Archive: May, 2024

Many animals such as corals and sea slugs host photosynthetic symbionts. Several studies have investigated how the host and symbiont coordinate their activities. This new study by Sarfati et al. explores how symbiotic green algae and their animal host, the flattened-worm Convolutriloba longifissura,…

Plants recruit beneficial microbiomes in the rhizosphere in response to aboveground pathogen infections, a mechanism known as “cry for help.” Zhang and Liu et al. investigated this effect to test whether pathogenicity is necessary for assembling a disease-suppressive rhizomicrobiome. By using nonpathogenic…

Most readers recognize the photograph of the amazing nitrogen-fixing maize, with its red, slimy aerial roots that nurture nitrogen-fixing bacteria. But I suspect few of us have thought about how this landrace came to the attention of the mainstream media, who owns the rights to it, and how it would be…

Review: Strategies to improve photosynthesis Photosynthesis is the process by which plants assimilate carbon by using light energy. However, with the solar energy conversion efficiency of many crop plants less than 1%, it is inefficient. Therefore, there is interest in manipulating photosynthesis…

Fan and Whitaker explore the genetic footprint of the breeding history of cultivated strawberry. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad314 Zhen Fan and Vance M. Whitaker Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL, 33597,…

When discussing mental health, the conversation is often paired with comments to break the stigma—the negative or discriminatory attitudes associated with mental illness. Yet, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults in the US experience mental illness each year, with 50%…

Behind the manuscripts are researchers, professors, professionals and students dedicated to advancing the field of plant science. You’ve seen our First Authors on Twitter and Facebook— now, read more about why they chose to pursue plant sciences and click on the links to read their articles.   Xinyong…

Introduction: Modern agriculture is faced with a plethora of challenges ranging from weather extremes such as floods, drought and heat waves due to climate change to depletion of arable land due to urbanization and soil erosion. Additionally, pests and diseases exacerbate crop loss, adding to the complexity…