Among second-generation biofuels, scientists consider algae a promising source for producing biofuel. Therefore, it’s no surprise that many biofuel researchers are rigorously trying to find new methods to maximize algae’s potential. In fact, a group of scientists led by Professor Zimmerman at...

For those of us who are concerned with the negative consequences of consuming genetically modified foods, new research may put our minds at ease. For three years, researchers from the GMSAFOOD consortium studied the effects of genetically modified maize (corn) on various piglets. Pigs and humans have...

Florida has an invasive species problem. At the edge of the Caribbean, it attracts unwanted attention from organisms looking to spread out and settle down in a tropical paradise where agriculture is as important as tourism. There they feed on the crops and molest the visitors, threatening both the...

By now, everyone has heard of global warming and the horrible effects it will continue to have upon life on Earth. Many studies that have shown the consequences of climate change on biodiversity. This study performed by scientists from Norway, Austria, and France, however, sheds new light on these...

Last year, biofuels consisted of only 2.7 % of the world’s transportation fuel. This astoundingly low percentage is due high costs of biofuels. Researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute, University of California, Berkeley, have found a new way to decrease the costs. Their method involves reducing...

Phosphorus, essential to the health of plants, is unfortunately in short supply. Over the next twenty years our soils will experience the crunch of phosphorous depletion, a fate suffered by some already. As the amount of phosphorous in the soil decreases, the vitality of the plants growing there is...

Often times, the ability of plants are underestimated or unappreciated. For instance, it was not until recently that scientists discovered the benefits of milk thistle extracts. These extracts, taken from certain seeds of flowers, are primarily used to aid in the treatment of gallbladder and liver...

New research seems to paint the picture of pollen grains having their own versions of brawls and fights over female preference. Pollen grains from genetically different trees within the same species seem to have the ability to interfere with each other’s reproductive goals in the race to find a...

A new study by the University of British Columbia predicts that wood will become a competitive commercial source for fuel by 2020. Although wood-based bio fuels are considered more sustainable than corn, they are not widely used due to high costs.  Ethanol produced from corn is more commonly used...

In recent years, obesity in teenagers has increased dramatically. Seeing this as a primary issue, Joseph Carlson, professor at Michigan State University, conducted a study on reducing symptoms of metabolic syndrome. To do so, Carlson and his group examined the effects of incorporating high-fibrous...

Barley is an important cereal grain and a vital component of many healthy foods. It’s commonly grown by farmers and yields profit, but can be economically devastating when attacked by a certain pathogen.

Stem rust, a crop disease, is a new threat to barley and can contribute to the total...

We generally think of plants as being forms of life that lack feelings and social interaction, but this may not be completely true! It has been found that plants are capable of exhibiting complex social behavior such as altruism towards related individuals but aggression towards strangers. In other...

When it comes to global warming, there are winners and losers. Consider the white spruce, an evergreen that grows in the Alaskan tundra. Historically, the region’s cool climate restricts the rate at which this tree matures. But a recent study by the Lamont Tree-Ring Lab finds that these arctic forests...

Scientists at the BioEnergy Science Center have discovered a new way to improve biofuel production. Their study involves taking advantage of a natural phenomenon in trees called tension wood. Tension wood forms when hardwood trees undergo bending stress. Properties of tension wood have been studied...

For those who don’t know me, I am a nut fanatic! Unfortunately, this means that it is very easy for me to give in to my rather large cravings for peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios—which may be somewhat unhealthy. But according to a report in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, a research...

Some day soon, when you get a stinging paper cut and reach for a band-aid, that band-aid might be made from sundew. Sundew plants are carnivorous, and they use the small adhesive balls on the ends of their tentacles to capture insects. Researchers hope that these adhesive properties will be have medical...

Many of us know that the allergies we acquire can be a result of outdoor plants and our environment. For instance, every spring, I become a victim of pollen and get a runny nose and watery eyes. However, what many of us may not know is that headaches, too, can be a result of the plants around us....

“When we began this study, we started with the assumption that every year we advanced in the twentieth century there would be fewer and fewer varieties offered for sale commercially.” So confesses Paul Heald, law professor and co-author of a recent article debunking one of our most widely circulated,...

