By 2050, scientists forecast that daytime and nighttime temperatures will have increased at least a few degrees Fahrenheit above the temperatures seen today. Although this may not seem drastic, such a “small” increase can actually have tremendous effects on plant and animal life. Therefore, scientists...

In some little girls’ fantasy world, their knight in shining armor comes to their door with a dozen red roses in hand to sweep them off their feet.  After galloping off into the distance, they would arrive at the knight’s castle for a royal feast where the same perfect red roses would adorn the...

Every summer my family goes blueberry picking at the local farm. The heat, tall grass, and mosquitoes don’t stop us from plucking our very own, all-natural, plump berries. Not only do they taste delectable, but they also have been shown to reduce hypertension and promote a healthy lifestyle.

These...

While most of us probably know that the Agave plant is good for making tequila, many of us might not be aware of is that this plant is also useful for making another “powerful” liquid, and I wouldn’t recommend drinking this one: Biofuel. Researchers in the bioenergy field have recently identified...

The domesticated grape and its principal product, wine, have colored human art, behavior, and history for at least 6,000 years, permeating everywhere from the poet Homer’s “wine-dark sea” to the glasses of four-star restaurants. But while the grape has diversified the human experience, a new...

Have you ever heard the saying “beauty lies within?”  Given that this aphorism typically describes an individual’s personality, we often do not think of a flower as having inner beauty.  In fact, flowers employ their outer beauty as a tool during reproduction; so a flower’s “hidden beauty”...

A few months ago,we reported that annual ryegrass had been developing a resistance to herbicides, and in turn was becoming a “superweed.”  In fact, many superweeds in the United States have developed a resistance to the commonly used herbicide glyophosate, more commonly known as Roundup.

Now...

Plants are used in a variety of ways and have long been utilized for their medicinal properties and compounds. Specifically, through genetic modifications, plants can be altered so that their properties produce an even more desired outcome. According to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of...