Many fungi can make themselves invisible to the immune system of plants. Scientists from Wageningen University have discovered that the tomato fungus Cladosporium manages this by enclosing chunks of chitin originating from ...
Biotechnology
Jul 3, 2013
0
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Carnivorous plants defy our expectations of how plants should behave, with Venus flytraps employing nerve-like reflexes and powerful digestive enzymes to capture and consume fresh meat.
Plants & Animals
Aug 26, 2009
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0
An enzyme discovered at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) proves adept at breaking down cellulose fibers regardless of whether their crystalline structure is simple or highly ...
Biotechnology
Sep 18, 2017
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87
Researchers at ETH Zurich have produced starch in yeast—the first time this has been achieved in a non-plant organism. The new model system now makes it easier for them to investigate how starch is formed and what role ...
Biotechnology
Nov 23, 2016
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4
As spring warms up Wisconsin, humans aren't the only ones tending their gardens. At the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Bacteriology, colonies of leaf-cutter ants cultivate thriving communities of fungi and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 14, 2013
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0
Enzymes that control a plant's response to lower oxygen levels could be manipulated to make vital crops resistant to the impacts of flooding triggered by climate change, new research shows.
Plants & Animals
Aug 31, 2020
0
94
Scientists studying plant biochemistry at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered new details about biomolecules that put the brakes on oil production. The findings suggest that disabling ...
Biochemistry
Apr 9, 2018
0
28
Fragrant aromas from plants can actually be a response to attacks by insects, and can alert neighbours to an attack or summon the insects' predators. Now, scientists are deciphering these secret codes to develop better, greener ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 20, 2020
0
76
Maize (Zea mays) produces a plethora of antibiotics called zealexins. Even though scientists have identified at least 15 zealexins, they suspect there are even more to find. Zealexins are produced in every corn variety and ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 9, 2020
0
156
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 ...
Biotechnology
Aug 3, 2020
0
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