Metacaspases, cysteine proteases in plants, are traditionally linked to programmed cell death (PCD) but also have emerging roles in cellular homeostasis and pro-survival functions. Under abiotic ...

Plasmodesmata (PD) are membranous nanopores that connect the cytoplasm of neighboring plant cells and enable the cell-to-cell trafficking of nutrients and macromolecules, as well as invading viruses.

What makes them unique: Plant cells have structures like cell walls, large vacuoles, and chloroplasts, enabling photosynthesis and giving them shape and strength unlike animal cells. How they capture ...

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At first glance, plant and animal cells have a lot in common: they’re both highly organized, keep their DNA tucked away in an envelope, and are kinda juicy inside. But plant cells have evolved some ...

ST. LOUIS, MO February, 25 2025 – Danforth Center scientists Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD, and Kirk Czymmek, PhD, in collaboration with researchers at the CryoEM Facility at Stanford University, are ...

Plants droop and shed their leaves when parched, but with a splash of water, their stems regain strength and their leaves unfurl. This dramatic transformation is a clear signal for us to reach for the ...

Directed evolution is a laboratory technique that mimics natural selection and allows scientists to evolve genes and the proteins they encode. Traditionally, this technique has been used in microbes, ...

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 ...