In the United Kingdom, lacewing insects are wanted dead or alive to fend off greenflies that infest gardens and farms. A scientist from The University of Manchester discovered that genetic variations in greenflies cause them to fear the lacewing predators, also known as aphid lions. While various genetic lineages of greenfly responded differently to the predators, they all drastically reduced their reproduction when lacewing insects were around, whether they were alive or dead. Just the smell and sight of the dead predators were enough to cause greenflies to not reproduce and to change the way they infested plants, giving hope to gardeners and farmers who need to save their plants from the greenflies’ invasions.
Latest article
Something old, something new, something biobased: Designer grows a mushroom wedding gown
In the Netherlands, designer Dasha Tsapenko “grew” her wedding dress using mycelium and vintage linen lace sourced from Ukrainian flea markets.
“I wanted to combine...
Italy team develops biobased, inflammation-busting burn bandages
In Italy, a team from Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia has developed a biodegradable and biocompatible bandage using plant-based materials such as maize, pectin, and...
Swiss startup Nectariss recreates bougie fungi with fermentation
In Switzerland, a startup is recreating the intensely umami flavor of truffles, a pricey fungi that is impossible to cultivate and so difficult to...