New research reveals how plants modify their root architecture based on nutrient availability in the soil.

Isolating a gene that allows a type of fern to tolerate high levels of arsenic, researchers hope to use the finding to create plants that can clean up soils and waters contaminated by the toxic metal.

A new study reveals how conflict resolution works on the microscopic scale -- a protein called Flower marks the weaker cells for elimination in favor of their fitter neighbors. The research furthers our understanding of a developmental process of "cell competition" and may provide some insight into pathological conditions that involve imbalances in cell fitness, such as cancer.

A drug derived from a plant native to the Australian rainforest may prove to be a new weapon against cancer, according to the AFP. QBiotics Ltd has released a statement announcing that a drug made from the seeds of a rainforest shrub has successfully treated tumors in over 150 animals, and the company is now preparing to test the drug on humans.

If someone saves your life, you want to express your gratitude however you can -- a gesture, a "thank you,", or somehow returning the favor. Yet when you owe your life to a plant found thousands of miles away, the task becomes much harder. As a nurse, I’ve known for years that many life-saving medicines come from plants and animals found around the world. But I never thought that one day I would have to rely on the bark of a rare Asian tree to survive.

In South Korea last week 230 delegates from 85 nations approved a new UN science panel focusing on saving life on Earth, known as the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The panel, which is to be modeled off of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is meant to bridge the gap between scientific understanding of biodiversity loss and the policy decisions necessary to stop it.

When a plant endemic to several islands in the Western Pacific Ocean taps the services of a helpful insect, a double-dose of benefits comes its way. The plant is a member of a unique group of plants known as cycads, which produce their seeds in cones rather than within fruits. The insect is a tiny moth currently known to exist only on the islands of Guam and Rota.

By tinkering with a type of fungus that lives in association with plant roots, researchers have found a way to increase the growth of rice by an impressive margin.

Plant species, especially those in the Greater Yellowstone Area, are the topic of the first summer seminar Thursday, June 17, at the University of Wyoming-National Park Service (UW-NPS) Research Center. The center is located at the AMK Ranch in Grand Teton National Park.

Scientists have improved a strain of yeast that can produce more biofuel from cellulosic plant material by fermenting all five types of the plant's sugars.

Scientists have identified new genes in maize which promote carbohydrate export from leaves. These genes are called psychedelic because of the yellow and green streaks they cause in the plant's leaves. Manipulating these genes may increase crop yields and the amount of biofuel that can be derived from each plant.

The numbers of nonnative Chinese tallowtree in Louisiana, Mississippi and east Texas have grown by about 370 percent over a 16-year period. The spread of the invasive plant may create problems for plants and wildlife along the Gulf coast.

Researchers have managed to sequence the genome of the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis in the olive tree. The study represents the first sequencing of the genome of a pathogenic bacteria undertaken in Spain, being the first genome known worldwide of a pathogenic Pseudomonas in woody plants.

Scientists have identified a "switch" that can turn on cell growth in plants. The researcher believes he is one step away from turning this ROP-like switch off in humans -- a process which could prevent tumor growth.

The devastating consequences of emerging infectious diseases on crops in developing countries and their economic and social impacts are often underestimated, according to a new study.

Researchers have developed a new, more accurate method of calculating the change in greenhouse gas emissions that results from changes in land use. The new approach takes into account many factors not included in previous methods, such as the ecosystem's ability to take up or release greenhouse gases over time and all of the greenhouse gases absorbed and released in the process of introducing new crops. The researchers calculated the greenhouse gas value of a variety of ecosystem types.

With the world's first complete sequencing of a brown algal genome, an international research team has made a big leap towards understanding the evolution of two key prerequisites for higher life on Earth -- multicellularity and photosynthesis. About 100 scientists and technicians, during a five-year research project, successfully decoded all hereditary information on the brown seaweed Ectocarpus siliculosus.

At a special ceremony, the Nepalese Forest Minister, Mr. Dipak Bohara, handed protection of the Swayambhu Forest to the Federation of Swayambhu Management and Conservation (FSMC) and declared it a sacred forest.

GC University Lahore has established Pakistan Botanic Gardens Network Secretariat (PBGN) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment for developing links with national and international botanic gardens.

The Oman Botanic Garden is currently advertising five new positions, with two of them to join the senior management team. The positions are to provide expertise and staff training in Horticulture, Operations Management, Landscaping, Taxonomy and Vegetation Ecology.