Review: Convergent evolution of gene regulatory networks underlying plant adaptations The transition from aquatic to terrestrial habitats exposed plants to low water availability, high light, radiation, and other environmental challenges. To overcome these challenges, plants developed morpho-physiological adaptations to tolerate dry environments and make photosynthesis more efficient. A recent work by M. Artur and K. […]
Small RNAs have big effects and can serve to shut down or silence gene expression. Recently, studies have found that small RNAs can contribute to plant defense beyond the boundary of the plant, by being packed into extracellular vesicles (EVs) and delivered to a pathogen. Cai et al. review our current knowledge of small RNAs […]
Covid has turned our focus to human viral pathogens, but the challenges we face from cellular pathogens has not gone away, and is increasingly exacerbated by the development of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobials. This fine review by Tiwari et al. provides an overview of how antimicrobials work and mechanisms of resistance, sources of […]
Review. Message in a Bubble: Shuttling small RNAs and proteins between cells and interacting organisms using extracellular vesicles Small RNAs have big effects and can serve to shut down or silence gene expression. Recently, studies have found that small RNAs can contribute to plant defense beyond the boundary of the plant, by being packed into […]
In many plants, epidermal pavement cells lock together through interdigitating lobes, much like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. These cells start out as regular squarish cells with straight walls, which then bow out and curve. Here, Belteton et al. investigate how lobes form in cotyledon pavement cells. Using a 3D long-term time-lapse imaging pipeline, […]
I firmly believe that the experience of doing science (observing, framing questions, designing and carrying out experiments, and interpreting findings) is the best way to cultivate future scientists, as well as a science-literate public (which we so clearly need). This preprint by Elgin et al. (it’s not often we have a first author with a […]
As scientists, we often measure what we can measure as a proxy for what we want to measure. Critical to this strategy is a good understanding of how well the first represents the second. Currently, advancement in science largely rests upon factors that are easy to measure: number of publications and their citations. Here, Davies, […]
Review: Functional morphology of plants – a key to biomimetic applications Humans have derived inspiration from innumerable corners of the natural world. Plants of diverse forms have inspired many “biomimetics,” or technical products derived from biological models. Speck and Speck review how plant-based biomimetics have developed over time and elaborate on their current use. An […]
ASPB Forward works to advance change within ASPB by accelerating ideas that benefit our community. We seek to listen, stimulate, capture, incubate, and steward innovative, cross-cutting ideas and programs, so that ASPB will better serve as a more equitable and inclusive organization (read more). Over the past few months, we have been listening to members […]