TOPICSPlants

Plants

Close-up of plant
Plants

Quantum mechanical effects play a key role in photosynthesis

Pranjal Malewar

Why do plants transport energy so efficiently and quickly?

Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Environment

The world’s living collections have collectively reached peak capacity

Pranjal Malewar

Safeguarding the world’s most threatened plants from extinction.

Pic du Midi mountain
Environment

Living organisms influence the distribution of Arsenic than previously thought

Pranjal Malewar

Interpreting traces of arsenic in rain.

Examples of foraging sign left by Andean bears on terrestrial bromeliads in Peru.
Science

Protecting Andean Bears and their habitats

PLOS

Bears forage for young bromeliad plants in Peru’s puna grasslands, but prefer to avoid cattle.

Covalent Organic Framework (COF)-based sensor
Plants

World’s first COF sensors: Detecting dehydration in plants

Pranjal Malewar

Sensors are capable of detecting pH changes in plant xylem.

leaves
Science

Unraveling the genetic evolution of coffee wilt disease

PLOS

Genomic analysis showed the fungal pathogen received virulence genes from a related species.

Close-up of purple flowering plant
Plants

Plants treated with herbicides incur more damage from insects

Jay Kakade

While studying the eco-evolutionary implications of using herbicides, researchers at the University of Michigan found that insects do greater damage to herbicide-treated plants. The...

Cross sections of C3 rice
Plants

Some plants have superior photosynthesis abilities

Pranjal Malewar

Over 3 billion years ago, photosynthesis first evolved in ancient bacteria on a water-covered Earth. Over millions of years, these bacteria evolved into plants,...

middle of the green leafed trees
Plants

How do trees behave across various forest settings and weather events?

Pranjal Malewar

Facing the wind!

Bison cows and calves congregate in a meadow beside the Lamar River.
Science

The history of large herbivores in Yellowstone National Park

PLOS

Chemicals from dung buried in lake sediments reveal their presence and ecological impacts.

Prototype of Electro-Farming | Image Credit: Feng Jiao
Plants

Electro-agriculture can enable the cultivation of food in the absence of light

Jay Kakade

Using the same inputs as photosynthesis, electro-ag offers a 4-fold improvement in solar-to-food efficiency

Stomidazolone, an imidazolone compound, reduces number of stomata by interfering MUTE-SCRM heterodimerization.
Science

Novel chemical treatment reduces the number of water-regulating plant pores

Ashwini Sakharkar

A chemical compound that effectively regulates the density of stomata in model plants.

Grassland ecosystems of California
Environment

Climate changes brings rapid ecological changes in grasslands

Jay Kakade

New study reveals significant shifts in plant communities and implications for ecosystem restoration

explosive mechanism of Hypenea macrantha
Technology

This plant uses explosives to remove rival pollens from pollinators

Jay Kakade

Because plants lack muscular or skeleton structures, their locomotion is limited to one place. Therefore, plants, especially flowering plants, rely on natural forces like...

urine collection
Plants

Human urine: An eco-friendly crop fertilizer

Pranjal Malewar

1 yr stored urine had little impact on soil bacterial communities and produced minimal change in soil pH.

Health

Preventing plants from passing viruses to their offspring

Dr. Prajakta Banik

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding how plants prevent viruses from passing to their seeds.

Overhead aerial shot of a thick forest
Plants

How do plant-derived aerosols influence plant interactions?

Pranjal Malewar

The elemental composition and quantity of SOAs likely determines their biological functions.

fresh green plant
Science

New plant stem cells research reveals how plants grow stronger

Ashwini Sakharkar

We shouldn't ignore the potential of stem cells in plants.

Graphical abstract of the study.  
Science

Exploring the medicinal plants consumed by wild gorillas

PLOS

Four plants eaten by gorillas, also used in Gabonese traditional medicine, have antibacterial effects.

Augochloropsis metallica visiting Pycnanthemum muticum.
Science

The impact of the garden surroundings on visiting pollinators

PLOS

Providing flowers year-round, regardless of garden type, is crucial for attracting pollinators.

Long-lasting volcanism has significantly warmed the climate in the Earth's history
Environment

Plants can take millions of years to recover from global warming

Ashwini Sakharkar

Researchers reveal the long-term climate effects of disturbed natural ecosystems.

An international research team including KAUST's Fernando Maestre conducted a field survey to investigate the impacts of aridity and grazing pressure on the chemical and morphological trait diversity of perennial plants across drylands worldwide.
Plants

Plants in arid zones display an extraordinary diversity

Ashwini Sakharkar

Drier climate and livestock grazing pressure jointly help to shape the diversity of plant traits.

Green Beans in Urban Setting
Environment

Protecting beans from pests

Dr. Prajakta Banik

Climate-resilient and nutritious long beans are vulnerable to aphids and nematodes. Scientists from the University of California-Riverside have created four new pest-resistant varieties to...

GA accumulates early in the nodule development and persist in the nodule apex.
Science

Next-gen biosensor uncovers gibberellin’s critical role in legume nitrogen-fixation

Ashwini Sakharkar

It paves the way for more productive legume crops and self-fertilizing cereals.

Close-up of mushroom on grass
Biology

Expanded mushroom genomes with versatile adaptability

Dr. Prajakta Banik

Independent genome expansion in Mycena s.s. unaffected by plant hosts or substrates.

Image showing A new family tree of the plant genus Solanum, created by Penn State biologists, helps explain the striking diversity of their fruit color and size.
Plants

Tomato & potato fruit color, size evolved together

Dr. Prajakta Banik

In-depth Phylogeny reveals linked evolution of fruit traits in Solanum L.

A Budongo chimpanzee
Science

Wild chimpanzees and the healing power of medicinal plants

PLOS

Sick chimpanzees eat tree bark, dead wood and ferns with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effects.

Growing plant in soil with drop of water
Environment

Are plants intelligent?

Ashwini Sakharkar

It depends on the definition.

Close-up of plant
Environment

Soil bacteria breathe out more CO2

Dr. Prajakta Banik

CO2 release in bacterial metabolism.

Raw beetroot sliced with leaves on rustic board
Health

Does beet consumption prevent heart disease?

Dr. Prajakta Banik

Nitrate supplementation enhances vascular function in women.

Recent Stories

Depression and its impact on physical health

Health

Phoenix galaxy cluster found in the act of extreme cooling

Space

Life-like 3D synthetic materials move by themselves like worms

Science

A new fabrication technique for high-performance photon detectors

Physics

The existence of a nuclear-spin dark state proved

Quantum Computing