Cells, Genes & Molecules
Plants Protect Chloroplasts by Slathering Them in Sunscreen
Understanding how plants make this sunscreen could lead to more resilient, higher yielding crops
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The End of Papaya?: What Genomics Teaches Us About Its Survival
A study of papayas in Mexican backyards reveals how hybridisation between wild and cultivated plants can boost genetic diversity while creating new challenges for conservation.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
When the Fragrance of Flowers Changes: How Global Warming Can Affect Communication Between Plants and Pollinators
Global warming could interfere with the scents that guide pollinators to flowers, threatening ecological interactions long before species disappear.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
A Hidden Secret in the Only Terrestrial Plants With Pyrenoids May Inspire the Photosynthesis of Future Crop Plants
Hornworts have evolved their own version of a carbon-concentrating mechanism, offering a surprising model for improving the photosynthetic efficiency of future crops.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Does a Moss From Antarctica Hide New Weapons Against Cancer?
Polytrichastrum alpinum has shown promising anticancer activity in laboratory tests, reducing the survival and spread of canine mammary tumour cells.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Can plants remember a stressful past?
Scientists find that rice can tell stories of a hard winter to future generations and prepare them for survival
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Bryophytes May Repel Snails Without Contaminating Crops
Bryophytes may hold natural compounds that keep hungry snails away from crops while avoiding the broader risks of conventional chemical controls.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The Invisible Cost of Seed Ageing
Researchers found that ageing Brassica napus seeds lose not only vigour, but also microbial diversity, raising new questions about how we store seeds for the future.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Mosses Also Master Aluminium Storage
Mosses from Brazil's rocky savannas are quietly doing something we usually associate with shrubs and trees: taking up and safely storing aluminium from the soil.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Why Would the Plant Next Door Smell Different?
Two populations of the same plant, just 4 km apart in the Italian mountains, produce different perfumes and attract different pollinators. Why?
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Between Drought and Rain: How a Tropical Moss Teaches Us To Survive in an Increasingly Unstable Climate
A tiny tropical moss defies expectations by suffering more cell damage during the rainy season than the dry. Now scientists think they know why.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Flora in Focus: A Journey into the Microscopic Life of Plants
An old tool with new precision reveals the spectacular inner life of plants