Lupins are high in protein, but bitter. However, scientists have discovered a mutation that makes lupins sweet, opening the door for their consumption as a plant-based protein source. Continue reading Lupin breakthrough could make this plant a popular source of protein
Manasvi Verma is a 2nd year PhD student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard Medical School studying host-microbiome interactions in the human gut. Corena Loeb is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Harvard-MIT program in Speech, Hearing, Bioscience and Technology. Cover image by Pexels from Pixabay. This biography is part of our “Picture a Scientist” initiative. To learn more about the amazing men … Continue reading Adventure, Botany, & Conservation: The ABCs of Ynés Mexia
by Manasvi Verma In all my travels I’ve never been attacked by a wild animal, lost my way or caught a disease… I don’t think there’s any place in the world where a woman can’t venture. – Ynés Mexía As the climate disaster becomes more imminent, environmental conservation is a pressing need. Recently at the forefront of public discourse, this movement has been simmering behind-the-scenes … Continue reading Adventure, Botany, & Conservation: The ABCs of Ynés Mexia
by Olivia Foster Rhoades Olivia Foster Rhoades is a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard & is pursuing a concentration in STS at the Harvard Kennedy School. You can find her on Twitter as @transcriptent. Cover image by Picography from Pixabay. This article is part of our special edition on networks. To read more, check out our special edition … Continue reading A Guide to Networking: Forest Style
How can a spore travel around in the soil? Try hitchhiking onto a bacteria that can move. Continue reading The Traveler’s Guide to Microbial Hitchhiking
Why do cats love catnip? Well, it may be due to its mosquito-repelling properties. Continue reading Crazy for Catnip: the Mosquito-Repelling Story behind a Cat’s Love for Catnip
Commercial harvesting of plants may have forced them to evolve to camouflage and evade humans. Continue reading Plants Can Camouflage Too, and They’re Hiding from Us
Venus flytraps use calcium signaling to remember and trap prey. Continue reading Remembering Prey: The Short-Term Memories of Venus Flytraps
Researchers have discovered how plants can physically prevent pathogens from entering by closing small openings on their leaves. Continue reading Plants Shut the Door on Infection–Literally
By introducing a tool commonly used to study brain function into the leaves of plants, researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a technique that shows promise in improving the efficiency of food production by controlling how quickly plants respond to changing conditions. Not only does this method produce a more desirable solution to improving efficiency than previous methods, it also highlights the importance of employing tools in non-conventional scenarios to produce clever solutions to complex problems. Continue reading Speedy Plants for Improving Food Production Efficiency