Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture has granted approval of Bioceres Crop Solutions’ HB4 wheat event for growth and consumption. The HB4 trait increases wheat yields by up to 20% and is currently the only drought tolerance technology for wheat and soybean crops in the world. Argentina is Latin America’s largest wheat …
Biologists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), St. Petersburg State University, and Federal Centre for Bast Fiber Crops teamed up to sequence and assemble the genome of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lini, a highly destructive fungal parasite causing Fusarium wilt. Fusarium wilt is a disease caused by various …
A study conducted at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) led by Manuel Rodriguez-Concepción proposes the controlled transformation of chloroplasts into chromoplasts. This patented technology opens new perspectives for the nutritional improvement of crops such as biofortification and for the sustainable production of carotenoids for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, …
Scientists from the University of Essex, through the research project Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) have resolved two major photosynthetic bottlenecks to boost plant productivity by 27 percent in real-world field conditions, according to a new study published in Nature Plants. The photosynthetic hack has also been shown to conserve …
Researchers were successful in developing a genetically modified (GM) rice that can reduce high blood pressure when consumed, without any side effects. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences genetically modified a variety of rice by introducing a gene that consisted of nine angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides plus a …
Scientists from Switzerland’s Department of Environmental Systems Sciences found bumblebee’s secret to accelerating flower production when there is pollen shortage: bite the plant’s leaves. According to their research article in Science, three species of bumblebees use their mouthparts in a characteristic way to damage mustard and tomato leaves leading to …
A scientific team from Europe compiled and reviewed the existing plant technologies being used to currently combat SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. They published their paper with the aim of highlighting technologies where plants can make major contributions: diagnostic reagents for virus test kits, vaccine production, and …
Researchers from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem developed zeaxanthin-rich tomato fruit using transgenic metabolic engineering and conventional breeding techniques. Providing food sources with high zeaxanthin concentration could help curb the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of blindness. Zeaxanthin has several benefits to human health …
Nature Biotechnology reports genetically engineered tobacco plants that glow brightly during its entire lifetime. The findings of the study conducted by researchers from Planta and the Russian Academy of Sciences could be used in the development of imaging tools for plants. Compared to previously reported glowing plants, these plants shine …
As plants are exposed to light, the protein complex photosystem II (PSII) energizes electrons to help power photosynthesis. But heat or intense light can damage a key subunit, known as D1, and stop PSII’s work until the plant makes and inserts a new D1 into the complex. Chloroplasts have their …
