Plant Biology

What: “Tuning up photosynthesis” a hybrid scientific-explainer-slash-music-video created by the Gates Foundation to popularize the idea plants can be engineered in ways that improve upon nature. Who: This work is being pioneered by RIPE—the Realizing Increased...

With the Researcher Spotlight, the Microbial Systems Initiative aims to introduce its readers to the breadth and diversity of research interests and potential growth opportunities on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Katy Heath,...

Fire-loving fungi are among the first organisms to appear on the forest floor after a fire, followed closely by mosses and lichens.

Gene sequences for more than 1100 plant species have been released by an international consortium of nearly 200 plant scientists, the culmination of a nine-year research project.

A new study reveals genetic differences that influence how corn responds to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone.

As their Latin name indicates, pineapples are truly “excellent fruits”—and thanks to a freshly completed genome sequencing project, researchers have gained a new understanding of how human agriculture has shaped the evolution of this and other crops.

Climate change is already having a negative impact on our food supply.

A single protein has been identified to play a role in improving photosynthesis under high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a study published in in silico Plants. The protein, known as Gm-GATA2, is predicted to overcome limitations imposed by photosynthetic...

Trelease Woods, a centuries-old forest on the cusp of Champaign-Urbana, offers lessons to students and professors alike at the University of Illinois. A fragment of a once much larger forest around the city of Urbana, the woods contain trees that are 400 years old and tell a story of the history of...

A new computer model incorporates how microscopic, mouth-like pores on leaves (pictured) may open in response to light—an advance that could help scientists create virtual plants to predict how higher temperatures and rising levels of carbon dioxide will affect food crops.