Look out your window, and you might see the broad leaves of a mulberry tree or thin needles of a pine. Perhaps you have an orchid on your windowsill and have noticed the extravagant curves of its petals. All these shapes emerge from the same... click to read more

Root microbiota is the term for the community of microorganisms living in and around plant roots. The microorganisms making up the root-microbiota include multiple species of bacteria, fungi, and archaea, forming a complex network of interaction with the plant's roots. These interactions could either be... click to read more

Humans started growing melons as crops around four thousand years ago. Since then, melons became one of the most abundantly cultivated fruits and today rank among the top 10 crops in terms of economic importance. Cultivated melons, like many other agricultural plants, originated from wild... click to read more

Salads, vegan milk, yogurt, marzipan - all these products contain healthy sweet almonds. The almond ancestor, which still grows in the wild, carries bitter almonds. Consumption of its bitter kernels can be lethal to us and to wild herbivores. The bitterness comes from the presence... click to read more

Modern tomatoes have weaker flavor than older heirloom varieties, and consumers often complain about their "tastelessness". But, how did these tasteless tomatoes arise? - one cause is breeding. Tomatoes have been continuously bred to improve their agricultural features. While these features mostly include firmness for... click to read more