Hybrid Rice Developer Yuan Longping Dies at 90
Hybrid Rice Developer Yuan Longping Dies at 90
The high-yield variety of rice he produced in the 1970s prevented countless people from dying of starvation.
The high-yield variety of rice he produced in the 1970s prevented countless people from dying of starvation.
food security
Growing Awareness
The Scientist | Jan 31, 2018 | 1 min read
University of California, Riverside, plant biologist Katie Dehesh explains the importance of agricultural research.
Cooking Up Cancer?
Diana Kwon | Apr 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Overcooked potatoes and burnt toast contain acrylamide, a potential carcinogen that researchers have struggled to reliably link to human cancers.
Low-Pass Whole Genome Sequencing: Revolutionizing Agriculture
The Scientist and MGI Tech | 7 min read
By using low-pass whole genome sequencing, livestock breeders improve the accuracy, affordability, and speed of their breeding decisions.
Genetic Modification Improves Photosynthetic Efficiency
Ruth Williams | Nov 17, 2016 | 3 min read
Researchers enhance the photosynthetic yield of tobacco plants with genetic engineering.
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | May 1, 2016 | 4 min read
Sorting the Beef from the Bull, Cheats and Deceits, A Sea of Glass, and Following the Wild Bees
Using Genetics and Genomics to Improve Food Security
The Scientist | 1 min read
Pamela Ronald and Kan Wang will discuss how they enhance the yield and disease resistance of important crops.
FDA Head Leaving Post
Kerry Grens | Feb 6, 2015 | 2 min read
US Food and Drug Administration commissioner Margaret Hamburg is stepping down after six years on the job.
From the Feature Well
Jef Akst | Dec 29, 2014 | 4 min read
A review of The Scientist’s 2014 special issues, highlighting trending areas of research across the life sciences
Wild Relatives
Hannes Dempewolf, Nora P. Castañeda-Álvarez, and Colin K. Khoury | Jun 1, 2014 | 5 min read
As rich sources of genetic diversity, the progenitors and kin of today’s food crops hold great promise for improving production in agriculture’s challenging future.
Designer Livestock
Jef Akst | Jun 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
New technologies will make it easier to manipulate animal genomes, but food products from genetically engineered animals face a long road to market.
Putting Up Resistance
Kerry Grens | Jun 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Will the public swallow science’s best solution to one of the most dangerous wheat pathogens on the planet?
Rusty Waves of Grain
Kerry Grens | May 31, 2014 | 1 min read
See how a ruinous fungus that attacks wheat wreaks its damage.
Crop Coalescence
Tracy Vence | Mar 5, 2014 | 2 min read
While national food supplies have diversified during the last 50 years, the global crop selection has homogenized, new analysis shows.
Lab-Grown Burger Taste Test
Chris Palmer | Aug 6, 2013 | 2 min read
The world’s first burger grown in a petri dish was cooked and served up in a public taste test.
Why Insects Should Be in Your Diet
Aaron T. Dossey | Feb 1, 2013 | 5 min read
Because of their high protein and fat content and their reproductive efficiency, insects hold great promise for thwarting an impending global food crisis.
Genome Digest
Dan Cossins | Dec 7, 2012 | 4 min read
What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species’ genomes
Anti-GMO Study is “Inadequate”
Beth Marie Mole | Oct 4, 2012 | 2 min read
The European Food Safety Authority is unconvinced by a study linking genetically modified crops to cancer and early death.
Food for Thought
Tom Brutnell and Wolf B. Frommer | Jun 1, 2012 | 4 min read
Plant research remains grossly underfunded, despite the demand for increased crop production to support a growing population.
Contributors
The Scientist Staff | Jun 1, 2012 | 3 min read
Meet some of the people featured in the June 2012 issue of The Scientist.