Plant cells are surrounded by an intricately structured protective coat called the cell wall. It’s built of cellulose microfibrils intertwined with polysaccharides like hemicellulose or pectin. We ...

Traffic lights signal to cars and buses when to stop, slow and go. Much like traffic lights, plant cells send signals to each other to perform photosynthesis to grow or fight off destructive viruses ...

Water scarcity is projected to intensify across many major agricultural regions in the coming decades. According to the World Resources Institute, by 2040 more than one third of global cropland is ...

Artistic rendering of cellulose biosynthesis with zoomed in view. Individual cellulose chains (dark brown) are synthesized by plasma membrane-bound (purple) cellulose synthase enzyme complexes (cream) ...

Scientists reveal new plant cell walls can have significantly different mechanical properties compared to surrounding parental cell walls, enabling cells to change their local shape and influence the ...

Conventional plant regeneration approaches by cell culture require the external application of plant growth regulators, including hormones. However, optimizing culture conditions can be laborious. Now ...

Signals from the plant cell wall help to orchestrate growth, reproduction and immune function. Can harnessing this molecular cross talk help in creating better crops? When Robert Hooke gazed through ...

A new part of an ocean plant cell has been discovered that might revolutionize farming one day. The structure can take nitrogen and convert it into the ingredient that helps all organisms grow. We're ...

Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in ...

"Growing" on the defensive! Here's how researchers are providing a whole new look at how plants make their own protection ...