Scientists discover ancient enzymes evolve new tricks

Plants, herbivores, and pathogens are locked in a war for survival that is hundreds of millions of years old. Rooted in place and with no way to run, plants evolved complex, chemical-producing machinery in their cells to ...

Scientists solve a thorny problem

"Why do plants have thorns?" is an easy question: The thorns help protect against hungry animals that like to munch on the plants. "Where do thorns come from?" is a more complicated question—but Yale scientists have found ...

Study finds signal cascade that keeps plant stem cells active

Pools of stem cells in the apical meristems of plants are key to continued growth and development. Understanding how these stem cells are maintained and balanced against differentiated cells could lead to methods for increasing ...

Getting to the root of plant survival

When facing a volatile climate, nature searches for a way to survive. For plants, that often means spreading new roots deeper and wider in search of water, particularly in times of drought. While scientists have recognized ...

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