PLANT DEFENSE MECHANISMS

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Feb 21 2025SCIENCE

Grapevine's Secret Weapon Against Fungal Foes

Plants have a clever way of defending themselves against invaders. They use special receptors on their cell surfaces to spot trouble. These receptors can pick up signals from both the bad guys (pathogens) and helpful peptides released by the plant itself. This is like having a security system that c

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Feb 13 2025SCIENCE

Plants' Cool Tricks: How They Handle Weather and Bugs

Plants are strong, they have to be to deal with bugs and weather. They have a secret weapon called phenolic compounds, which act like natural armor. The amount of this armor can change based on where a plant lives. For example, a plant at the base of a mountain might make more phenolic compounds to

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Feb 09 2025SCIENCE

The Secret Guardians of Plant Health

Ever wondered how plants fight off diseases? A small, mighty protein called LTP is a part of the plant's defense system. One particular type of LTP found in a wild tobacco plant, called LTP-VASCULAR TISSUE SIZE, or NbLTPVAS, has a special job. First, this protein is present everywhere in the plant,

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