Researchers turn to 'living libraries' in effort to solve growing threat to food supply: 'Pressures on food crops touch every country on our planet'
Imagine if the key to protecting our favorite foods from a changing climate was hidden away in a vault in the Arctic, and we just figured out how to unlock it.
That's the real-world promise of a new gene selection technique that could revolutionize the way we grow food.
Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and their global partners have developed a faster, more affordable method for identifying genes that help crops survive extreme weather. A recent study published in Nature Climate Change and reported by Phys.org reveals that these researchers are looking toward seed banks, sometimes called "living libraries," for solutions.
These collections store thousands of plant varieties with unique genetic traits that could make crops stronger and more resilient.
"Climate-driven pressures on food crops touch every country on our planet, and this technique holds promise for making more use of our global genebanks," said study co-author Michael Kantar of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, per Phys.org.
That means future versions of your favorite foods like coffee, rice, or chocolate might be better equipped to thrive despite rising temperatures.
This new method, called environmental genomic selection, combines DNA data with climate models to predict how different plants will perform under future conditions. Instead of growing and testing thousands of plants, researchers can now use a smaller, diverse group to find the best candidates for breeding.
By helping farmers grow crops that need less water, resist pests naturally, and thrive without harmful chemicals, this breakthrough could reduce pollution, protect natural resources, and support healthier communities.
It also means we may have new ways to protect everyday staples we often take for granted, from the rice in your pantry to the chocolate in your snack drawer.
The researchers tested the method on sorghum, a drought-tolerant grain, and found that it works on dozens of other crops as well, including barley, cannabis, and peppers. Their findings also show that countries heavily reliant on one crop may need genetic resources from other regions to stay resilient.
What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home?
Not enough time
Not enough space
It seems too hard
I have a garden already
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
With Crop Trust reporting more than seven million samples stored in global genebanks, this tool could help scientists turn these collections into real-world solutions, faster and more affordably than ever before.
For everyday people and farmers alike, that means more reliable harvests, more nutritious meals, and a stronger food system no matter what the forecast brings.
More food innovations, such as vertical farms and drought-resistant crops, are making it easier for people to eat well while reducing pollution.
To help build a more sustainable food system, people can turn to plant-based food alternatives or even grow their own food, as well as compost food scraps.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scientific American
4 hours ago
- Scientific American
Heat Domes Are Hotter and Lingering Longer—Because of the Arctic
CLIMATEWIRE | Temperatures are finally falling in the eastern U.S. as a vicious heat dome begins to subside. But such sweltering early-summer heat will only get more frequent in the years to come. That's because this week's heat wave — which tumbled century-old temperature records in some areas — was clearly influenced by climate change, scientists say. The heat dome is just one consequence of the "stuck" weather patterns that are on the rise as the planet warms. A recent study, published June 16 in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, warns of the rising dangers of such long-lasting weather patterns, which can prompt not just heat waves but also heavy rainfall and floods. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. This week, the heat index — or what the temperature actually feels like to human skin — rose well above 100 degrees in many areas. Minneapolis also broke a daily high last set in 1910 when the city hit 96 degrees Saturday, and New York City tied its 1888 record of 96 degrees in Central Park on Monday. The new study suggests that the phenomenon behind such extreme weather may have a surprising origin: rapid warming, hundreds of miles away, in the icy Arctic. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory investigated natural atmospheric patterns known as planetary waves. These wobbly air currents meander up and down as they circle the globe — and when they intensify, they sometimes lead to storms or heat domes stagnating in place for days at a time. The study looked at the frequency of planet wave "resonance events," or temporary intensifications. They found that these kinds of stalled atmospheric patterns have tripled over the last 70 years. At the same time, extreme summer weather — like heat waves and floods — have also grown more common. Climate models have long predicted that these patterns would occur more frequently with climate change. But the new study is the first to demonstrate that it's already happening, the authors say. Still, the exact causes of these planetary wave events are an active research topic. Some research suggests that rapid warming in the Arctic — which is heating up as much as four times faster than the rest of the globe — is altering the atmosphere in ways that shift the jet stream south and affect the planetary waves. Other studies suggest that tropical warming may actually yank the jet stream poleward. And some researchers say planetary waves may be impacted by a tug-of-war between these two influences. Computer models aren't always able to fully simulate these physical responses, making it a difficult subject to study. Scientists have been investigating — and debating — the exact physical effects of global warming on atmospheric circulation patterns for years. But the new study adds to the evidence that Arctic warming plays a role. It shows that periods of warmer temperatures in the high latitudes are associated with increases in planetary wave resonance events. It also demonstrates that the growing global contrast between land temperatures and ocean temperatures — since land is warming faster than water worldwide — has also played a part. Other events have an influence as well, the research suggests. Strong El Niño events, which cause temperatures to warm in the Pacific Ocean, also seem to drive temporary spikes in weather-stalling planetary wave events. In short, multiple factors — both natural and human-caused — play a role. But climate change is a definite influence, the study notes, warning that extreme summer weather will keep intensifying as global temperatures rise. Other research also points to the fingerprint of climate change on the recent heat. Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science and communication organization, has developed a scientific metric known as the Climate Shift Index that evaluates the influence of global warming on temperatures around the world. The tool estimates that high temperatures in large swaths of the eastern U.S. over the last few days were at least five times more likely to occur because of human-caused climate change. 'The extent of this early summer heat dome over the United States is remarkable,' said Climate Central scientist Zachary Labe in a statement. 'It is a stark reminder that climate change is making these dangerous and oppressive heat waves far more likely, affecting millions of people.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Researchers turn to 'living libraries' in effort to solve growing threat to food supply: 'Pressures on food crops touch every country on our planet'
