Connecting rhythmic gene circuits to metabolism explains the slow growth rate of a slow-clock mutant
A model designed to study circadian effects on physiology becomes more broadly useful when the clock regulates metabolites.
Category: Cells, Genes & Molecules
Photosynthesis on the far side of the rainbow
Light you cannot see, in the infrared part of the spectrum, is surprisingly important for plant photosynthesis.
The benefits of a network view of selection response for complex traits
A new gene-to-phenotype network for shoot branching.
Unraveling the mechanisms of producing high quality cotton
A new study uses computational modelling to determine how and why cotton quality develops.
Why do cats act so strangely around catnip?
It’s not food, so why would cats chew on catnip and silver vine? Scientists have found cats are improving the plants’ mosquito repellent by damaging the leaves in a specific way.
Modular models allow users to focus on biology rather than programming
Presenting BioCro II: an updated software package for modular crop growth simulations.
Why don’t plants need sunscreen?
Plants have no opportunity to get out of the sun into the shade, so how do they avoid damage by UV-B light? The answer lies in the cuticle, the outermost layer of a plant.
Species delimitation and a new Betula species in section Costatae
Botanists have developed an integrated approach to identify differences between closely related species.
A trick of the light: Optimizing light quality conditions speeds plant growth
Model identifies optimal light conditions to manipulate the circadian clock.
Phylogeography of the invasive Brazilian peppertree in South Africa
Can a better understanding of the origins of the invasive tree species Schinus terebinthifolia in South Africa help to inform its management?
How can botanists improve rice’s ability to use phosphorus?
Botanists show for the first time that reduced phosphorus investment in lipids in plants improves phosphorus use efficiency in rice without reducing photosynthesis.
It’s all connected: modeling water potential and plant physiological processes
“As water potential is regarded the best indicator of plant water status, because it is the integrated result of above- and below-ground environmental conditions, it holds promise as a pivotal model variable to which other plant processes respond.”
Phylogenomic analyses of the East Asian endemic Abelia
Sun et al. used genomic data to reconstruct the phylogeny of Abelia and found a clear pattern of reticulate evolution in the group.
Botanists find the effects of ancient climates in the modern genomes of two closely related oak species
Botanists examined the genomes of two species, Quercus acutissima and Q. chenii, to see if changes in the climate three million years ago affected how they hybridised.