The Science Studying a plant’s metabolome, or the complete set of small molecules in a biological sample, provides a snapshot of the plant’s metabolic profile at a given time, and is a key tool for understanding how plants respond to environmental changes and stressors. It reveals metabolites that can be linked to specific traits or functions, which can be useful for crop improvement and other applications. In particular, studying root exudates—the suite of substances secreted by plant … [Read more...]
m-CAFEs Plant Metabolomics Tools Used to Make Vaccine Adjuvants More Available
Biosciences Area Senior Faculty Researcher Jay Keasling and his research team have modified yeast to make the adjuvant QS-21, an important additive to vaccines that stimulates the immune response, making vaccines more effective. This process, developed in collaboration with an international team of scientists, was recently published in the journal Nature. m-CAFEs Laboratory Research Manager Trent Northen and other members of the Northen lab, including Environmental Genomics and Systems … [Read more...]
Researchers Identify Key Genes Involved in Fungi-Fungi Parasitism
The Science Fungi in the Trichomaderma genus, which are commonly present in soils, are known to engage in mycoparasitism, or active antagonism of other fungi. The fungi targeted in these interactions are phytopathogenic (plant-harming) fungi, which cause significant economic losses in agriculture. Although there has been extensive research about the mechanisms involved in the mycoparasitic capability of Trichoderma species, there are still unsolved questions related to … [Read more...]
Two m-CAFEs Scientists Join Ranks of AAAS Fellows
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which was founded in 1848 and is the world’s largest general scientific society, has announced their 2023 Fellows. This lifetime honor follows a nomination and review process to recognize scientists, engineers, and innovators for their distinguished achievements toward the advancement or applications of science. The 2023 Fellows class—among them five scientists at Berkeley Lab—includes 502 scientists, engineers, and innovators … [Read more...]
Impact of Inoculation Practices on Microbiota Assembly and Community Stability in a Fabricated Ecosystem
Bacterial inoculation while transplanting coupled with a later harvesting time point yields a reproducible microbial community The Science m-CAFEs researchers used model plant Brachypodium distachyon, shown here in a quartz sand-filled fabricated ecosystem (EcoFAB) inside a Magenta box, to study soil-plant-microbe interactions. . Increasing pressure on agricultural systems and environmental degradation has created a need to examine new methods for developing sustainable agricultural … [Read more...]
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