Scientists tweak photosynthesis to boost crop yield

Researchers report in the journal Science that they can increase plant productivity by boosting levels of three proteins involved in photosynthesis. In field trials, the scientists saw increases of 14 percent to 20 percent ...

Scientists find how plants grow to escape shade

Mild mannered though they seem, plants are extremely competitive, especially when it comes to getting their fair share of sunlight. Whether a forest or a farm, where plants grow a battle wages for the sun's rays.

A new way to grow crops in marginal soils could help feed the world

The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050—but how will we feed all these people? Roughly one-third of the world's arable land suffers from lack of accessible iron, rendering it inhospitable to staple ...

Supercomputing the evolution of a model flower

Scientists using supercomputers found genes sensitive to cold and drought in a plant help it survive climate change. These findings increase basic understanding of plant adaptation and can be applied to improve crops.

Reconstructing evolutionary history

Biologist Angela Hancock's current ERC funded project brings the Cape Verde Islands to the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL): Research with the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana helps her reconstruct the evolutionary history ...

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Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis (A-ra-bi-dóp-sis, rockcress) is a genus in the family Brassicaceae. They are small flowering plants related to cabbage and mustard. This genus is of great interest since it contains thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), one of the model organisms used for studying plant biology and the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced. Changes in thale cress are easily observed, making it a very useful model.

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