Press Releases

ASPB is pleased to announce the publication in The Plant Cell of important research describing the discovery of a key regulator of fruit length variation in cucumber. The discovery of a fruit length modulator has implications for cucumber breeding. Fruit size is a major determinant of yield and market value. The cucumber is among the … Read more Genetic Variant Linked to Cucumber Fruit Length

A new open-source device allows scientists to identify treatments and conditions that affect the mechanical properties of plant cells Determining how various treatments and conditions affect the mechanical properties of plant cells could allow scientists to understand plant growth at the cellular level and devise ways to enhance it. In a breakthrough report published in … Read more Robotic device tracks plant growth at the cellular level

The discovery of the gene behind stem juiciness in sweet sorghum could have huge agricultural implications Sorghum, the fifth most popular crop worldwide, is used to create many products in the United States and is widely consumed by people in developing countries. The discovery of a crucial gene controlling stem juiciness in sorghum has important … Read more A crucial gene controls stem juiciness in sorghum and beyond

Discovery of the biosynthetic pathway of a plant metabolite lays the groundwork for its use as an anti-diabetes drug. Montbretin A (MbA), a natural compound with great potential for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, was discovered in the ornamental plant montbretia ten years ago, but it can’t be produced on a large scale until its … Read more A pretty plant of summer produces a promising anti-diabetes compound

Discovery of a gene that helps rice plants grow in salty soil paves the way to developing salt-tolerant crops Soil salinity poses a major threat to food security, greatly reducing the yield of agricultural crops. Rising global temperatures are expected to accelerate the buildup of salt in soil, placing an increasing burden on agricultural production. … Read more Gene Boosts Rice Growth and Yield in Salty Soil

Expression of the nitrate transporter gene OsNRT1.1A improves yield and accelerates maturation. Using nitrogen fertilizer increases crop yields, but excess runoff causes environmental pollution. Moreover, in grains such as rice, large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer can delay flowering, leaving the crop vulnerable to late-season cold weather. A recent study in The Plant Cell identified a … Read more New approach to improve nitrogen use, enhance yield, and promote flowering in rice

Model plant studies show key protein functions in the exchange of genetic material Fanconi anemia is a human genetic disorder with severe effects, including an increased risk of cancer and infertility. Work in animal systems has identified many factors involved in Fanconi anemia and showed that these factors function in the repair of DNA. However, … Read more Fanconi Anemia: Insight From a Green Plant

A group of prestigious not-for-profit scientific membership societies today announced the launch of the Scientific Society Publisher Alliance (SSPA) (byscientistsforscience.org), an initiative focused on building awareness of and support for publication of scientific research by scientist-run scientific societies. The SSPA started as a collaboration of scientific societies that came together to reinforce and communicate the … Read more Scholarly Publishers Join Forces to Launch Scientific Society Publisher Alliance (SSPA) Initiative Aims to Promote Awareness and Support of Society-Sponsored Journals

Scientists develop a new approach to genetic modification of maize and other grains Genetic modification of plants might be controversial in commercial applications, but it is undeniably useful for research purposes. Despite years of effort, it has been remarkably difficult to develop efficient methods for transformation of grain crops. Work published in The Plant Cell … Read more A Breakthrough in Genetic Modification of Grains

In response to recent inquiries concerning a publication by Dr. Olivier Voinnet in The Plant Cell, the American Society of Plant Biologists and The Plant Cell release the following statement: We confirm that one of three reviewers of the original submission of the Dunoyer et al. 2004 paper in The Plant Cell [“Probing the microRNA … Read more The Plant Cell: Statement Regarding Review of Voinnet Manuscript by Dunoyer et al. 2004