Complex Genetic Code Sugarcane’s complicated genetics made it the last major crop without a complete and highly accurate genome. Scientists from France, Australia, Czech Republic, and the United States led by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI) have developed and combined multiple techniques to successfully map out …
Scientists have discovered a novel gene in rice that promotes root development and provides tolerance to abiotic stresses. The gene can be utilized as a molecular marker to develop rice that is tolerant to extreme environmental conditions. Root architecture and function are essential for plants to obtain water and nutrients …
Researchers from the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) at the University of Bern, Switzerland have shown that specialized metabolites secreted by maize roots affect the quality of soil and in some fields, this effect increases the yields of wheat planted after maize in the same soil by more than 4%. …
Researchers from the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) have successfully shown that iron treatment helps increase the resistance against rice blast fungus and activate the plant’s immune response against the pathogen. A study published in the Rice journal reveals that exposing rice plants to moderately high levels of …
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched seeds into space as part of their initiative to develop crops that can withstand the impacts of climate change. The Arabidopsis and sorghum seeds are traveling to the International Space Station staring …
University of Maryland scientists have developed CRISPR-Combo, a new tool for editing several genes in plants while simultaneously modifying the expression of other genes. This breakthrough, published in Nature Plants, allows genetic engineering combinations that work together to enhance the functionality and breeding of new crops. “As a proof of …
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have revealed the genetic variation that determines the watermelon seed size based on a systematic study that explored the molecular basis of natural variation. The results are published in Horticulture Research. Seed size is one of the vital agronomic traits of watermelon …
A research team from the University of Zurich (UZC) has shown that a single gene can affect an entire ecosystem and the discovery of the “key gene” could change the current strategies of biological diversity conservation. The UZH researchers and their colleagues from the University of California report that a …
Quebec City-based biopharmaceutical company Medicago and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have announced that Health Canada has granted approval for the plant-based virus-like particles (VLP), recombinant, adjuvanted COVIFENZ® COVID-19 vaccine. Health Canada based its decision on scientific data shared by Medicago. COVIFENZ® COVID-19 vaccine uses coronavirus-like particle (CoVLP) technology. VLPs are molecules that …
For the first time, researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne have completely decoded the highly complex genome of the potato. The researchers have now succeeded in assembling the first complete genome of the potato, a breakthrough that …
