plant-science

This week: plant immunity, gall production, and improvements to Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation.

The European Investment Bank is lending Limagrain EUR 300 million to accelerate R&D in plant genetics The post Limagrain Secures EUR 300 Million EIB Loan to Accelerate Plant Genetics R&D appeared first on iGrow News .

At National Institute of Plant Genome Research. Candidates are invited to appear before the selection committee for filling up the purely temporary …

In The Scientific Study of Consciousness – Experimental and Theoretical Approaches. forthcomingThis chapter examines whether we can know that plants are or are not conscious. We consider a recent debate between an optimistic view, which holds that plants might be conscious, and a pessimistic view, which denies that current evidence supports this claim. The optimistic position appeals to similarit…

Plant sciences graduate Charles Colvin has been selected as the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award for the 2025-26 academic year in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Michigan State University has officially opened the renovated MSU Plant Science Research Greenhouse Complex, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on May 14, 2026 The post MSU Opens Renovated Plant Science Research Greenhouse Complex in $35M Upgrade appeared first on iGrow News .

Erwinia persicina (Ep) is recognized as an emerging pathogen of considerable threat to tomato yields. Although Stenotrophomonas rhizophila (Sr) has long been recognized as a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), the use of this PGPR has sometimes been constrained by the rhizosphere stress factor in the biocontrol of the pathogen. This study investigated the potential of biogenic gold nano…

IntroductionThe rhizosphere microbiome serves as a critical line of defense for plant health and soil-borne disease suppression. However, the underlying mechanisms by which root-knot nematodes (RKN), a devastating soil-borne pathogen, undermine putative disease-suppressive function through destabilizing microbial interaction networks remain poorly understood.MethodsThis study employed metagenomic…

IntroductionMany nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) can synthesize siderophores. However, the contribution of NFB siderophore synthesis to plant growth has not been evaluated, and its impact on NFB’s antifungal activity remains unclear.MethodsThe type of siderophore synthesized by the nitrogen-fixing bacterium (NFB) Kosakonia radicincitans GXGL-4A was determined. The effects of NFB siderophore produc…

In the Armstrong greenhouse, the Coccus longulus scale is a prevalent insect problem on the plant Begonia ‘Richmondensis’. Inside the greenhouse there are several additional types of begonias with very similar characteristics to Richmondensis. However, none of these begonias are infested by C. longulus, despite having similar leaf tissue toughness, trichome densities, and experiencing the same en…

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 20 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02325-3 Phytophthora secretes an infection-induced apoplastic lipase, damaging Arabidopsis extracellular vesicles and suppressing plant defence against infection.

Principal Investigator(s): Overview: Veg-06 studies how plants and beneficial bacteria work together in microgravity. Some plants, like beans and peas, partner with specific bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form that plants can use for growth. The investigation also examines changes in lignin, the tough material that helps plants […] The post VEG-06: How plants and ben…

Light doesn’t just help plants grow—it may also quietly hold them back. Researchers have uncovered a surprising mechanism where light strengthens the “glue” between a plant’s outer skin and its inner tissues. This tighter bond, driven by a compound called p-coumaric acid, reinforces cell walls but also restricts how much the plant can expand. The discovery reveals a hidden balancing act: light bo…

Introduction Phosphorus is a needed supplement for the development and progress of plant life and progress, yet its attainability in the soil is often slight due to its appearance in indissoluble forms. This scarcity of bioavailable phosphorus poses a significant challenge to plant nutrition, particularly in agricultural soils. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) act as a fundamental factor in…

Plants constantly juggle oxygen inside their cells, but scientists have now discovered a surprising twist in how that balance works. Researchers at the University of Helsinki found that mitochondria—the cell’s energy generators—can actively pull oxygen away from chloroplasts, the structures responsible for photosynthesis. This previously unknown interaction suggests mitochondria can effectively “…

New research has found when plant leaves physically touch each other, they seem to form a biological signalling network to warn each other about the upcoming stress. This can boost their resilience to withstand intense light, which is a common environmental challenge. In the new study, yet to be peer-reviewed and published in a journal, resilience refers to a plant’s ability to endure excess ligh…