2015 Carnegie DPB summer intern program report

This year’s Department of Plant Biology Summer Internship Program was held June 12th to August 14th. Over 30 domestic and international students participated in this program and conducted experiments in 10 labs at Carnegie DPB. We had a very diverse group of interns this year, with over half of them women, and many from different minority groups. Besides doing research, interns also went to a seminar series given by Faculty members from...

Breeding higher yielding crops by increasing sugar import into seeds

Stanford, CA— Once a mother plant releases its embryos to the outside world, they have to survive on their own without family protection. To ensure successful colonization by these vulnerable creatures, the mother plant provides the embryo with a backpack full of energy, called the endosperm. Since, over time, the only plants that will survive are those that reproduce and compete successfully, the mother plant’s whole life is dedicated to...

Devaki Bhaya pens essay in Pacific Horticulture

"I started to wonder if I could design a course that encouraged freshmen to recognize the beauty and wealth of trees on campus? Could I meld my curiosity about the trees and rejuvenate my rusty background in botany to help create a resource for the community?" Devaki Bhaya writes in Pacific Horticulture about her experience designing and teaching a class on the trees of the Stanford University campus. More 

Structure revealed: Plant sugar transporter involved in carbon sequestration

Stanford, CA— Like humans, plants are surrounded by and closely associated with microbes. The majority of these microbes are beneficial, but some can cause devastating disease. Maintaining the balance between them is critical. Plants feed these microbes, and it’s thought that they do so just enough to allow the good ones to grow and to prevent the bad ones from gaining strength. This system of microbe feeding is mediated by proteins called sugar...

New Way to Watch Plant-Cell Walls Assemble

Washington, D.C.—The pervasive plant fiber cellulose, which makes up cell walls, represents most of the biomass on Earth and is used to create everything from textiles and building materials, to renewable biofuels. Primary cell walls determine the shape of the plant, while secondary cell walls—most of the cellulose—are laid down later to strengthen the structure and vascular system that transports water and nutrients. Now scientists, including...

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