How can we minimize the carbon output in the bio fuel making process itself? This question addresses a major problem that all second generation bio fuels face. In a previous article, “Conservation Reserve Policy Reduces Bio fuel’s Carbon Debt,” we discussed how producing biofuels requires energy...

For all of the heavy drinkers out there, a recent study issued journal PLoSONE may be of interest: rats that consumed strawberries before being exposed to ethyl alcohol had less damage done to their stomach mucous membranes than the group of rats that were not previously fed strawberries.

The...

Ethanol fuel is a major source of renewable energy and can be made from various cellulosic feedstocks, such as corn stover, grasses, wood, and the non-edible parts of plants. Corn stover, with its extreme abundance, makes it a chief leader in the production of biomass ethanol. Recently, researchers...

It may interest insomniacs to know that bugs also need sleep; without it, they feel the effects of environmental stress much more acutely. In fact, if disturbed from their typical rest cycle, they can even die.

Enter the corn earworm, bane of American agriculture. This insect costs American...

There are many examples of beneficial relationships between two different species. One species helps another in return for a favor, much like how we humans interact with each other. What happens, however, when one party does not hold up their end of the deal? Humans retaliate to take revenge in sometimes...

The Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) research team believes that they have found a great biosynthetic substitute for Number2 (D2) diesel fuel: bisabolane. A member of the terpene class, bisabolane is a chemical found in plants commonly used for fragrances. This is the first time bisabolane is being...

Plant pollen is responsible for the perpetuation of plant species, for bringing us beautiful flowers each spring, and for giving us tasty fruits. But, pollen may have another, more unexpected, effect on our world. It turns out that pollen is transported not only by bees and other nectar-seeking creatures...

For those who have felt severe discomfort in their joints, the pain is unpleasantly disturbing. Osteoarthritis, a joint disorder, is often caused when the cartilage between joins becomes painfully worn down, resulting in uncomfortable stiffness of the joints. However, a recent discovery by University...

Botanists have recently stumbled upon a flower in the mountain area of Murcia, Spain that has yet to be found elsewhere. After further analyzing this strange plant, they concluded that it is the species Astragalus nitidiflorus legume, also known as “Tallante’s chickpea.” The plant was last recorded...

If you take a close look–very close–at different species of birds and insects as they court wildflowers, you’ll discover a pleasing variety of feeding styles. Most bees, for example, use their tongues to get at the flower’s nectar, rather like a spoon. Other animals, such as butterflies,...

Everything that uses fossil fuels contributes to carbon emissions and, unfortunately, this includes biofuel production.  In fact, researchers at Michigan State University showed that the carbon cost of converting land use to corn and soybean is equivalent to burning fuel.

In order for biofuels...

The next time you go to an Indian restaurant and decide to order your curry “spicy” instead of the usual “mild,” think twice. You might be overcome by a feeling of doom and desperation, though it will probably pass soon. But exactly how hot is too hot? Can eating too many chili peppers actually...

If someone told you that your eating habits could beneficially alter some of your genes, would this change the way you eat? Now seems to be a good time to think about this, since a group of international scientists and researchers from McGill and McMaster universities have found out some interesting...

Popeye the Sailor from that old cartoon, definitely made the right decision when consuming a can of spinach regularly.  Eating leafy, green vegetables, like spinach, bok choy, and broccoli help make you stronger and improve your immune system defenses.  Researchers have been studying this effect...

Data from the past thirty-three years show that the population of gray jays in Algonquin Park, a Canadian boreal forest and the birds’ yearlong habitat, is shrinking. As in many other cases of species decline, scientists suspect climate change may be to blame for the overall dwindling. But as a...

With Halloween just around the corner, all I can think about is the delicious chocolate I will be munching on. Although I love Twix and Snickers candy bars, my very favorite are the gourmet Godiva and Ghirardelli chocolates. Regardless, all of these chocolates contain the base ingredient: cacao.

Cacao...

This week we dig deeper into last week’s topic: how to produce bioethanol sustainably. Recent research reveals that a pretreatment step could increase the amount of ethanol derived for switchgrass.

Why use switchgrass for ethanol? This warm seasoned grass can be easily produced in high yield...

The holidays we love are just around the corner, so now may be the time to prepare ourselves from adding on a few extra pounds. Joshua Lambert, an assistant professor at Penn State, conducted an experiment that focused on the study of weight gain of obese mice fed with and without components of green...

