Sea lettuce, a fast-growing seaweed that spawns massive "green tides," is a prolific thief, according to research that for the first time sequenced the genome of a green seaweed. An international team including Rutgers scientists found 13 cases where the sea lettuce Ulva mutabilis stole genes from bacteria. Remarkably, this ubiquitous seaweed expanded more than half of the pilfered genes - creating so-called "gene families" - and used some of them to adapt to stresses such as excessive light, high salinity and dehydration to become a dominant intertidal seaweed, according to study co-author Debashish Bhattacharya, distinguished professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Ulva also lives with bacteria and relies on them to gain its multicellular form. Both stolen genes and intact bacteria that live in symbiosis with Ulva play key roles in the seaweed's success. Ulva's rapid growth is not all negative. Indeed, it can be exploited to produce biofuels, generate protein for animal feed, … [Read more...] about Genome of Sea Lettuce That Spawns Massive ‘Green Tides’ Decoded
School of environmental studies
Some of Washington’s biggest trees are mysteriously dying
Updated 10:47 am PDT, Saturday, September 15, 2018 The leaves of this bigleaf maple at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Wash. on Sept. 5, 2018 show sings of leaf scorch, one sign of the die-back affecting the species throughout the Pacific Northwest. Something is killing bigleaf maples and scientists can't stop it. They don't even know what's causing it. (Craig Sailor/The News Tribune via AP) less The leaves of this bigleaf maple at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Wash. on Sept. 5, 2018 show sings of leaf scorch, one sign of the die-back affecting the species throughout the Pacific Northwest. Something is ... more Photo: Craig Sailor, AP In a September 6, 2018 photo, dying bigleaf maples line both sides of Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area, north of Olympia, Wash. Something is killing bigleaf maples and scientists can't stop it. They don't even know what's causing it. (Craig Sailor/The News … [Read more...] about Some of Washington’s biggest trees are mysteriously dying
Piling up: Drowning in a sea of plastic
Piece by piece, an environmental threat is piling up, and we're ALL to blame. Worse yet, even those of us trying to bring an end to the problem may not be doing as much good as we think. David Pogue reports our Cover Story: In the 1950s, a new material burst onto the scene that would change the world forever. Cheap, durable, sanitary, strong, and light. And today, there are literally thousands of raw categories of plastic, according to Fred Betke, founder of Delta Pacific Products, which makes plastic parts for medical instruments. The technical name is polypropylene, and all almost everything plastic starts out as pellets. They're available in every color under the sun. Delta Pacific's clients specify the exact design of the parts they want. Hot plastic gets injected into heavy steel molds. After 65 years of making plastic, we've pretty much mastered the art. What we haven't yet figured out is what to do with plastic once we're done with it. "It lasts a really long … [Read more...] about Piling up: Drowning in a sea of plastic
Fiber-Fermenting Bacteria Improve Health of Type 2 Diabetes Patients
The fight against type 2 diabetes may soon improve thanks to a pioneering high-fiber diet study led by a Rutgers University–New Brunswick professor. Promotion of a select group of gut bacteria by a diet high in diverse fibers led to better blood glucose control, greater weight loss and better lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes, according to research published today in Science. The study, underway for six years, provides evidence that eating more of the right dietary fibers may rebalance the gut microbiota, or the ecosystem of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract that help digest food and are important for overall human health. “Our study lays the foundation and opens the possibility that fibers targeting this group of gut bacteria could eventually become a major part of your diet and your treatment,” said Liping Zhao, the study’s lead author and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of … [Read more...] about Fiber-Fermenting Bacteria Improve Health of Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Rise of nationalist and populist parties has Italian scientists worried
By Luca Tancredi BaroneMar. 6, 2018 , 4:15 PM The outcome of Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Italy was a stunning victory for populist and nationalist parties, and a clear warning to Italy’s political establishment and the European Union. But some in Italy worry that the results may also have a negative impact on science. There were two big winners: the populist, web-based Five Star Movement (M5S) and the hard-right, anti-immigrant League, which ran in a coalition with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and other right-wing parties. Both have come under fire for taking antiscientific positions on issues such as vaccination and animal testing. Together, these parties obtained more than three-quarters of the seats in the two legislative chambers. Whether the outcome will trigger major science policy shifts is still unclear; negotiations to form a new government, led by President Sergio Mattarella, will be complex and protracted, and their outcome is hard to predict. … [Read more...] about Rise of nationalist and populist parties has Italian scientists worried