New research in plants shows that a gene called MUTE is required for the formation of stomata — the tiny pores that are critical for gas exchange, including releasing the oxygen gas that we breathe.


New research in plants shows that a gene called MUTE is required for the formation of stomata — the tiny pores that are critical for gas exchange, including releasing the oxygen gas that we breathe.

By developing a synthetic version of the plant hormone auxin and an engineered receptor to recognize it, ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ biology professor Keiko Torii and her colleagues are poised to uncover plants’ inner workings, raising the possibility of a new way to ripen fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes.

A team of ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ researchers has identified a mechanism that some plant cells use to receive complex and contradictory messages from their neighbors.