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UrduTo produce biofuels from nonedible plants, researchers can use cellulase to break down plant cellulose into glucose, which can be fermented to generate bioethanol. Researchers have now used a specialized optical microscope to visualize single cellulase enzymes interacting with different forms of cellulose. This allowed them to investigate enzyme function in the presence of the product of the reaction and other components of plant biomass.
Tag: Plant
Peak performance: plants’ genetic strategies for surviving high-altitude habitats
Unraveling the genetic mysteries of alpine plants, a pioneering study presents a chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal herb Triplostegia glandulifera. The research uncovers the plant’s sophisticated genetic adaptations, including a whole-genome duplication event that significantly bolstered its cold tolerance and other alpine-specific survival traits.
Unlocking the tea leaf’s secret: decoding the amino acid blueprint of tea plant
A recent study has unlocked the secrets of amino acid metabolism in tea plants, revealing the pivotal role of nitrogen assimilation in root tissues and the long-distance transport of key amino acids to leaves.
Roots of abundance: unraveling the auxin-sucrose nexus in Lily bulbil formation
A pivotal study reveals how auxin and sucrose metabolism regulate bulbil initiation in Lilium lancifolium. By manipulating auxin levels and examining key sucrose metabolism genes, researchers found that low auxin concentrations enhance bulbil formation.
Unlocking the secrets of plant steroid hormones: the yin and yang of diosgenin and brassinosteroids
A recent study revealed the complex interplay between diosgenin (DG) and brassinosteroids (BRs) in Dioscorea zingiberensis. By integrating genome-wide methylation, transcriptome, and metabolite data, researchers constructed a regulatory network showing how DG and BRs balance each other. These findings offer new insights into plant secondary metabolism and potential for enhancing DG production for steroid hormone drugs.
Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient ‘pixie’ corn
A widely found gene in plants has been newly identified as a key transporter of a hormone that influences the size of corn. The discovery offers plant breeders a new tool to develop desirable dwarf varieties that could enhance the crop’s resilience and profitability.
Epigenetic insights: how hybrid poplar regenerates shoots
Hybrid poplar tissue culture regeneration involves intricate changes in DNA methylation, significantly impacting gene expression. This study reveals the dynamic epigenetic landscape during shoot organogenesis, offering crucial insights into allele-specific DNA methylation and its regulatory role in gene expression.
Enhancing tomato salt tolerance: the key role of SlWRKY80 and jasmonic acid pathways
This study explores the mechanism by which exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) enhances tomato resistance to saline-alkali stress. Researchers identified the transcription factor SlWRKY80 as a crucial regulator, which, when overexpressed, significantly improves the plant’s tolerance.
Plant virus treatment shows promise in fighting metastatic cancers in mice
An experimental treatment made from a plant virus is effective at protecting against a broad range of metastatic cancers in mice, shows a new study from the University of California San Diego.
Ancient plant wax reveals how global warming affects methane in Arctic lakes
By studying fossils from ancient aquatic plants, Northwestern University and University of Wyoming (UW) researchers are gaining a better understanding of how methane produced in Arctic lakes might affect — and be affected by — climate change.
Pioneering research sheds surprising new light on evolution of plant kingdom
A new study has uncovered intriguing insights into the evolution of plant biology, effectively rewriting the history of how they evolved over the past billion years.
A roadmap for gene regulation in plants
For the first time, researchers have developed a genome-scale way to map the regulatory role of transcription factors, proteins that play a key role in gene expression and determining a plant’s physiological traits. Their work reveals unprecedented insights into gene regulatory networks and identifies a new library of DNA parts that can be used to optimize plants for bioenergy and agriculture.
Pollinators are attracted to humidity, not just scent
Humidity is as important as scent in attracting pollinators to a plant, new Cornell-led research finds, advancing basic biology and opening new avenues to support agriculture.
Early crop plants were more easily ‘tamed’
Plants are capable of responding to people and have behaviors comparable to tameness, according to authors of new research that calls for a reappraisal of the process of plant domestication, based on almost a decade of observations and experiments.
Chulalongkorn University’s “Plant Trees – Get Mushrooms” Strategy Convinces Nan and Saraburi Farmers to Save the Forests
Lecturers of the Faculty of Science, and the Center of Learning Network for Region (CLNR) Chulalongkorn University successfully planted trees in the forests in Nan and Saraburi provinces through innovative seedlings with ectomycorrhiza fungi, motivating villagers and farmers to “plant trees and get mushrooms”, for extra income.
Lupin and Arsenic: research on soil decontamination by an exceptional plant
Researchers at the University of Montreal and the Montreal Botanical Garden have discovered a new chemical mechanism used by roots of white lupin to clean up arsenic-contaminated soils, such as those from mining operations.