First parasitic nematodes reported in biofuel crops
Researchers at the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at the University of Illinois have discovered widespread occurrence of plant-parasitic nematodes in the first reported nematode survey of...
View ArticleCompounds shared by all worms may lead to parasite treatment
(Phys.org) -- Worms are important decomposers in soil and are great for fishing, but in humans, the slimy wrigglers spell trouble. Hookworms, whipworms, Ascaris, Guinea worms and trichina worms are...
View ArticleWorm sugarcoats bacterial toxins to stave off death
(Phys.org)—Pathogenic bacteria kill their animal or plant hosts through the production of toxic molecules. But how do animals and plants defend themselves against these toxins? Researchers from the...
View ArticleStopping the worm from turning
Almost one in six people worldwide are infected by parasitic worms, while parasitic infections of livestock cause economic losses of billions of Euro per year. Resistance to the few drugs available to...
View ArticleNew study shows that Richard III suffered from roundworm infection
The body of Richard III, who ruled England from 1483—85, was discovered in 2012 by archaeologists at the University of Leicester, and scientists have since been undertaking careful analysis of the...
View ArticlePotato ravaging pest controlled with fungi
Approximately six thousand hectares of Veracruz, in the west coast of Mexico, are dedicated to the production of potato (Solanum tuberosum). During the past 30 years, the fields of the Cofre de Perote...
View ArticleScientists find 240 million-year-old parasite that infected mammals' ancestor
An egg much smaller than a common grain of sand and found in a tiny piece of fossilized dung has helped scientists identify a pinworm that lived 240 million years ago.
View ArticleK-State research team receives patent to control destructive parasite
A recently patented invention from a Kansas State University research team aims to control a devastating parasite that causes millions of dollars in crop damage each year.
View ArticleTrichinosis parasite gets DNA decoded (w/ Video)
Scientists have decoded the DNA of the parasitic worm that causes trichinosis, a disease linked to eating raw or undercooked pork or carnivorous wild game animals, such as bear and walrus.
View ArticleObstacles no barrier to higher speeds for worms, researchers find
Obstacles in an organism's path can help it to move faster, not slower, researchers from New York University's Applied Math Lab at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences have found through a...
View ArticleChimps self-medicate under human pressure
Chimpanzees living in small fragments of forest close by people and farm animals are turning in increasing numbers to natural remedies in an effort to deal with their stressful and disease-prone...
View ArticleScientists develop novel method to study parasite numbers in wild seabirds
Scientists have developed a new method for studying parasite numbers in the stomachs of individual seabirds in the wild. The technique enables the recording of video footage of worms inside seabird...
View ArticleCrop rotation with nematode-resistant wheat can protect tomatoes
In a study published online today in Crop Science, scientists describe a nematode-resistant wheat. But while the wheat carries the resistance to the pest, the benefits are actually seen in the crop...
View ArticleHealthy grain fibre helps barley resist pests
Research at the University of Adelaide's Waite campus has shed light on the action of the serious agricultural pest, cereal cyst nematode, which will help progress improved resistant varieties.
View ArticleWorm pheromones trigger plant defenses, study finds
Plants can sense parasitic roundworms in the soil by picking up on their chemical signals, a team of researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI), on the Cornell University...
View ArticleScientists discover new approach to managing parasitic roundworms
Roundworms that feed on plants cause approximately $100 billion in annual global crop damage. But a new way of disrupting the motility and reproduction of these plant parasitic nematodes discovered by...
View ArticleExploring the genomic basis of parasitism
The genes that cause parasitism in a group of intestinal worms, responsible for one of most prevalent tropical diseases in the developing world, have been identified by an international team of...
View ArticleBird genomes contain 'fossils' of parasites that now infect humans
In rare instances, DNA is known to have jumped from one species to another. If a parasite's DNA jumps to its host's genome, it could leave evidence of that parasitic interaction that could be found...
View ArticleTomato plants are more resistant against nematodes when colonized by a fungus
Plants are constantly challenged by hungry animals and infectious microbes. For tomato plants, major enemies are nematodes of the species Meloidogyne incognita. These are little worms that first induce...
View ArticleHow I showed that snails use their shells to trap and kill parasites
Farmers and gardeners spend much of the year in a constant battle to stop slugs and snails eating their vegetables. But these animals have been locked in their own co-evolutionary arms race for...
View ArticleParasitic worms may lead to agricultural stem cell breakthrough
The plant parasitic nematode is an agricultural pest that has no fundamental countermeasures and requires the development of resistant plant varieties or pesticides. This parasitic pest creates a nest...
View ArticleSurvival of soil organisms is a wake-up call for biosecurity
Tiny creatures in soil that attack plants have shown the ability to survive for at least three years stored in dry conditions in a recent AgResearch study, giving new insights into the biosecurity...
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