Compost feels so good, sifting through a gardener’s fingers. Unfortunately, data are showing, this soil amendment can host a germ responsible for Legionnaire’s disease, a potentially serious form of pneumonia.

New variety of photosynthetic pigment is the first to be discovered in 60 years (p. 13)

BLOG: Sphagnum reproduces with a bang that compensates for life so close to the ground.

I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with English ivy that’s been devolving towards hate-hate. But a new paper may temper my antipathy. Apparently this backyard bully also offers a kinder, gentler alternative to the potentially toxic metal-based nanoparticles used in today’s sunscreens.

Scientists have figured out two of the final key steps in the chain of chemical reactions that the opium poppy uses to synthesize morphine, suggesting possible signaling strategies for new ways of making the drug and its cousin painkillers. (p. 5)

No silly hats or shouted countdowns. But entomologist Scott Miller is hosting a small event to mark the beginning of 2010, which the United Nations has declared the International Year of Biodiversity. Miller’s occasion is low-key, on a weekday, before noon even, and there’s no bubbly in sight. But there are other reasons for not quite calling this a celebration. This is a poignant year for anyone who cares about the rich diversity of life on planet Earth. 2010 was supposed to be a milestone. The 193 nations participating in a treaty called the Convention on Biological Diversity had agr... (p. 20)

Streamside wildflower holds back on leaf competition when roots meet close kin (p. 13)

Yellow crazy ants can get so annoying that birds don’t eat their normal fruits, a new study finds. (p. 13)

DNA of infamous Phytophthora microbe reveals big, quick-changing zones, possibly the key to the pathogen’s vexing adaptability

A New Zealand tree’s peculiar leaves may have served as defenses against long-gone giant birds. (p. 10)

Violent pollen delivery in Catasetum flowers gets its power from temporarily deformed inner strip (p. 13)