Entries by Ching Chan

Conservatory: Unlocking the regulatory landscape of plant genomes

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Long overshadowed by protein-coding genes, the non-coding genome remains one of the most elusive frontiers in plant biology. Their sequence diversity and limited conservation have made functional annotation particularly challenging. Addressing this gap, Amundson and colleagues introduce “Conservatory”, a powerful and accessible algorithm (www.conservatorycns.com) designed to systematically identify conserved non-coding sequences (CNSs) across diverse plant […]

Review. Overcoming the scale barrier: expansion microscopy for nanoscale imaging in plants

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Many biological questions, from tissue-level patterning to subcellular organization, demand 3D imaging with spatial resolution beyond the limits of conventional light microscopy, or even super-resolution microscopy. Expansion microscopy (ExM) offers an elegant solution by physically enlarging biological specimens. By embedding samples in a swellable polymer gel, ExM typically expands biological structures by four- to twenty-fold, […]

Commentary. Peptide-based biostimulants in sustainable agriculture: opportunities and innovations

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Naturally occurring biostimulants have emerged as promising tools for promoting sustainable agriculture and horticulture by enhancing plant performance while reducing reliance on chemical inputs. Among these, peptide-based biostimulants stand out for their high specificity, biodegradability, and overall environmental friendliness, making them attractive candidates for next-generation crop management strategies. Hu and colleagues highlight the remarkable flexibility […]

When plants feel the bite: Mechanoperception and systemic defense signaling

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Plants may appear silent, yet they can rapidly perceive and respond to environmental challenges. Despite lacking sensory nerve cells like animals, plants rely on mechanoperception to detect stimuli such as touch, wind, and herbivore attack. This framework has led researchers to uncover how mechanical cues are perceived, integrated into defense signaling networks, and transmitted over […]

A shape-shifting plant receptor expands the landscape of small-molecule sensing

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Designing small-molecule biosensors that are both sensitive and versatile remains a central challenge in synthetic biology, yet such tools are indispensable for environmental monitoring, cellular control, and emerging biotechnologies. In this study, Tian and colleagues exploit an unexpected feature of the plant abscisic acid receptor PYR1: its remarkable capacity to accommodate chemically diverse ligands. Previously, […]

Reprogramming plant development: How Ustilago maydis hijacks auxin signaling to build galls

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Plant pathogens often succeed not by brute force, but by subtly rewiring host developmental programs. Ustilago maydis, the basidiomycete fungus responsible for maize common smut, exemplifies this strategy by inducing tumor-like galls on aerial organs of its host. Although the U. maydis genome encodes hundreds of predicted secreted proteins, the effectors that directly drive gall […]

Viewpoint. Green life beyond Earth: Frontiers of space plant biology

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Plants are the quiet architects of life on Earth, sustaining the ecosystem through their ability to capture energy, cycle nutrients, and adapt to extreme environments. Their remarkable plasticity allows plants to thrive on non-arable land such as mountains, deserts, and floodplains, but whether this resilience extends beyond Earth’s orbit remains an open question. Fountain et […]

Reprogramming trees: Hairy root-mediated transformation unlocks genetic engineering in poplar

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Agrobacterium tumefaciens, through its natural capacity to deliver foreign DNA into plant genomes, has enabled efficient transformation across many plant species and cultivars. Despite these advancements, persistent challenges remain, including genotype-dependent recalcitrance, potential off-target DNA integration, and the lengthy tissue culture steps required for stable regeneration. These limitations are particularly evident in woody species such […]