At the Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), ecologists are working hard to manage the land in order to mitigate changes we’ve stimulated in the climate.  Models for the region predict more varied and extreme rainfall patterns. Based on data gathered at Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory...

Orchids inhabit six continents and nearly every habitat on Earth – a surprising accomplishment and evidence of amazing adaptive capabilities.  What, you may ask, is the secret to their prowess? Reproductive success, according to Michael Pollan in an introduction to a new book by Christian Ziegler...

Vegetable oil, flour, milk, tofu and many other foods incorporate the widely cultivated edible plant species known as soybean. Even the immature version of soybean can be cooked and consumed and finally served as edamame. Many animals feed off of soybean on a daily basis and rely on its nutritious...

Say goodbye to artificial sweeteners and sour foods! New research has revealed the secret to creating the perfect taste of sweetness by understanding the science behind a certain “miracle fruit” that has the power to turn a sour taste into a sweet one.

This fruit was first discovered in...

An international team of researchers have developed a new method for converting the world’s most abundant organic compound, cellulose, into bioethanol.

Scientists at the University of York identified GH61, an enzyme in a fungus that converts cellulose to smaller sugars. This enzyme has the...

I am sure we have all wondered whether “going organic” is actually worth the extra effort or money. When time is at stake, it seems more convenient to buy easily-accessible, non-organic groceries. Nonetheless, if you are interested in getting possible health benefits from certain organic products,...

While conventional wisdom tells us to rid our gardens and farmlands of weeds, a new study indicates that we may, in fact, be better off with them than without them.

In agricultural societies such as ours, we strive to maximize efficiency and to reduce waste; on a farm, this tenet typically...

A new strain of yeast engineered by the scientists at the University of Illinois improves seaweeds conversion into biofuel substantially.   The increase efficiency makes seaweed an ever better candidate as a useful marine biofuel.

Why seaweed? Typically, marine biofuels produce more biomass...

Bahia, Brazil – located in the rural northeastern part of the country – holds one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. There, around two years ago, handyman José Carlos Mendes Santos found a miniscule plant – one inch in height and with white and pink flowers.

Though Santos...

As any college student, I have definitely experienced the effects of stress and anxiety. Trying to balance school with work and extra-curricular activities is tough and can take a toll on your health. To combat these pressures we typically buy over-the-counter conventional medications. However, scientists...

Plain broccoli—or vegetables in general—may taste bland and uninteresting. Most people would prefer to grab a bite of pizza for lunch or to chow down a fat juicy hamburger, but here’s another good reason to eat veggies instead: researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that eating...

Fat mice versus thin mice; the shape of a flower; the color of fruit: it’s all in the genes, right? Well, not exactly. According to new research conducted by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, many differences in phenotype derive not from changes in the genetic code itself...

Scientific discoveries can be made anywhere,  but it’s probably safe to say that the last place one would think to look is in animal feces.  Yes, I am talking about poop and not just any poop, great panda poop.  In research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, bacteria...

As humans constantly exchange air with the environment through our noses and mouths, plants do the same through pores called stomata. These stomata were the structures that allowed plants to transition from the ocean to the land by facilitating the absorption of carbon dioxide and the release of water...

Rice, one of the most common cultivated foods, is a staple crop for a multitude of countries around the world. It is in our cereals and is commonly used when cooking. Additionally, rice’s low-labor costs combined with its nutritious value deem it a vital food item for most of the world. But in order...

For all of the potato lovers out there: Now is the perfect time to put away any guilty shame and to make a quick trip to the nearest grocery store. Indulging in small servings of potatoes each day has been proven to lower high blood pressure, while allowing consumers to maintain their preferred weight.

In...

When humans can’t find a suitable mate, they are out of luck (with the exception, of course, of those who use gamete donors). Plants, such as certain types of Babiana, however, can simply self-fertilize if there are insufficient pollinators.

For cross pollination, the Babiana family of plants...

The penchant to avoid or discourage freeloaders is not limited to animals: even plants and fungi reward fair players and punish freeloaders.

Plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi continuously exchange nutrients with one another in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship well known to the...

