Researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station have identified genetic mechanisms in rice that can help counteract the negative effects of higher nighttime temperatures. Professor Andy Pereira, recently retired, and Research Scientist Julie Thomas in the crop, soil and environmental sciences department, have been investigating a genetic regulation hub in rice that functions as a “master regulator” of the plant’s growth and stress response. Dubbed HYR for “Higher Rice Yield,” the gene hub connects the plant’s genetic makeup with its ability to adapt to environmental changes. Pereira and Thomas have shown that even in a widely cultivated rice variety that typically has high levels of grain chalkiness, overexpression of HYR led to a significant reduction in chalk formation. Expanding on the work, Thomas and Awais Riaz, a Fulbright graduate student, identified a distinct group of genetic markers called haplotypes associated with HYR in multiple rice cultivars from around the world.

Tree-ring and planetary scientists are preparing for the big natural events thanks to a Big Idea Challenge grant and a new laboratory.

Contrary to popular belief, impulse donors at store checkouts look completely different from traditional charity givers, according to research from Binghamton University. In the latest episode of "The Aha Moment" podcast, Associate Professor Lauren Dula discusses her surprising findings about who's most likely to donate when prompted during their shopping experience.