Plant Biology
How memory helps plants survive climate change
Global warming represents a growing threat for plants and other organisms, while if and how these will survive is currently an open question. Plants have their own ingenious ways to defend themselves under such stress. They can either genetically adapt to a changing environment by... click to read more
Plant genetic engineering makes treasure from trash
Cultivated plants are the core of human nutrition. To ensure our food supply, plant breeders are in an ongoing race with newly emerging pests and diseases. Deterioration of growing conditions due to climate change and ever-increasing demand provide further challenges. Traditionally, plant breeders wait an... click to read more
The flesh-eating Venus flytrap plant generates its own magnetic fields
In recent decades, more and more techniques from physics have been applied to biological systems, often with far-reaching consequences. For example, noninvasive techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are now commonly used to study or diagnose the human brain and body. The successful transfer of... click to read more
Figuring out the evolved chemistry of fig trees
Furanocoumarins are small organic molecules produced by plants and known to play defense roles against pathogens and herbivores. Interestingly, some of them are also potential treatments for cancer or vitiligo. These compounds are found in specific but surprisingly distantly related plant families, such as in... click to read more
The seed’s hidden defense arsenal: using bacteria to defend against disease
Stable cereal production plays an important role in maintaining a food supply for the world’s growing population. However, seed-borne bacterial diseases can limit crop production and quality. This has been aggravated in recent decades by changes in both the global climate and modern farming techniques.... click to read more
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