The secret of how fibre shapes the structure of plant cell walls has been revealed, with potentially wide-ranging applications ranging from nutrition and health to agriculture.

The Swiss Flora is one of the richest and most diverse in Europe. However, more than 700 plant species are considered to be threatened. In a nationwide project over 400 volunteer botanists revisited known populations of all threatened and rare plant species in Switzerland and recorded their presence or absence. Researchers from the University of Bern and the National Data and Information Center on the Swiss Flora have now analysed the dataset, and the results are alarming.

A new study from researchers at the University of Minnesota and Iowa State University finds that diversifying crop rotations can greatly reduce negative environmental and health impacts, while maintaining profitability for farmers.

Three-quarters of people over-40 in Sierra Leone have at least one health factor that could contribute to cardiovascular disease - creating a ‘ticking time bomb' of death and disability in one of the world's poorest counties, a new study reveals.

Low carbohydrate diets are often driven by beliefs that are influenced by internet resources, and do not represent a one-size-fits all approach to dieting. In a new study led by the University of Glasgow and published today in Nature Scientific Reports , researchers have provided further insights into the motivations for following low carb diets and the experiences of current and past dieters.

A strong association between the genes influencing cattle temperament and autism in humans has been discovered by University of Queensland researchers.