The surprising structure of a shrub willow sex chromosome

Sex in plants can be befuddling. Most species are hermaphrodites, expressing both male and female gametes in one individual. But some, including shrub willow Salix purpurea, employ the evolutionary strategy we are far more ...

Weedy rice is unintended legacy of Green Revolution

A new global study reveals the extent to which high-yielding rice varieties favored in the decades since the "Green Revolution" have a propensity to go feral, turning a staple food crop into a weedy scourge.

Cleaving through the heart of viral infections

A novel CRISPR/Cas system that can efficiently attack and destroy several prolific plant viruses has been developed by KAUST using tobacco plants and is now being extended to rice and other crops.

Genetic signature boosts protein production during cell division

A research team has uncovered a genetic signature that enables cells to adapt their protein production according to their state. The researchers of the University of Basel's Biozentrum report in Genome Biology that this newly ...

Scientists sequence the genome of basmati rice

Using an innovative genome sequencing technology, researchers assembled the complete genetic blueprint of two basmati rice varieties, including one that is drought-tolerant and resistant to bacterial disease. The findings, ...

'Jumping genes' help stabilize DNA folding patterns

"Jumping genes"—bits of DNA that can move from one spot in the genome to another—are well-known for increasing genetic diversity over the long course of evolution. Now, new research at Washington University School of ...

New tool reveals DNA structures that influence disease

Disruption of certain DNA structures—called topologically associating domains, or TADs—is linked with the development of disease, including some cancers. With its newly created algorithm that quickly locates and helps ...

A way to 'fingerprint' human cells

Researchers say a new method to analyse data from individual human cells could be a step-change for diagnosing some of the most devastating diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disease.

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