Plants and Pipettes

we talk about plants and (used to) use pipettes

Author: tegan

  • The Greatest Protein on Earth

    The Greatest Protein on Earth

    RuBisCO is probably the most abundant protein complex on the planet. It’s a major player in photosynthesis: responsible for taking carbon dioxide and fixing it into a human-consumable carbon source (sugars!), and in doing so helping to make the oxygen we breathe, and helping our plant friends grow. So RuBisCO is at the centre of nearly everything that we breathe and eat eat, dress in, wear and build our homes with. We think you might agree with us that RuBisCO is indeed The Greatest Protein On Earth.… Read more

  • Pennycress: Arabidopsis’ ‘cooler’ cousin

    Pennycress: Arabidopsis’ ‘cooler’ cousin

    Before last week, I had never heard of pennycress. It’s a relative of our beloved Arabidopsis, that up until now has been firmly relegated to the category of ‘weed’. But its oily seeds, its ability to withstand extreme cold, and the possible ease at which it can be genetically manipulated, just might make it a promising crop plant for the future of food security. … Read more

  • Finding fields of ‘plenty’

    Finding fields of ‘plenty’

    As a scientist who occasionally has to remember the names of genes and proteins, I’m always happy when other researchers come up with something both cute and logical.

    Enter the protein ‘PLENTY’. … Read more

  • Lab Rats Part II: the ‘Cinderella’ plant

    Lab Rats Part II: the ‘Cinderella’ plant

    Look, I’m going to admit that I’m not being objective here. And a scientist should be objective. But today, I’m taking off my lab coat, and following my heart…straight to Nicotiana tabacum.Read more

  • Tree enemies are diversity’s friend

    Tree enemies are diversity’s friend

    How many different plants can coexist in one environment?

    It’s a question that I ask myself every time I walk past a plant shop and contemplate buying yet another Monstera-like cousin for my increasingly overcrowded flat. But it’s also a question that scientists have been asking for many years when discussing dauntingly diverse tropical forest ecosystems.

    It turns out that we may have had the answer for nearly 50 years.… Read more

  • Spitting in the eye of plant defences

    Spitting in the eye of plant defences

    Unlike animals, plants can’t make a run for it when attacked by predators: they have to stand and fight. And fight they do, with a variety of defences designed to prevent themselves from becoming food. But of course, in the evolutionary tug-of-war of nature, the predators themselves have developed specialised weapons to surmount these blockades.

    And for whitefly, the secret’s in the spit!… Read more

  • Meet the lab rats of the plant world

    Meet the lab rats of the plant world

    When studying human disease or development, scientists usually don’t start experiments directly with good old Homo sapiens, but instead begin their quest using cell lines, fruit flies, or even mice. In the plant field things are similar. And although our model organisms aren’t quite as fluffy as your standard ‘lab rat’, the come with a whole lot of benefits. … Read more

  • Rubber tree

    Rubber tree

    Honestly, I chose to write about the rubber tree (a.k.a Ficus elastica) for our first ‘my favourite plant’ segment, because I have a huge one in my flat, looming dramatically over my bed.

    But I actually followed through on that thought because of Living Root Bridges. Which just look friggin’ cool.… Read more

  • mRNA- going the (long) distance

    mRNA- going the (long) distance

    Inside billions of cells all around us, DNA quietly makes messenger RNA (mRNA), which in turn acts as the template for protein synthesis.

    In this equation, mRNA is the boring middle man. Unlike DNA, its lifetime is short, and it doesn’t get passed to the next generation. It also doesn’t get the protein life- catalyzing metabolic reactions, capturing the light from the sun, or transporting products across cell membranes.

    Sometimes in our lives, we need a thrilling tale of an ordinary guy making a break for freedom….… Read more

  • China grows plants on the moon!

    China grows plants on the moon!

    Back on January 3rd 2019, China managed to land on the ‘dark side’ of the moon.

    Even as someone who is not super into space, I can admit that this event was objectively cool. But generally, the largest significance it had on life is that I couldn’t get Pink Floyd out of my head for the last ten days.

    Until now!

    Because news just broke that China’s Chang’e-4 mission involves the moon-based development of 6 of our common earth organisms. And four of them were plants!… Read more