Recent Posts

NAPstars: the new stars of the redox imaging toolbox!

Redox reactions are an integral part of cellular metabolism and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate or NADP is an essential component due to its capacity to be oxidized or reduced. To get a better understanding of cellular redox homeostasis, precise quantification and visualization of NADP redox…

Visualizing plant intracellular inorganic orthophosphate distribution

Phosphorus is the second most essential macronutrient in terms of limiting plant growth, acquired in the form of orthophosphate (Pi) by plant roots. The intricate processes of sensing, uptake, transport, storage, utilization, and cellular compartmentalization of Pi are finely orchestrated by a complex…

SIMPEL tool to elucidate dynamics of complex metabolism

Cellular metabolism involves flux through metabolic routes, which can be measured using stable isotope (13C,15N) tracers. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and transient isotope labeling studies offer an opportunity to get an in-depth understanding of metabolism in specific contexts. In this new…

Review: SynBio takes on roots and the rhizosphere

This is an excellent introduction to how synthetic biology can be used to program plants for climate resilience by engineering them to respond predictably and in ways beyond those that evolution has explored, through the use of controllable synthetic gene circuits. Ragland et al. describe how precise…

Review: Long noncoding RNAs and the art of being influential without protein

Advances in sequencing technologies have led to a tremendous growth in the number of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) being identified in plants, but identifying their function lags behind. Here, Ramirez Gonzales and Blom et al. draw on lessons from studies in mammalian systems and highlight several known…

Review: Development and evolution of the Asteraceae inflorescence

Asteraceae, also known as Compositae or the daisy family, is one of the largest plant families and comprises 10% of all flowering plants. Members of this family are found in habitats worldwide. The unique inflorescence, called a capitulum, is a key innovation of the family and contributes to its success.…

Moss phenotype unaffected by removal of repetitive sequences from genome

Genome complexity in multicellular organisms is often associated with repetitive sequences from Transposable Elements (TEs). TE function, importance for genome integrity, and dispensability have not been completely characterized.  In prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes, genome synthesis (production of…

The Marchantia transcription factor atlas

Marchantia’s power as a model organism continues to grow! Here, Ramoni et al. have investigated the expression pattern of the proximal promoters of most of its 450 transcription factor (TF)-encoding genes. The promoter elements were fused to nuclear-localized fluorescent reporters and introduced into…

Novel lignin-based extracellular barrier in glandular trichome

This is a fascinating story by Hao et al., which takes us from phenotype to novel insights by looking at glandular trichomes in cucumber. Cucumber fruits often have a silica-based white powder deposited on their surface, but this is missing from the yellow green peel (ygp) mutant. Staining shows that…