Field Number Seven (CC BY 2.0) by Jim Larrison
From Crowdfunded Plant Science to Bad Fertilizer.
Citizen-funded scientific research is an interesting concept, made real by the internet. An example of how crowdfunded research paid off was reported last July.
Also in the plant science news in July 2018 were articles regarding plant evolution, progress in engineering nitrogen-fixing bacteria in non-symbiotic plants, and potential deleterious effects of fertilizing plants.
- Passing the Hat for Ferns?: “On July 17, 2014, the world decided it wanted to learn the genomic secrets hidden in the beautiful little, floating water fern, Azolla filiculoides. Not only did they want to know, but they paid for it too – a whopping $22,160 from 123 backers – through a crowdfunding site called Experiment.com.”
Fern-tastic! Crowdfunded fern genomes published in Nature Plants
- Toward Nitrogen-Fixing Corn?: ”Legumes are able to grow in nitrogen-poor soils due to their ability to engage in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. There is a great interest in using the knowledge about this symbiosis, to enable transfer to other non-symbiotic plants. An international research team has come a step further to understanding this complex biological process.”
New receptor involved in symbiosis between legumes and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia identified
- Were Seaweeds Ready For Land?: ”Newly sequenced algal genome shows that adaptations essential for land plants evolved before land plants did.”
International Collaboration Finds Land Plant Genes in Ancient Aquatic Alga
- Clover – Key to Urban Evolution?: ”The ubiquitous plant alters its defense systems in a tougher environment, prompting researchers to call it a perfect test species for study as urban areas expand.”
White Clover Can Be an Annoying Weed. It May Also Hold Secrets to Urban Evolution.
- Can Fertilizers Harm Plants?: ”A new study of the role microbial communities play on the leaves of plants suggests that fertilizing crops may make them more susceptible to disease.
Fertilizer destroys plant microbiome’s ability to protect against disease
Tomorrow: From how plants tell time to saving the American chestnut….
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