Plant Sciences

Norwich, UK — An obscure species of wild grass contains “blockbuster” disease resistance that can be cross bred into wheat to give immunity against one of the deadliest crop pathogens. A collaborative international team of researchers identified the stem rust resistance gene from the wild goat grass species Aegilops sharonensis. The research team led by […]

Tokyo, Japan — Nitrogen is an essential component for plant growth and development. Plants generally take up nitrogen from their environment in the form of nitrates or ammonium and assimilate them into amino acids with the help of the products of nitrate or ammonium assimilation genes, respectively. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate this activity, while also […]

Brighton, UK — A new study by researchers at the University of Sussex, funded by Rowse Honey Ltd, has demonstrated that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for. Dr. Nicholas Balfour and Professor Francis Ratnieks compared the biodiversity value of plants classified as ‘injurious weeds’ with those stipulated by […]

Wageningen, Netherlands — Marcel Dicke already knew that insects are an excellent source of protein for humans, but he didn’t expect to learn that they have such a positive impact on plants. In an Opinion paper published on March 2 in the journal Trends in Plant Science, Dicke, a researcher at Wageningen University in the […]

Urbana, IL — Commercially viable biofuel crops are vital to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a new tool developed by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) should accelerate their development — as well as genetic editing advances overall. The genomes of crops are tailored by generations of breeding to optimize specific traits, […]

Davis, CA — Wildfires are devastating, but they can also bring new life by clearing existing vegetation and allowing new plants to spring up. Many plants in fire-prone areas actually require exposure to fire for seeds to germinate. In the past decade, scientists have discovered an ancient receptor protein that can detect molecules called karrikins […]

Hong Kong — Whether Guard Cells (GCs) carry out photosynthesis has been debated for decades. Earlier studies suggested that guard cell chloroplasts (GCCs) cannot fix CO2 but later studies argued otherwise. Until recently, it has remained controversial whether GCCs and/or GC photosynthesis play a direct role in stomatal movements. Dr Boon Leong LIM, Associate Professor […]

Amherst, MA — A team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced that they have discovered the genetic linkages governing the formation of flowers. The revelation solves a long-standing mystery—how are there so many different types of flowers in the world?—and shines a bright light into a dark corner of evolution. The […]

Münster, Germany — According to a team of researchers at the University of Münster, mitochondria provide unexpected help for cells in a crisis by respiring away harmful substances. A current study produced by the Institute of Biology and Biotechnology of Plants (IBBP) shows three things: that this mechanism can be triggered by reductive stress, that […]

Riverside, CA — Black eyed peas’ ability to attract beneficial bacteria isn’t diminished by modern farming practices, new UC Riverside research shows. Planting it in rotation with other crops could help growers avoid the need for costly, environmentally damaging fertilizers. Without enough nitrogen, plants won’t grow. The plant family that black eyed peas belong to, […]

Liège, Belgium — Researchers from the Early Life Traces & Evolution Laboratory (Astrobiology / Faculty of Science) at the University of Liège have discovered the first in-situ evidence of chlorophyll remnants in a billion-year-old multicellular algal microfossil preserved in shales from the Congo Basin. This discovery, which is the subject of a paper published in […]

La Lolla, CA — What determines how a cell’s genome is regulated to ensure proper growth and development? Turns out, the parts of the genome that are turned on or off in each cell-type or tissue play a major role in this process. Now, a team at Salk has shown that the CLASSY gene family […]