Imagine if the key to protecting our favorite foods from a changing climate was hidden away in a vault in the Arctic, and we just figured out how to unlock it. That's the real-world promise of a new gene selection technique that could revolutionize the way we grow food. Scientists from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and their global partners have developed a faster, more affordable method for identifying genes that help crops survive extreme weather. A recent study published in Nature Climate Change and reported by reveals that these researchers are looking toward seed banks, sometimes called "living libraries," for solutions. These collections store thousands of plant varieties with unique genetic traits that could make crops stronger and more resilient. "Climate-driven pressures on food crops touch every country on our planet, and this technique holds promise for making more use of our global genebanks," said study co-author Michael Kantar of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, per That means future versions of your favorite foods like coffee, rice, or chocolate might be better equipped to thrive despite rising temperatures. This new method, called environmental genomic selection, combines DNA data with climate models to predict how different plants will perform under future conditions. Instead of growing and testing thousands of plants, researchers can now use a smaller, diverse group to find the best candidates for breeding. By helping farmers grow crops that need less water, resist pests naturally, and thrive without harmful chemicals, this breakthrough could reduce pollution, protect natural resources, and support healthier communities. It also means we may have new ways to protect everyday staples we often take for granted, from the rice in your pantry to the chocolate in your snack drawer. The researchers tested the method on sorghum, a drought-tolerant grain, and found that it works on dozens of other crops as well, including barley, cannabis, and peppers. Their findings also show that countries heavily reliant on one crop may need genetic resources from other regions to stay resilient. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. With Crop Trust reporting more than seven million samples stored in global genebanks, this tool could help scientists turn these collections into real-world solutions, faster and more affordably than ever before. For everyday people and farmers alike, that means more reliable harvests, more nutritious meals, and a stronger food system no matter what the forecast brings. More food innovations, such as vertical farms and drought-resistant crops, are making it easier for people to eat well while reducing pollution. To help build a more sustainable food system, people can turn to plant-based food alternatives or even grow their own food, as well as compost food scraps. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Researchers develop game-changing tool to predict deadly natural disasters: 'Of paramount importance'
A recent study published in the Water Resources Research journal discussed using a new deep learning framework — known as Long Short-Term Memory Station Approximated Models, or LSTM-SAM — to predict the state of water levels during extreme weather events, in order to better forewarn and evacuate nearby civilians. With Atlantic hurricane seasons lending themselves to more frequent and intense storm surges over the past decade, the impact of today's hurricanes could prove devastating for individuals and homes that aren't prepared. In particular, the coastal flooding associated with many hurricanes in the Southern U.S. has a history of endangering lives, buildings, and ecosystems. Led by environmental engineering Ph.D. candidate Samuel Daramola, the researchers used a "transfer learning" technique to quickly and accurately make predictions with LSTM-SAM. While conventional storm prediction models rely on large bodies of weather and ocean data that are inefficient and expensive to assemble, LSTM-SAM estimates flood levels based on broader flood patterns recorded in the past. One unique appeal of LSTM-SAM, per news, is the fact that accurate, high-efficiency storm predictions no longer need to be limited geographically to regions that have access to powerful data-processing facilities. Since LSTM-SAM bases its predictions on storm-flood patterns as a whole, the technology isn't locale-specific and can be applied to regions with minimal prior storm data. "Other studies have relied on repetitive patterns in the training data," Daramola told "Our approach is different. We highlight extreme changes in water levels during training, which helps the model better recognize important patterns and perform more reliably in those areas." More Atlantic hurricanes than ever are making landfall, which means the devastation wreaked by these storms cannot be understated. In fact, according to a 2023 report by the Front Page, rainfall flooding was responsible for more than half of the casualties caused by tropical cyclones. "The need for reliable flood prediction frameworks is of paramount importance," continued. "Advanced deep learning tools like LSTM-SAM could become essential in helping coastal communities prepare for the new normal, opening the door to smarter, faster, and more accessible flood predictions associated with tropical cyclones." While we can't prevent hurricanes altogether, cutting-edge predictive innovations can help minimize the safety risks and allow residents time to plan for an evacuation. Meanwhile, since planet-warming carbon pollution considerably supercharges seasonal storms, we can take small steps to reduce our unfriendly contributions, such as installing home solar panels, repurposing household waste, and switching to an electric vehicle. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
