Chromatin Discovery In Maize Could Bring New Era Of Genetic Optimization
Thursday, November 6, 2014 - 19:50
in Biology & Nature
A new biology paper sheds light on how chromatin (the complex of DNA and proteins) is organized in a cell and how plants regulate genetic material, so that some genes are turned on and others are turned off - and it could make it possible for a new generation of plants to better adapt to and survive environmental swings such as droughts or floods. The research in The Plant Cell could mean major advances for the agriculture industry. "If you understand how plants regulate their genetic material, you can possibly manipulate that in certain circumstances so that plants can withstand environmental changes," said Daniel Vera, a Florida State University graduate student and the lead author of the paper. read more