Plant Research (Biology and Medicine)

 

Researchers solve mystery of how minimalist plant immune molecules become activated<br /> 

Researchers solve mystery of how minimalist plant immune molecules become activated
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The regulation of genetic information exchange

Chromosome pairing controls the distribution of DNA more

The plant microbiome and its genes

Researchers identify genes that microorganisms need to colonize roots more

Yew tree with fruits. Paclitaxel and its precursors are produced in the needles and bark of various trees in the genus Taxus.

Researchers have identified the steps for the biosynthesis of the chemotherapeutic agent for cancer therapy more

mersitem with and without RDR1

Salicylic acid and RNA interference confer stem cell immunity to pathogens more

<strong>Der Bildung von Herzglykosiden in Pflanzen auf der Spur</strong><br /> 

Forschende identifizieren den ersten enzymatischen Schritt in der Biosynthese dieser für die medizinische Behandlung von Herzerkrankungen wichtigen pflanzlichen Steroide more

First land plants possessed important branch of immune defense

Liverworts also have PTI receptors with which they can recognize intruders more

Powdery mildew effectors have a common structural framework

Structural changes are a consequence of the arms race between crop plants and fungal pathogens more

Analysis of single plant cells provides insights into natural product biosynthesis

Single-cell multi-omics reveals that cell types are differentially involved in the production and accumulation of medically relevant plant compounds more

Herbicide resistance caused by pre-existing genetic variation

Mechanisms of rapid evolutionary adaptation in blackgrass deciphered more

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Yew tree with fruits. Paclitaxel and its precursors are produced in the needles and bark of various trees in the genus Taxus.

Researchers have identified the steps for the biosynthesis of the chemotherapeutic agent for cancer therapy more

Chloroplast from the father

Under cold conditions, not only the mother plant but also the father plant can pass on its chloroplasts to the offspring more

Breakthrough in plant breeding

Grafting and mobile CRISPR for genome editing in plants more

Heavy infestation by waterhemp strongly reduces corn growth (right rows) compared to corn plants that do not have to compete with waterhemp (left rows)

How intensive agriculture turned a wild plant into a pervasive weed more

Leibniz Prize 2023 for Sarah Ellen O'Connor

Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena honoured for her discoveries on plant natural product biosynthesis more

“We can try to guide evolution into another direction”

In our interview, Luca Schulz, Georg Hochberg and Tobias Erb explain why knowing the history of proteins might help create alternatives for the future more

Back to the future of photosynthesis

Resurrecting billon-year-old enzymes reveals how photosynthesis adapted to the rise of oxygen more

Biosynthesis of strychnine elucidated

Researchers from Jena show how the poison nut tree forms strychnine more

Resin secreted by a damaged conifer.

Researchers develop a highly sensitive novel technique capable of detecting chiral molecules within complex gas mixtures more

A stiff polymer called lignin (stained red) is deposited in a precise pattern in the cell walls of exploding seed pods. Researchers identified three laccase enzymes required to form this lignin. No lignin forms in the cell wall (stained blue) when all three genes are knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

Researchers identify the genes controlling the mechanical structure of exploding seed pods more

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Detlef Weigel

An interview with Detlef Weigel about his discovery that cells prevent particularly important genes from mutating more

“The only things you want to conserve are the things you know”

Jana Wäldchen has played a key role in developing the plant identification app, Flora Incognita. We discussed with her how being able to identify different plants contributes to species diversity, which plant species are particularly under threat and how non-native species are suppressing local plants more

Life on the edge prepares plants for climate change

Genetic variability supports plant survival during droughts more

Unique wheat discovery in Bronze Age lunch box

Container found in the Swiss Alps leads researchers to new analysis method more

A parasite involved in the plant alarm system

Host plants communicate warning signals through a parasite network, when insects attack more

Symbiotic bacteria: from hitchhiker to beetle bodyguard

Bacterial symbionts transition between plant pathogenicity and insect defensive mutualism more

Bergamotene—alluring and lethal for <em>Manduca sexta</em>

The volatile compound bergamotene increases the moths’ pollination success and protects tobacco leaves against their voracious offspring more

Enhancing leaf shape diversity

A small piece of DNA with a large effect on leaf shape more

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Synthetic Chloroplast Production using a Microfluidic platform

Cell-sized droplets equipped with natural and synthetic parts are able to perform photosynthesis. In the future, they could serve as bioreactors for the sustainable, light driven fixation of CO2 into value-added compounds. more

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