A pioneering research-industry partnership has used advances in indoor farming technology to grow pea shoots fortified with Vitamin B12, opening an exciting route to market for farmers and addressing a major public health need.

A research team from the University of Tokyo and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology uncovered a new mechanism of Yaku’amide B, a deep-sea sponge-derived natural product. Using photoaffinity labeling, they found that yaku’amide B transiently binds CD9, inducing its degradation, in addition to inhibiting ATP synthase. This dual action suppresses cancer cell proliferation and migration, opening new avenues for anticancer drug development and protein degradation strategies.

Climate change is threatening modern life in ways we are still finding, from food security to the economy to everyday living. It has been labeled a “threat multiplier” for its potential to complicate geopolitical relationships. And our efforts to adapt as a global society face obstacles brought on by inequality.

Trust in others and prior experience with feral hogs were significant factors in whether landowners would commit effort and dollars to controlling feral hogs, two studies have found. Nana Tian is a forest economics researcher for the Arkansas Forest Resources Center who studies human dimensions and economic issues in natural resource management. When it comes to feral hogs, her research informs education and management plans. Tian is the corresponding author of two studies that address these issues: “Private Landowners’ Perspectives on Managing Feral Swine in Arkansas, Louisiana, and East Texas,” published in the Journal of Wildlife Management and “Private Landowners’ Willingness to Pay for Managing Feral Swine in the West Gulf Region,” published in the Journal of Sustainability Research.

Demon Slayer, a well-known anime depicting a bamboo muzzle worn by a character, has been investigated from various perspectives. However, its scientific perspective particularly the depiction of bamboo muzzle remains unexplored. To fill this gap, a new study compared the lengths of bamboo segments shown in anime illustrations with measurements from real plants and mathematical models. The findings reveal major differences in the structure of anime bamboo and actual bamboo, enhancing public understanding about bamboo.

Accurate assessment of soil salinity is critical for sustainable agriculture and food security, yet remains technically challenging at fine spatial scales. 

To meet global food demands, aquaculture — the farming of aquatic creatures like fish or shrimp — is on the rise.

However, productivity in the industry is still limited due to early-life bottlenecks, with high mortality rates caused by disease outbreaks, environmental changes and stress.

Now, a team from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has developed a scalable aquaculture platform designed to address these challenges. The system automates the sensitive phases of aquaculture — hatching and transfers — which can minimize pathogen exposure, animal stress and labor input.

Microplastics are widely recognized as pollutants in oceans and waterways, but scientists are increasingly discovering that they are also accumulating in agricultural soils. A new scientific review highlights a largely overlooked dimension of this problem: the complex interactions between soil microbes and viruses that occur on the surface of microplastic particles. The study reveals that these microscopic relationships may influence soil health, ecosystem recovery, and the long term sustainability of agriculture.