Author: zooplantman
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Does Tobacco Fight Cancer?
Australian researchers published findings this week on a newly-discovered plant compound that destroys cancer cells, but leaves healthy cells unharmed. They found it in possibly the last place you‘d look for a cancer cure: the family of plants that brings us cancer‘s number-one culprit, tobacco.
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Nanotubes From Plants For Chemotherapy?
Researchers created from plant waste a novel nanotube, one that is much more flexible than rigid carbon nanotubes currently used. The researchers say the lignin nanotubes – about 500 times smaller than a human eyelash – can deliver DNA directly into the nucleus of human cells in tissue culture, where this DNA could then correct genetic conditions.
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Not All Deforestation The Same When It Comes To Climate Change
A new study finds that tree removal has far greater consequences for climate change in some soils than in others, a finding that could provide key insights into which ecosystems should be managed with extra care.
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Rare “Albino” Redwood May Hold Clues to the Super-Trees’ Longevity
Studying this unique tree could help researchers understand why albinism occurs in redwoods. Because albino and normal green needles occur on the same tree, botanists can study subtle differences between the white and the green tissue in a single specimen.
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Sea anemones: animal? or plant? Both!
Sea anemone shows a genomic landscape surprisingly similar to human genome, but also displays regulatory mechanisms similar to plants
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Agave Sweetener May Fight Diabetes. Or Maybe Not.
Agavins, derived from the agave plant that‘s used to make tequila, were found in mouse studies to trigger insulin production and lower blood sugar, as well as help obese mice lose weight.
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Frozen moss buried in Antarctica for more than 1,500 years starting to grow again
The moss last grew before the rise of the Roman Empire but its long period of being frozen solid in the ground did not appear to affect its ability to regenerate itself once it was defrosted, the researchers found.
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Scientists Hack Plants With Nanotubes to Supercharge Photosynthesis
Even at their most productive, plants can normally only absorb about 10 percent of full sunlight. So, science to the rescue.
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Has The Reintroduction Of Wolves Really Saved Yellowstone?
We now know that elk are tougher, and Yellowstone more complex, than we gave them credit for. By retelling the same old story about Yellowstone wolves, we distract attention from bigger problems, mislead ourselves about the true challenges of managing ecosystems, and add to the mythology surrounding wolves at the expense of scientific understanding.
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The Language Of Plants: Adjusting Scents to Manipulate Insect Visitors
Plants are able to adjust their scent bouquet to their needs at any given time and, in this way, to attract partner or useful insects in a more targeted manner.