News by Subject Biology

Although the link may not be obvious, healthcare and climate change -- two issues that pose major challenges around the world -- are in fact more connected than society may realize. So say researchers, who are increasingly proving this to be true.

The dynamic change in root growth of plants plays an important role in their adjustment to soil conditions. Depending on the location, nutrients or moisture can be found in higher or lower soil layers. This is why, depending on the situation, a short or a long root is advantageous. Caroline Gutjahr, Professor of Plant Genetics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and her team investigate how plant hormones influence the growth of roots.

A new report analyzing state-level opinions on climate change finds the majority of Americans believe in and want action on climate change--but factors like state politics and local climate play important roles.

Marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles react very sensitively to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) - but the effects are far more complex than previously thought. This is shown in a study published by a team of researchers from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in the journal Nature Climate Change. Data were combined from five large-scale field experiments, which investigated how the carbon cycle within plankton communities reacts to the increase of CO2.

Where are small marine animals most vulnerable to getting eaten? In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Oct. 26, scientists sketched the first global "BiteMap" showing where the ocean's mid-sized predators are most active. By fishing with dried squid baits called "squid pops," they discovered rising temperatures can shape entire communities of predators and have potential impacts lower down the food web.

The first large-scale study of the risks that countries face from dependence on water, energy and land resources has found that globalisation may be decreasing, rather than increasing, the security of global supply chains.

Emissions from coal-fired power plants in China are fertilizing the North Pacific Ocean with a metal nutrient important for marine life, according to new findings from a USC-led research team. The researchers believe these metals could change the ocean ecosystem, though it's unclear whether it would be for better or worse.

A team of leading environmental experts, spearheaded by the University of Nottingham, have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment.