhood, my older brother and I have been fascinated by this unique nation’s technology, culture, and viable economy that all seemed to have survived the immense...

The Great Plains is known for the massive area it covers and the multitude of crops it produces. However, each individual lot of farmland may be limited in biodiversity. Currently, the Great Plains is slated to become the new home of a mixture of biofuel crops, such as switchgrass and prairie cordgrass....

When I google the word “essex” all I find is a reference to a county in Northern England that just happens to be one of the most populous ones in the area.  However, that wasn’t what I had been searching for. I had been searching for the Essex that is a new breed of lentil developed by George...

When I hear the word “morphine” or “codeine,” the first thought that comes to mind is not that of a flower.  Although these two drugs may fall under the classification of some of the strongest pain medications on the market, people often fail to acknowledge the source of morphine and codeine:...

A few weeks ago, we discussed a method for generating electricity by using a biofuel cell and the power of photosynthesis from a cactus plant; therefore, when selecting this week’s topic, I thought it only appropriate to elaborate on a less prickly approach at harnessing power from plants. Researchers...

Negative connotations about tobacco are prevalent in many cultures across the world. However, upon closer examination, we may become a bit more willing to accept tobacco plants into our lives – but not in the way you might expect. Tobacco holds a notorious reputation for giving people health problems...

Did you know that potatoes are not considered vegetables? They are edible tubers. On average, a person eats 73 pounds of potatoes, internationally; Americans eat almost twice that amount at 130 pounds per year! However, among the four top-most produced crops, potatoes are the easiest targets for various...

Crops have always been plagued by insects, disease, nutrient-poor soil and drought. Now, it seems that one small part of the problem may be solved. One of the critical nutrients that plants require to grow is nitrogen. Nitrogen must be ‘fixed’ in order to turn Nitrogen from the air into a usable...

The American Association for the Advancement of Science conference wrapped up on the 22nd of February, and the topic of biofuels certainly did not go untouched. Many scientists have been addressing the commercialization of the algal biofuel production process. Thus far, the obstacle has mainly been a...

As I was thinking about my topic for this week’s article, I thought I would do myself a little favor by first baking one of my favorite homemade desserts: white chocolate bread pudding. Not only did this help to inspire my thoughts, but perhaps even more importantly, it fed my unrelenting appetite...

For years, scientists have faced the lofty challenge of confirming the evolutionary link between primates and humans, but with new research from Purdue University, scientists may turn their focus on evolutionary kinship between apes and plants. While attempting to revive dying plants, researchers discovered...

Food competition in the tropics is not limited to two animals fighting over a single prey. In fact, carnivorous plants and fungi also compete for food, albeit at a much more molecular level. After an insect is trapped by a carnivorous plant, it falls into the plant’s “pitcher,” which contains enzymes...

With the advent of the cold season, several of my classes here at UT Austin have been plagued with the echoes of people coughing; the sounds often drown the professor’s voice!  I have also started to feel under the weather as of a few days ago.  To make matters worse, I seem to have acquired resistance...