One of the great mysteries in plant biology is how, given the clouds of pollen released by dozens of plants species all at the same time, an individual plant can recognize which particular species’ pollen grains will induce fertility and which to reject. We are now one step closer to solving the mystery thanks to research recently published in Science by an international team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and China’s Shandong Agricultural University.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  –  Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), working with Florida International University’s (FIU) Global Forensic and Justice Center, have demonstrated a new method for detecting trace levels of fentanyl using a silicon nanowire (SiNW) array that concentrates chemical vapors for handheld detection instruments. The breakthrough offers first responders a faster, safer way to identify fentanyl and related synthetic opioids without direct contact with the drug.

Mississippi State biologist Matthew W. Brown is part of an international research team whose groundbreaking discovery unearthed a new organism and phylum, reshaping the tree of life. The research was featured Nov. 19 in Nature.