Computationally classifying fungal lifestyles

As a proof of concept, researchers developed an algorithm that "taught" a computer how to classify 101 representative genomes of Dothideomycetes, the largest class of fungi, by lifestyles. The machine "learned" to identify ...

Finding the missing step of an important molecular process

Lysine is an important amino acid that must be supplied in our diets, as our bodies can't produce lysine on their own. Most cereal grains have low levels of lysine, and scientists have worked to breed crops with higher lysine ...

Gene fate after single whole-genome duplication in angiosperm

Multiple whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are found in most sequenced angiosperms. WGDs help plants to survive in extreme environments and contribute to phenotypic innovations. Duplicated genes following WGD often have different ...

Algal genome provides insights into first land plants

Cornell researchers have sequenced and analyzed the genome of a single-celled alga that belongs to the closest lineage to terrestrial plants and provides many clues to how aquatic plants first colonized land.

How a mint became catmint

Catmint, also known as catnip, is well-known for its intoxicating effect on cats. The chemical responsible for the cats' strange behavior is nepetalactone, a volatile iridoid produced by catmint. An international team of ...

Better plant edits by enhancing DNA repair

A new genome editing system enhances the efficiency of an error-free DNA repair pathway, which could help improve agronomic traits in multiple crops.

Applying CRISPR beyond Arabidopsis thaliana

Few technologies have made as big a splash in recent years as CRISPR/Cas9, and rightfully so. CRISPR/Cas9, or clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated genes, is a bacterial gene editing ...

Mapping the cannabis genome to improve crops and health

Unlocking the full potential of cannabis for agriculture and human health will require a co-ordinated scientific effort to assemble and map the cannabis genome, says a just-published international study led by University ...

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