Precise base editing of acetolactate synthase genes confers herbicide resistance in maize
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS from Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and other institutions reported precise based editing of maize genes using CRISPR-Cas9, leading to development of sulfonylurea herbicide resistance. The results are published in The Crop Journal. A CRISPR-Cas9 nickase-cytidine deaminase fused with uracil DNA glycosylase inhibitor was used for targeted conversion of cytosine (C) to thymine (T) […]
International consortium sequences canola
Reading Time: < 1 minuteAN INTERNATIONAL consortium of key academic and global seed company leaders from the USA, Canada, Europe, and Israel has successfully sequenced the canola genome. The consortium, led by Dr. Isobel Parkin, research scientist from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and Dr. Andrew Sharpe, director of genomics and bioinformatics from the Global Institute for Food Security […]
How stress causes gray hair
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFOR a long time, anecdotes have connected stressful experiences with the phenomenon of hair graying. Now, for the first time, Harvard University scientists have discovered exactly how the process plays out: stress activates nerves that are part of the fight-or-flight response, which in turn cause permanent damage to pigment-regenerating stem cells in hair follicles. The […]
Research Identifies Protein for Plant Growth
Reading Time: < 1 minuteResearch conducted at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) has identified a protein that controls plant growth. The protein, IRK, was found in the root cells of a plant related to mustard while researchers were looking for clues to the ways plant cells divide or expand. The research shows that turning off the gene […]
A replacement for exercise
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhether it be a brisk walk around the park or high intensity training at the gym, exercise does a body good. But what if you could harness the benefits of a good workout without ever moving a muscle? Michigan Medicine researchers studying a class of naturally occurring protein called Sestrin have found that it can […]