Carbon nanotube-mediated DNA delivery in intact plants (Nature Protocols)
Plant Science Research WeeklyOne promising use of nanomaterials is the delivery of biomolecules into cells. Demirer et al. report a detailed protocol for Carbon Nano Tube-mediated DNA delivery into intact plants, allowing transformation without transgene integration, that can be used in both model and crop species. In brief, carboxylated…
Editorial and Special Issue. Biotechnology of the sweetpotato: Ensuring global food and nutrition security in the face of climate change (Plant Cell Reports)
Plant Science Research WeeklyGlobal food security is increasingly threatened by expanding industrialization and skyrocketing human populations set in the backdrop of dramatically shifting environmental conditions due to climate change. Innovations in agricultural practices and technology are required to overcome the unprecedented…
Review: Revolutions in agriculture chart a course for targeted breeding of old and new crops ($) (Science)
Plant Science Research WeeklyA few traits are associated with domestication across many species. Eshed and Lippman provide an overview of the changes to plant stature and flowering time that have been repeatedly selected by our ancestors. By comparing the molecular underpinnings of these traits across crops, it becomes clear that…
Cannabis glandular trichomes alter morphology and metabolite content during flower maturation ($) (Plant J)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe therapeutic and recreational applications of Cannabis sativa (Cs) attract public and clinical interest thanks to its secondary metabolites (cannabinoids and terpenes) synthesized and stored in glandular trichomes, hair-like epidermal protrusion densely concentrated in the flowers. Little is known…
Glyphosate-based herbicide effectiveness can be maximized by considering plant circadian rhythms (Nature Comms)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants’ internal circadian clocks regulate the timing of many physiological and developmental processes. This circadian clock also controls plant sensitivity to the herbicide glyphosate, which is maximally effective at dawn. Here, Belbin et al. showed that the minimum effective dose varies with time…
Transcriptomic and cell wall analysis of stinging nettle, an underutilized fibre crop (Plant Direct)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlant fibres from crops such as flax and hemp have diverse uses from rope to clothing, and are increasingly being incorporated into eco-friendly biocomposite materials. These long, flexible, useful fibres, called “bast” fibres, are not derived from the xylem, but instead are derived from specialized…
Compositional analysis of genetically engineered GR2E “Golden Rice” (J. Agric. Food Chem.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn Southeast Asian countries, rice accounts for two-thirds of the caloric intake for many people. This narrow dietary base is often correlated with vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness, anemia and weakened immunity. In an effort to enhance vitamin A consumption, rice has been engineered to…
Update. GMO-free RNAi: exogenous application of RNA molecules in plants (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyCriticism of transgenic plants and GMOs motivates research into effective GMO-free RNA delivery methods. In this review, Dalakouras et al. discuss different strategies for exogenous application of RNA molecules (dsRNAs, siRNAs) into plants to trigger RNA interference (RNAi) against various targets, such…
Review: Engineered male sterility by early anther ablation (Frontiers Plant Sci)
Plant Science Research WeeklyMale sterility in seed production could be used to increase crop yields, eliminate pollen allergies or avoid gene flow between genetically modified plants and other species. Here, Roque et al. developed a system to produce engineered nuclear male sterile plants using the pea Pisum sativum ENDOTHECIUM…