In East Africa, people have long employed the toxins of the Acokanthera schimperi tree to make poison arrows, which are particularly useful in hunting elephants. Researchers have now discovered that a small African rodent that typically weighs no more than two pounds has also learned to use the Acokanthera...

Pecans, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios and walnuts. My personal favorite would have to be pistachios. I love cracking open the shell and munching on such a yummy, salty snack. But, according to scientists in the American Chemical Society, walnuts are actually the most heart-healthy of all nuts.

Studies...

One of the world’s greatest health challenges is obesity. The number of obese Americans has increased continuously. Further, those affected by the disease are at a risk of contracting a variety of other disorders. As a result, scientists are constantly performing studies to discover methods of combating...

With just a few more exams left for my junior year, I was frantically studying to get through it. Almost everyone undergoes moments of stress and adapts various ways to cope with it. But, just like people, plants too fight periods of stress and must find ways to manage.

I usually deal with...

Toucans play a vital role in nutmeg seed dispersal by ingesting the seeds, digesting their outer layers, then regurgitating the seeds in different locations where they may develop into new trees. Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute devised a method to track when and where seeds...

[This is the third in a series of articles about lignin, a molecule of singular importance in the field of biofuels.]

While one approach to solving the lignin problem is to identify unique, lignin-defeating enzymes such as those found in the Rhodoccocus jostii bacteria (see...

Due to their limited mobility, plants often depend on the assistance of pollinators. Attractively colored flowers and sweet fragrances are some common evolutionary adaptations through which plants increase their likelihood of attracting pollinators such as insects and birds.

We now have evidence...