Endophytic bacteria and fungi, the invisible allies within plant tissues, are emerging as powerful contributors to sustainable agriculture. They can enhance plant defense through multiple mechanisms, including antibiosis, niche competition, and the induction of systemic resistance, thereby reducing reliance…

Plants thrive in constantly changing environments through remarkable trait plasticity, enabling rapid physiological and developmental adaptation to stress. Beyond immediate responses, chromatin regulation provides a mechanism for long-term stress memory via epigenetic changes, allowing plants to “remember”…

In this Perspective article, Stacey Harmer reflects on plant gene regulation driven by the circadian cycle, using a thoughtful approachable tone to describe technological milestones that advanced our understanding of this complex mechanism of gene expression, as well as the work carried out by various…

We are living at a time where insights into plant diversity, function, and evolution are being revealed at an unprecedented rate, thanks largely to the ability to readily sequence and assemble genomes. A new Perspective by Want, along with a large, international group of co-authors, sets out an exciting…

Roots play a critical role in determining  seedling resilience mechanisms to abiotic stress conditions. Despite advancements in the characterization of root systems at phenotypic and cellular levels, the diversity of belowground epidermal microstructures remains poorly understood, particularly prior…

Plant pathogens are skilled manipulators, using specialized molecular weapons to weaken plant defenses and establish infection. Traditionally, scientists have focused on secreted proteins, known as effectors, that help pathogens suppress plant immune responses. But recent discoveries show that fungal…

This is a very interesting Perspective article by Barry et al. that should be of interest to anyone who has benefitted from Indigenous Knowledges or who teaches about scientific writing. The authors, a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars in Australia, explore how Indigenous Knowledges should…

When looking at the foods that fill our supermarkets, it can be hard to imagine we are relying on just a handful of domesticated plant species. Thousands of wild plants, each with its own unique strengths, remain overlooked and underused. For years, plant breeders have tried to borrow these unique traits…