Cells, Genes & Molecules
The Genetic Secret Behind Wasabi’s Defensive Kick
The genes that help plants draw in carbon dioxide also help plants kick out poisons when herbivores visit.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Scientists Find a Gene That Enables a Plant to Become a Vampire
Scientists discover the gene that gives parasitic dodder its “sense of touch” that makes it an effective predator on host plants.
News in Brief
Why Researchers Are Racing To Document These X-Marked Trees Before They Disappear
Ancient X-marked trees in Swedish forests reveal centuries of Sámi spiritual practices and territorial boundaries now threatened by modern logging.
Computational Models
Less Can Be More For Modelling Invasive Species
A new study reveals that sometimes adding more data to a model reduces its predictive power.
Ecosystems
Saving Space for Lapwings Between Crops and Wetlands
Saving lapwings means managing Italian farm landscapes for sparse vegetation.
News in Brief
Mapping Hope for Nearly Lost Plant Species
Research identifies plants on the edge of extinction.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Does Bamboo Interfere with Panda Brains to Get Eaten?
Scientists discovered that bamboo plants may actively influence pandas’ brains and biology through tiny RNA molecules that enter their bloodstream.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
How One Tool Helps Different Fungi Hijack Plant Signalling
Scientists discover fungi use a universal “hacking tool” to trick plants into starvation mode, disabling their immune defences and causing devastating crop diseases worldwide.
Ecosystems
Garden Choices Shape Urban Pollinator Havens
Urban gardeners can make unusual niches for pollinators in their cities.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Climate Change Gives Grapes the Sweet Taste of Failing Photosynthesis
Somkuwar & Dhole find that rising temperatures will prove the biggest challenge that centuries-old winemaking traditions have yet faced.
News in Brief
Compassion Can Transform Plant Conservation
A withering houseplant can tug at our heartstrings just like a suffering animal, showing how emotions could help save plant species.
Growth & Development
Long-day Plants Adapt More Slowly to Climate Change
Plants must carefully time their life cycle events, such as germination and flowering, to their environment. But with changing climate and warmer weather, some plants are adapting to their new realities better than others.