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Image: Mutations in plant DNA can be observed as mild effects in some "variegated" plants, where leaves become bleached and lose the ability to photosynthesize (see image). While this may be beautiful in your garden, it is not beneficial for crops. Credit: Iain George Johnston

News Plant Science

New findings on plants’ ingenious defense against mutational damage

Plants avoid mutational damage buildup by leveraging randomness in a process called segregation. Unlike passing on the same mutation to all offspring, plants distribute inherited damage randomly, with some offspring inheriting more mutations than others. This segregation process, faster in…

Isabel05/12/2023

Image: Camelina plants growing in short days. These plants got only 56% as much light as plants in long days, but had a relative growth rate that was 84% of that of the long-day plants. Credit: Yuan Xu

MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory News Plant Science

Plants’ secret to surviving shorter days

New research could help breed plants that are more productive as days grow shorter. The research found that when days are shorter, plants have less time to photosynthesize, so they need to be more efficient with the sunlight they do…

Isabel04/12/2023

Image: The Sphagnum genus of mosses absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, storing it in peat bogs. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Climate change News Plant Science

Researchers develop new method to analyze proteins in ecologically significant moss

Sphagnum divinum, a resilient type of peat moss, is actively evolving in response to hot, dry conditions, defying climate threats. Researchers developed a database with S. divinum’s proteins and a method to determine their functions, shedding light on its adaptive…

Isabel01/12/2023

Agriculture News Plant Science

Unlocking the Power of Peas: Genetic discovery promises high-iron vegetables and cereals

A genetic breakthrough unveils the high-iron mutations in peas, presenting opportunities for fortified vegetables and cereals. This discovery, based on a newly mapped pea-genome, could guide gene-editing strategies to enhance iron content in various crops, addressing global anaemia concerns, especially…

Isabel30/11/2023

Agriculture Climate change News

Researchers conduct first-ever study of cultural adaptation to climate change

As climate change intensifies, societal and individual struggles to adapt become more apparent. To explore cultural adaptation, researchers conducted the first study of its kind. Analyzing U.S. crop data over 14 years, they applied the science of cultural evolution. Their…

Isabel29/11/2023

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New findings on plants’ ingenious defense against mutational damage

Plants’ secret to surviving shorter days

Researchers develop new method to analyze proteins in ecologically significant moss

Unlocking the Power of Peas: Genetic discovery promises high-iron vegetables and cereals

Researchers conduct first-ever study of cultural adaptation to climate change

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