Dr Gao and her colleagues published a very detailed research paper this past summer in the Plant Soil Journal. Previous studies found a regulatory element, miR399, involved in the phosphate starvation response. The main research focus of this regulatory element has been in tobacco plants. However, Dr Gao wished to evaluate whether miR399s can be over-expressed in tomatoes. From there, they wished to study the phenotypes associated with phosphate stress when this over-expression occurs.
How to Renew the Non-Renewable
Necessary research we will need when we run out...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tomatoes Are Useful For More Than Just Bruschetta!
Dr Gao and her colleagues published a very detailed research paper this past summer in the Plant Soil Journal. Previous studies found a regulatory element, miR399, involved in the phosphate starvation response. The main research focus of this regulatory element has been in tobacco plants. However, Dr Gao wished to evaluate whether miR399s can be over-expressed in tomatoes. From there, they wished to study the phenotypes associated with phosphate stress when this over-expression occurs.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Crops Should Get High On Magic Mushrooms!
What do bacteria, fungi, and cyanobacteria all have in common?
They are all microorganisms currently being researched as possible biofertilizers.
More specifically, scientists are attempting to isolate phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms. They hope that these microorganisms will be able to mobilize the insoluble phosphate found in our crop soil.
Ok, that sounds easy enough. So what’s the holdup?
Alright Soybeans, You Taste Gross But You Work
I am always hearing in the media and in scientific journals how wonderful the soybean is and how it will one day save our croplands. I posted a video below so you can see what I am talking about.
I get it, it's important, but is it really that special?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010
You’re Purple So Maybe You Can Brighten My Day
A little background to start today.
Plants contain a Pi-starvation-inducible (PSI) gene expression and complex morphological, physiological, and biochemical adaptations to low phosphorus. Plants have shown to up-regulate intracellular and secreted acid phosphatases in order to catalyze the hydrolysis of Pi from various phosphate monoesters when in an acidic environment. Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are a specific acid phosphatase class characterized by a bimetallic active site that causes a purple color. 29 PAP genes have been identified in Arabidopsis. Both transcriptional and posttranscriptional factors have been implicated in the control of these PAPs.
Ok, so maybe I am a bit biased in this post because I work on the above PAPs. To make this post even less credible, the paper I want to discuss is written by a PhD student I know. However, the recent work that has been conducted on PAPs provides some very helpful information about how plants respond to phosphorus deficiency that cannot be ignored simply due to some predispositions.
Get Over the Transgenic Thing... It Works OK

Cerrado is the main type of soil in Brazil. It is characterized by low fertility, low pH, low phosphorus, high phosphorus fixation, and toxic levels of aluminum. Basically, researchers need to develop plants that are able to deal with all of these conditions, especially the low phosphorus.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Amazing Paper Written by Two Graduate Students. Go Figure
Now this is a research paper.

Monday, October 4, 2010
Let's Ask the Soil
It makes sense right? Scientists are always talking about how the problem is not that we do not have enough phosphorus; the problem is that most of what we have is unavailable to plants. Ok… so let’s just transform the phosphorus we have into a form plants can use and call it a day...
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