Role of light in the enzymatic breakdown of plant biomass

It is well known that light stimulates the breakdown of plant material and other biomass in nature, but it has not been clear exactly how. Recently, researchers at NMBU have uncovered possible explanations. Their latest findings ...

Discovery could lead to new fungicides to protect rice crops

A fungus that plagues rice crops worldwide gains entry to plant cells in a way that leaves it vulnerable to simple chemical blockers, a discovery that could lead to new fungicides to reduce the substantial annual losses of ...

Tracing a plant chemistry puzzle to its roots

Graduate student Colin Kim had been making good progress on a scientific puzzle that had fascinated him since he joined Whitehead Institute Member Jing-Ke Weng's lab, trying to understand how coumarin synthase (COSY), an ...

Researching how pepper grows

How do plants make those pungent substances, anyway? The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) is working intensively on this topic. Recently, a group of scientists led by Dr. Thomas Vogt have pinpointed the crucial ...

Modified enzyme brings value to lignin monomers

The chemical industry faces the challenge of replacing fossil-based building blocks with green alternatives. Biomass is an interesting source of carbon-based molecules. It is also underused because some 25 percent of all ...

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