Rewriting History – The First Full-Length Genomes for Homosporous Ferns
A new study reveals ferns’ history of DNA hoarding and kleptomania. Ferns are infamous for having an enormous number of chromosomes and massive amounts of…
Plant Biology News
Stanford Scientists Unlock Mysteries of Plant Growth and Health
The discovery will help develop heat-tolerant crops and improve algal biofuel production Plants, like all other known organisms, utilize DNA to pass on traits. Animal…
Researchers Discover Self-Healing Mechanism in Seed Pods
An international team of researchers including members of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces has discovered a self-sealing mechanism in the seed pods…
Scientists Demonstrate How Auxin Reaches Its Destination
A team of researchers from the University of Freiburg have discovered how the plant hormone auxin is transported within the cell and how this signaling…
This Unique Design Prevents Plant Cells from Bursting
Plant cells are under tremendous pressure. To prevent themselves from bursting, plants had to come up with something unique: According to scientists from the Max…
UW Study Reveals How Climate Change May Reshape Wildflower Communities
A new study from the University of Washington shows that with a changing climate, Mount Rainier floral communities could ‘reassemble’ with new species relationships and…
Yale Biologists Discover What Causes Asymmetry in Plants
Biologists at Yale University recently discovered that asymmetry in plants can be caused by changes in pectin, leading to left-handed twisting of petals and other…
High-Speed Images Reveal How Raindrops Spread Pathogens Among Plants
A new theoretical model describes the relationship between a leaf’s flexibility, the fragmentation of the fluid, and its resulting pattern of raindrop-induced dispersal. Using high-speed…
Scarecrow Gene May Lead to New Varieties of Staple Crops With Higher Yields
Scientists at Cornell University believe that the Scarecrow gene — the first gene discovered to control Kranz anatomy, which leads to more efficient photosynthesis —…
Roots Show Similar Growth Patterns in Space
Long periods in space can be detrimental to human biology, but it wasn’t exactly known how the lack of gravity affected plants. A new study…
With Genetic Tweak Maize Cells Produce Enzyme-Replacement Drug
Some complex protein drugs need to be made by culturing mammalian cells. Plant biologists have developed a way to manufacture the necessary enzymes for drugs…
