A tiny protein tweak may unlock nitrogen-fixing super-crops that slash global fertilizer demand. Scientists discovered a small protein region that determines whether plants reject or welcome ...

UC Davis researchers engineered wheat that encourages soil bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable fertilizer. By boosting a natural compound in the plant, the wheat triggers ...

As the Arctic Ocean loses its sea ice due to climate change, sunlight penetrates deeper into the water and encourages the growth of tiny plant-like organisms (phytoplankton). But to thrive, they need ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: Nitrogen-fixation in the ocean is ...

The Arctic Ocean, once locked in a vault of thick, old ice, now is transforming at lightspeed. Temperatures there are increasing at up to four times the rate of the planet overall, melting sea ice ...

The shrinking sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is, overall, a disaster. But paradoxically, the melting of the ice can also fuel the engine of the Arctic food chains: algae. Algae are the main food source ...

Farmers could save billions of dollars using the University of California-Davis’ new wheat plants, which stimulate the production of their own fertilizer, a researcher says. The amount that fertilizer ...

NORFOLK, Va. — When most people think of lightning, they picture bright flashes in the sky or the rumble of thunder that follows. But lightning does more than put on a show during storms: it helps ...

UC Davis scientists have developed wheat plants that can stimulate the production of their own fertilizer. (Getty) Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have developed wheat plants that ...

For bacteria, microplastics are the perfect meetup spot—tiny, intimate surfaces where microbes can cling, huddle close and swap genes. And these crowded bacterial breeding grounds may pose a threat to ...

Viruses have shown huge potential in treating various kinds of cancer, but the immune response has limited their application to tumours near the body’s surface. Now, scientists have demonstrated that ...