How the humble protist could shore up the world's food supply

Protists, a broad class of generally single-celled organisms that includes algae and amoebae, have long been regarded as a "catch-all" category for diverse microorganisms. Because of their diversity and prevalence, protists ...

Plants can measure the intensity of salt stress

Unfavorable environmental conditions represent considerable stress for plants. A high level of salt content (sodium chloride, NaCl) in the soil is just such a stressor that has a negative impact on plants. Salinization is ...

A new role of autophagy in plant cell differentiation revealed

A midlife career change is hard to pull off, because it can involve reinventing yourself and adopting a completely new professional role. Now, researchers from Japan show that some plant cells get a helping hand from autophagy ...

New strategies to save the world's most indispensable grain 

Plants—they're just like us, with unique techniques for handling stress. To save one of the most important crops on Earth from extreme climate swings, scientists are mapping out plants' own stress-busting strategies.

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