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.

Cumberland, B.C., was built on coal mining—both literally and practically. Thousands of workers were employed and millions of tonnes of coal were exported over 80 years before the mines were shuttered, leaving deep holes in the ground and a deeper void in the village’s economy. Thanks to a partnership with the University of Victoria-led Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET) initiative, Cumberland is planning for a future built on clean energy that comes from the maze of abandoned mine shafts and extraction tunnels that snake beneath its streets.

A new drug on the market – every week. This has been the case in Europe in recent years with regard to the availability of online drugs, known also as new psychoactive substances. Henrik Green, professor at Linköping University in Sweden, is using research to help government agencies stop the most dangerous online drugs more quickly.