Washing your fruits and vegetables prior to consumption may not be sufficient to rid produce of pathogenic bacteria. According to a new study conducted at Purdue University, bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella can exist inside, as well as outside, the plant.

E. coli and Salmonella have...

New research indicates that deadly fungi played a significant role in the death of forests approximately 250 million years ago in the Permian extinction, during which the vast majority of life on earth was wiped out. The destroyed forests consisted largely of conifers and took 4-5 million years to...

For some plants, stress can actually help, rather than hurt, their chances of survival. By observing the effects of herbivorous stressors on Arbidopsis thaliana, a type of mustard plant, researchers at the University of Illinois have found a positive correlation between adverse conditions such as...

A group of researchers at Oxford University and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in Saudia Arabia, may have finally solved the riddle of plant clones. In the botanical world it is not news that regenerate or ‘cloned’ plants can display different phenotypes, despite coming from...

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...

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a protein complex responsible for regulating plant growth. Rather than growing at a progressive pace throughout the day, the plant’s circadian, or biological, clock causes it to wait until nighttime to grow, with the most rapid...

A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reveals that rice plants can become hardier when colonized by fungi—specifically, endophytes found on dunegrass.

Scientists had previously believed that the salt tolerance of dunegrass was a genetic adaptation. However, when the fungi were...

Memory may not be a function of the brain alone. A rudimentary memory appears to exist even in the absence of a central nervous system.

In a new study conducted at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), researchers found that poplar clones, though genetically identical, can handle stress...

Pesticide use has long been associated with many costs—among them financial and environmental. The assumption has always been that the advantage of deterring crop-eating insects outweighs the disadvantages.

A new study at the Biocenter of the University of Würzburg not only challenges this...

Researchers at the Salk Institute’s Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory (CNL) have isolated a flavonoid that helps to fight diabetes by reducing its harmful effects—fisetin, which is found most readily in strawberries. In mice with diabetes, fisetin has been shown to fight diabetes in both the...

“Chocolate or vanilla?” The question seems to be the never-ending debate of ice cream connoisseurs around the world, but what if neither flavor existed? Would we have to tune our taste buds to the tanginess of sherbet instead?  Thanks to research from The University of Nottingham, those vanilla...

From previous studies, scientists, health professionals, and consumers alike have a thorough understanding of the anti-oxidant effects of berries.  Advertisements for the acai berry’s ability to help prevent cancer and heart disease over-populate the web; however, the conclusion of a new study...

When people have neither the time nor the resources to complete a task on their own, they often ask or hire someone to help them. According to a new study conducted by a research team from France, trees found in nutrient poor, acidic forests have been found to get a little help of their own  by cultivating...

Archaeological ruins and historical documents are not the only means of learning about human history. In fact, biological evidence—specifically DNA—can play a crucial role in uncovering previously unknown pieces of our past. Interestingly, we do not necessarily have to look at human DNA. In a...

Research at the University of South Florida (USF) has shown that regular consumption of coffee reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe that an abnormal protein in the brain called beta-amyloid is the cause of Alzheimer’s. Caffeine was singled out as the probable...

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

Lignin puts up one heck of a fight when we try to break it down or separate it from its neighboring molecules, and if we were in the game of personifying inanimate...

Researchers at The University of Illinois have been studying the anti-inflammatory effects of various plant compounds. Specifically, they have been studying the effects of luteolin, a compound found in many of the plants that we eat. Crops like carrots, peppers, rosemary and celery all contain luteolin...

Consider the Hessian fly and the wheat plant. A fly larva chews holes in the plant’s leaves; the plant, unable to flee, loses a few leaves to its tormentor. Here the story ends, right? Not exactly. When the Hessian fly larva feeds on the wheat plant, a complex chemical battle ensues between insect...

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

At the risk of offending any literati amongst our readers, I’ll introduce the focus of this series with an adaptation (more like an adulteration) of a fine quote...

“Do your body good” by drinking beer—non-alcoholic beer, that is.

After intense physical activity, athletes face an “open window” during which they are particularly susceptible to illness such as upper respiratory infections. During this time frame, their bodies experience inflammation...

Although we typically use term biological warfare to describe human military operations, ours is not the only species to adopt such tactics. Plants too have evolved their own versions of biological warfare. To deliver our poisons we build bombs. Plants, by contrast, have adopted a subtler method:...

