A New Hope for Contaminated Soil: Wild Plants and Microbes Can Work Together to Clean Up Oil Spills
Have you ever wondered what happens to soil after an oil spill or years of industrial pollution? When petroleum products spill, they don’t just create a mess; they create an ecological disaster. Petroleum pollutants such as total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are toxic to humans and animals and can persist in contaminated soil for decades. These chemicals can accidentally…[July 27, 2026]
Can plants remember a stressful past?
Have your grandparents ever told you tales of a brutal winter that’s become part of your family lore? If so, you’re in good company. Some plants may also “remember” their family stories, not through words, but biology. In an article published in Cell, Xianwei Song and colleagues show that cultivars of rice originally sensitive to cold can build up a form of “memory” that helps their descendants survive – and thrive – in winter… [July 3, 2026]
When Flowers Go Silent
Attractive colour and sweet scent are the most common strategies flowers use to advertise their nectar. When pollinators arrive, they sip the sugary reward, and as they move on, guided by the colour and scent of the next flower, they carry pollens with them. However, in a study published in Plant Biology, Albuquerque and colleagues reveal that some pollinator bats in Brazil do not sniff to find their flowers; they call into the night and follow the echo straight to their dinner… [Feb 24, 2026]