Many plants are self-fertilizing, meaning they act as both mother and father to their own seeds. This strategy -- known as selfing -- guarantees reproduction but, over time, leads to reduced diversity and the accumulation of harmful mutations. A new...

Scientists at the University of York have uncovered new insights into the way seeds use gene networks to control when they germinate in response to environmental signals.

Plants can't swat a bug or run away from one, but that doesn't mean that plants can't fight back. Plants have evolved unique and sophisticated immune systems to defend themselves against insects and pathogens. Plant hormones called jasmonates play an...

Less oxygen = shorter time between molts = shorter life-span = fewer hungry grasshoppers. And for farmers, that's very good news. A recent study conducted by Scott Kirkton, associate professor of biology at Union College, offers insight into the relationship...