In response to water stress, plants cope by activating a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors, once activated, turn on processes that help the plant survive the stress. A team of plant cell biologists has discovered how to rewire this cellular machinery to heighten the plants’ stress response – a finding that can be used to engineer crops to give them a better shot at surviving and displaying increased yield under drought conditions. The discovery, made by Sean Cutler at the University of California, Riverside, brings drought-tolerant crops a step closer to becoming a reality. When plants encounter… Login to continue

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