Last week we looked at research being done within the field of genetic engineering that has had direct benefits for the biofuel industry (“Genetically Engineered Enzymes Offer Help...

We all succumb to muscle atrophy and weakness at some point in our lives, whether as a result of disease or as a natural part of the aging process or both. Could there be a way to reverse this process or at least minimize the damage?

Researchers at the University of Iowa (UI) have been investigating...

Many biofuel production processes currently in use pivot on the conversion of cellulose into ethanol. The main function of a typical biofuel feedstock is to simply provide cellulosic biomass that can be broken down and utilized for this purpose. This process sounds easier in principle than it is in...

Those of us who have only been following biofuels in the past couple of years probably have never heard of a plant called jatropha. Once an industry favorite, this hardy shrub has now largely seen its day in the world of biofuels. Jatropha’s prominence as a potential biofuel feedstock rose fast,...

Impatient produce buyers know a common trick for making bananas ripe and ready to eat sooner rather than later: stick them in a brown paper bag.  The trick works because bananas release ethylene, a plant hormone that, among its other functions, promotes ripening and prevents cell elongation.  While...

Synthetic fertilizer is often considered necessary for the world today, given that since its introduction, both the yield and quality of crops have grown substantially. In a time where increasing the amount of food available remains a necessity, synthetic fertilizer does indeed have its uses. However,...

Having lived in Damascus, Syria for the past 10 months, a city widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited place on earth, I have become somewhat immune to seeing what are considered to be the most ancient and well preserved ruins in the world today.

A perfect example of this is...

Protein is a vital part of our diet and participates in almost every process within our cells. On average, we need about 90 grams of protein a day to sustain a nutritional and healthy life. Some people get their protein from animals and others, like me, are vegetarian and obtain their protein from...

While past articles in the biofuels section of Greenseedling have suggested that corn might not be the most ideal crop for biofuel production, research that has been conducted by Rice University postdoctoral fellow Morgan Gallagher and colleagues has revealed information that might alleviate some...

Naturalists have long been fascinated by the incredible swathes and splotches of colors present on organisms ranging from plants to insects.  Two years after Darwin published Origin of Species and forever changed science’s understanding of how such diversity arises, Henry Walter Bates proposed...

Animals and plants alike are capable of using their biological clocks to alter internal processes. Animals’ circadian rhythms, for example, can guide their sleep/wake cycles by altering levels of hormones. Additionally, migratory animals such as birds or monarch butterflies use their biological...

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) have been a huge topic of debate for many years now and most of the time, we hear the about the possible negative effects that these crops carry with them – rarely do we hear about their beneficial outcomes.

Researchers at Lawrence Berkley National...

While growing up, I always heard the phrases, “drink your milk,” or “eat your vegetables.” Parents everywhere seem to integrate these phrases into everyday life in order to encourage their children to stay healthy and build strong bones; but what if parents and children switched roles for...

Wine enthusiasts will likely know tannins as the class of chemicals that creates a dry feeling in the mouth after a sip of red wine. However, these compounds do more than give sommeliers a topic for debate—they are widespread chemical defenses in the plant world that work by forming complexes with...

Diabetes, a metabolic disease that has become more and more prevalent in our society, happens to be very common in my family tree. In fact, I must take extra precautions not to develop this condition since it currently affects both my father and grandfather. Fortunately, many scientists have conducted...

Rice, one of the most important crops for a large part of the world, is extremely sensitive to drought, but can tolerate floods due to its high demand for water. With the climate constantly changing, researchers have searched for ways to keep the plant stably growing in both precipitation extremes.

According...

Schoolchildren learn a very simple interaction between plants and animals—we take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

However, plants and animals contribute to the cycling of many more essential molecules, and those cycles are sometimes connected...

Growing up, I always wondered why my grandmother’s cure-all to any sickness was a hot cup of tea. Her saying was “a cup of tea a day, keeps the doctor away.” Latest research by scientists has furthered my understanding of this tea plant and provided evidence of its medicinal properties. According...

It seems as though we always discuss what we, society, can do to protect the environment, but what if we left the responsibility up to the plants instead?

Scientists from the University of Missouri have discovered that buffer strips of grass can help limit ground erosion and can reduce herbicide...