The Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia-0 (Col-0) accession is often treated as a standard reference genotype shared by plant researchers worldwide. However, a new study by Tadros et al. shows that decades of independent propagation in different laboratories have left distinct genetic and epigenetic signatures in Col-0 stocks. By sequencing the genomes and DNA methylomes of 78 […]
Plant breeders have long relied on genetic markers to predict how crops will perform, but many important traits such as yield, flowering time, and stress responses are shaped by complex interactions between genes and the environment. In this study, Creach et al. investigated whether combining multiple layers of biological information could improve the prediction of […]
Plants protect themselves from excess light by safely dissipating extra energy as heat through a process called non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Several proteins are known to control this process, but the role of the antenna protein CP26 has remained unclear. In this study, Walter et al. used Arabidopsis mutants lacking CP26, alone and in combination with […]
Improving photosynthetic efficiency is an important strategy to boost yields in staple crops such as rice, which relies on the relatively inefficient C3 pathway. In contrast, C4 photosynthesis minimizes photorespiration through a carbon-concentrating mechanism, making it more productive under high-light and high-temperature conditions. Engineering C4 traits into rice has long been a major goal, but […]