Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Latest Food and Agricultural Sciences News and Research

Root microbiota may play a key role in optimal plant growth

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research have found that, faced with limiting iron, plants direct their microbiota to mobilize this essential nutrient for optimal growth.

3 Nov 2020

New atmospheric water irrigation system could transform farming

A new type of soil created by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts.

3 Nov 2020

Study shows how global crop production may be impacted by rising CO2 levels

Five years ago, the United Nations committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030. Since then, however, world hunger has continued to rise.

3 Nov 2020

Pancreatic cancer cells avert starvation by signaling to nerves, shows study

Pancreatic cancer cells avert starvation by signaling to nerves, which grow into dense tumors and secrete nutrients. This is the finding of a study with experiments in cancer cells, mice, and human tissue samples published online on November 2 in Cell.

3 Nov 2020

Ziath Support Local Food Charity

Ziath has announced support for their local food bank charity in Cambridge, UK. Famous as a centre of elite learning and high-tech industry, Cambridge also has areas of high social deprivation.

From Ziath Ltd 3 Nov 2020

Different microbial enzymes show promise for practical application

At Kazan Federal University, the Laboratory of Enzyme Biosynthesis and Bioengineering is involved in many projects in applied and fundamental fields of medicine and biology.

2 Nov 2020

Beetroot peptide may help treat inflammatory, neurodegenerative diseases

A team of researchers have successfully isolated a peptide (a tiny protein molecule) from beetroot in a recent study.

2 Nov 2020

GlobalData: Organic producers stand to gain from rise in public concern for the environment

Concern for the environment has remained of great importance to consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2 Nov 2020

CSIRO makes it easier for time-poor Australians to choose ready low carb meals

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is partnering with Australian food manufacturers and retailers to make it easier for time-poor Australians to choose nutritious ready meals consistent with the successful CSIRO Low Carb Diet and Lifestyle Plan.

2 Nov 2020

Gut microbes mitigate radiation exposure, repair GI tract

A new study by scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues published Oct. 30, 2020, in Science, showed that mice exposed to potentially lethal levels of total body radiation were protected from radiation damage if they had specific types of bacteria in their gut.

2 Nov 2020

Water quality and deficit irrigation schemes have major effects on crop development

In the driest state in the driest continent in the world, South Australian farmers are acutely aware of the impact of water shortages and drought. So, when it comes to irrigation, knowing which method works best is vital for sustainable crop development.

2 Nov 2020

Reducing food intake can reduce risk of liver cancer caused by fatty liver

Liver cancer from too much fat accumulation in the liver has been increasing in many countries including Japan. In order to change this unfortunate state of affairs, it is important to improve the prognosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

2 Nov 2020

Study shows how fear and aggression are regulated

Our brains are wired to protect us from threats. For social animals like humans, threats often come from other members of our own species when there is conflict over food, mates, or territory.

30 Oct 2020

Severe ulcerative colitis linked to newly-discovered strain of oral bacteria

Severe ulcerative colitis - a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) - has been linked to a newly-discovered strain of oral bacteria, a study led by UNSW Sydney has found.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 30 Oct 2020

Novel process turns waste materials into nutritional supplements

The shells of crustaceans and wood waste such as branches pruned from trees usually end up in landfills. These waste materials are given a new lease of life to become nutritional supplements and medicine, with the help of a novel process developed by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

30 Oct 2020

Scientists sequence full genome of ornamental variety of miscanthus

An international research team has sequenced the full genome of an ornamental variety of miscanthus, a wild perennial grass emerging as a prime candidate for sustainable bioenergy crops.

30 Oct 2020

Individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response

The vast majority of individuals infected with mild-to-moderate COVID 19 mount a robust antibody response that is relatively stable for at least five months, according to research conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 28, in the journal Science.

29 Oct 2020

Researchers are decoding the genetics of agricultural pests

The University of Cincinnati is decoding the genetics of agricultural pests in projects that could help boost crop and livestock production to feed millions more people around the world.

29 Oct 2020

Climate change impacts bog complexes of the German Black Forest

Climate change is leaving its mark on the bog complexes of the German Black Forest. Due to rising temperatures and longer dry periods, two plant species have already gone extinct over the last 40 years. The populations of many others have decreased by one third.

29 Oct 2020

New mathematical model facilitates decision making in food supply network

It is a long journey from harvesting in the field to the cooked dish that reaches the dinner table. The food supply chain covers all those processes and the actors involved in satisfying the consumer's needs.

29 Oct 2020