May 11, 2026 04:05 AM
(This post was last modified: May 11, 2026 06:01 PM by C C.)
From pantry to pest control: Garlic kills the mood — for mosquitoes, too
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1127590
INTRO: Garlic is not a substance that most people consider an aphrodisiac. It turns out that mosquitoes agree.
In fact, a new Yale study finds that garlic also functions as a de facto birth control for mosquitoes and other winged insects, an insight that could lead to eco-friendly pest control strategies.
According to research by the lab of Yale’s John Carlson, the presence of garlic blocks mating in mosquitoes and a variety of fly species. It’s not the pungent odor that’s a turnoff for these pests, the researchers found, but the taste. And the reason lies in a receptor inside their teeny taste organs. The findings are published in the journal Cell.
“We study flies, including harmless ones like the fruit fly, to try to discover new ways of controlling species that pose danger to humans either by spreading disease or damaging crops,” said Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “In this study, we started with fruit flies and then moved on to other species. And to our surprise, we found a natural compound in garlic that shuts down the mating process in these flies.”
Their method of finding this compound, which they call a “phytoscreen,” could spur new pest control strategies that are environmentally friendly, widely available, and inexpensive. Phyto is Greek for “plant.”
In a Q&A, Carlson explains the role of an enterprising postdoc in initiating this research, how it started with a “fruit fly buffet,” and why Victorian author Bram Stoker had it right about garlic and bloodthirsty creatures. The interview was edited for length and clarity... (MORE - no ads)
Plants survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid by duplicating genomes
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1126408
INTRO: When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. But many plants survived the devastation.
In a new study publishing May 8 in the Cell Press journal Cell, researchers reveal that the accidental duplications of genomes—a natural phenomenon—might have helped many flowering plants survive some of the most extreme environmental upheavals in Earth’s history. This strategy could help plants adapt to the rapid climate changes unfolding today.
“Whole-genome duplication is often seen as an evolutionary dead end in stable environments,” says author Yves Van de Peer of Ghent University in Belgium. “But in harsh situations, it can provide unexpected advantages.”
Most organisms carry two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. But in flowering plants, many species carry additional sets as a result of random whole-genome duplication. For example, most cultivated bananas have three sets of chromosomes while wheat plants can have as many as six, a condition known as polyploidy.
Whole-genome duplication occurs relatively frequently in plants, and it can be costly. Larger genomes require more nutrients to maintain, increase the risk of acquiring harmful mutations, and affect fertility. For these reasons, only a small fraction of duplicated genomes are retained and passed down through generations in the wild.
On the other hand, genome duplications can increase genetic variations, and genes can evolve new functions. These changes may help organisms better tolerate stress such as heat or drought... (MORE - no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1127590
INTRO: Garlic is not a substance that most people consider an aphrodisiac. It turns out that mosquitoes agree.
In fact, a new Yale study finds that garlic also functions as a de facto birth control for mosquitoes and other winged insects, an insight that could lead to eco-friendly pest control strategies.
According to research by the lab of Yale’s John Carlson, the presence of garlic blocks mating in mosquitoes and a variety of fly species. It’s not the pungent odor that’s a turnoff for these pests, the researchers found, but the taste. And the reason lies in a receptor inside their teeny taste organs. The findings are published in the journal Cell.
“We study flies, including harmless ones like the fruit fly, to try to discover new ways of controlling species that pose danger to humans either by spreading disease or damaging crops,” said Carlson, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology in Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “In this study, we started with fruit flies and then moved on to other species. And to our surprise, we found a natural compound in garlic that shuts down the mating process in these flies.”
Their method of finding this compound, which they call a “phytoscreen,” could spur new pest control strategies that are environmentally friendly, widely available, and inexpensive. Phyto is Greek for “plant.”
In a Q&A, Carlson explains the role of an enterprising postdoc in initiating this research, how it started with a “fruit fly buffet,” and why Victorian author Bram Stoker had it right about garlic and bloodthirsty creatures. The interview was edited for length and clarity... (MORE - no ads)
Plants survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid by duplicating genomes
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1126408
INTRO: When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. But many plants survived the devastation.
In a new study publishing May 8 in the Cell Press journal Cell, researchers reveal that the accidental duplications of genomes—a natural phenomenon—might have helped many flowering plants survive some of the most extreme environmental upheavals in Earth’s history. This strategy could help plants adapt to the rapid climate changes unfolding today.
“Whole-genome duplication is often seen as an evolutionary dead end in stable environments,” says author Yves Van de Peer of Ghent University in Belgium. “But in harsh situations, it can provide unexpected advantages.”
Most organisms carry two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. But in flowering plants, many species carry additional sets as a result of random whole-genome duplication. For example, most cultivated bananas have three sets of chromosomes while wheat plants can have as many as six, a condition known as polyploidy.
Whole-genome duplication occurs relatively frequently in plants, and it can be costly. Larger genomes require more nutrients to maintain, increase the risk of acquiring harmful mutations, and affect fertility. For these reasons, only a small fraction of duplicated genomes are retained and passed down through generations in the wild.
On the other hand, genome duplications can increase genetic variations, and genes can evolve new functions. These changes may help organisms better tolerate stress such as heat or drought... (MORE - no ads)
