annals-of-botany
Growth and carbon budgets in Nothofagus
Growth decline with age in trees is hypothesized to be an effect of carbon limitation. By assessing carbon reserves and isotopes at different ontogenetic stages in
annals-of-botany
Genetic diversity of ancient olive trees
Olive trees (Olea europaea) provide a good model to study the origin of cultivars due to their long lifespan. Diez et al. use SSR markers to
Plants & People
Food Crisis in 2050?
A realistic scenario, if the production of major crops does not increase significantly. Estimated 9 billion people will need 70% more food than today. In June
AoB PLANTS
Free—open access paper: Phylogeny and divergence times inferred from rps16 sequence data analyses for Tricyrtis (Liliaceae), an endemic genus of north-east Asia
The rate of molecular evolution of Tricyrtis plant groups as a model system was estimated. The outcome further highlights the importance of conserving biodiversity in a rapidly changing Earth environment. This phylogenetic analyses of Tricyrtis with its high endemism in north-east Asia sheds light o
Uncategorized
Affable Nerds and Second Bananas: What Science Communicators Can Learn From Top Gear
Via Scoop.it – molcyt“Why has academia largely ignored one of the world’s most popular technology programmes – and what does the show tell us about the effective communication of complex ideas?” A review of a scholarly paper on what we as scientists can learn from Top Gear about presentation of te
Uncategorized
Autumn Clean
I’ve been tidying up my online presence, RSS feeds and so on for the new academic year. I’ll be moving my life sciences posts
AoB PLANTS
Free—open access paper: Co-ordinated changes in storage proteins during development and germination of elite seeds of Pongamia pinnata, a versatile biodiesel legume
Seeds of Pongamia pinnata used as feedstock for biodiesel production and the protein-rich residue is fed to farm animals. This paper describes seed development and early germination in terms of phenology, protein and reserve accumulation and utilization. The findings will underpin rapid and successf
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Italian Genetics Societies in Assisi: staple foods and orphan crops via epigenomics and systems biology
The three Genetics Societies in Italy – AGI, SIBV and SIGA – held a strong joint conference in Assisi in September. With 500 people and 300 posters, the major sessions were on topical issues such as epigenetics and epigenomics, then genome plasticity, moving on to systems biology. , Approaches inclu
AoB PLANTS
Free—open access paper: A platform for efficient genotyping in Musa using microsatellite markers
Establishment of a standardized platform for genotyping banana (Musa spp.) using a set of previously published SSR markers is described in this free—open access paper. The platform will serve a broad Musa research and breeding community and support the conservation and use of genetic diversity.
AoB PLANTS
Free—open access paper: Isolated history of the coastal plant Lathyrus japonicus (Leguminosae) in Lake Biwa, an ancient freshwater lake
Lathyrus japonicus commonly inhabits seashores. However it also grows near the shores of an inland lake (Lake Biwa, an ancient japanese freshwater lake) where it is
AoB PLANTS
Free—open access paper: Salinity tolerance ecophysiology of Equisetum giganteum in South America
In river valleys of the world’s driest desert (The Atacama of South America) large stands of giant horsetail ( Equisetum giganteum) are found to tolerate soil
Uncategorized
A new Creative Commons search for botany photos on Flickr
We changed the template we use for AoB Blog to HTML5 last week. We’re still using similar CSS, so there’s not a huge change