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Researchers have uncovered a 53-million-year-old polar forest in western Tasmania, revealing the ancestral origins of modern tropical plants. The fossils, including new conifer species, highlight how rainforests thrived near the South Pole during the early Eocene's warm climate. This discovery…

Nanoplastics, absorbed by tree roots, can impair photosynthesis in both spruce and deciduous trees, leading to stress responses. Researchers found nanoplastics reduce photosynthesis efficiency by up to 33% in some species. Though short-term effects showed no impact on growth, the…

Researchershave developed optogenetic tobacco plants to study plant signaling pathways. Using light-activated ion channels, they discovered that membrane depolarization, not calcium influx, triggers key plant responses to stress, like drought. This breakthrough enables a deeper understanding of plant defense mechanisms,…

Scientists discovered how the pathogen Phytophthora infestans weakens plant immunity by targeting the chloroplast protein StFC-II in potatoes. The pathogen’s effector Pi22922 stabilizes StFC-II, disrupting chloroplast function and reducing the plant's immune response. This finding offers insights into enhancing crop…