Sending algae into space to probe plants in extreme environments

It may sound like the opening scene in a low-budget science fiction movie: Scientists send algae into space—some of it mutant—to see if it will grow. But an Agricultural Research Service scientist and an international ...

Genetic engineering alters mosquitoes' sense of smell

In one of the first successful attempts at genetically engineering mosquitoes, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have altered the way the insects respond to odors, including the smell of humans and the insect ...

Unlocking secrets of cell reproduction

Research published in Open Biology today identifies, for the first time, nearly all the genes required for reproduction of a cell in a living organism.

Engineering plants for biofuels

With increasing demands for sustainable energy, being able to cost-efficiently produce biofuels from plant biomass is more important than ever. However, lignin and hemicelluloses present in certain plants mean that they cannot ...

Scientists fight back in 'mutant flu' research row

Leading virologists on Wednesday warned of censorship after a US bioterror watchdog asked scientific journals to withhold details of lab work that created a mutant strain of killer flu.

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