Osaka Metropolitan University researchers enhanced Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase its tolerance for high 2,3-butanediol concentrations. This was achieved by introducing mutations into the genomic DNA and successfully obtaining a mutant strain that proliferates 122 times more than the parent strain.

Cold stress severely restricts crop productivity, yet the molecular mechanisms that coordinate transcriptional and oxidative responses remain poorly understood. This study uncovers a key regulatory module in which the E3 ubiquitin ligase VaMIEL1 controls the stability of the cold-responsive transcription factor VaMYB4a. Under normal conditions, VaMIEL1 promotes VaMYB4a degradation, restricting activation of the CBF–COR cold-response pathway. Cold exposure suppresses VaMIEL1, allowing VaMYB4a to accumulate and enhance both cold-responsive gene expression and antioxidant activity. Functional assays in Arabidopsis and grapevine calli demonstrate that VaMIEL1 overexpression weakens cold tolerance, while its silencing improves stress resistance. The discovery reveals an integrated transcriptional–redox mechanism critical for developing cold-resilient grape cultivars.

The central Himalayan forests, known as the Earth's vital carbon reservoirs, play a significant role in our global carbon mitigation efforts. A new study delves into these forests to estimate ecosystem carbon storage, allocation, and carbon credit potential across various tree species, including chir-pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.), deodar (Cedrus deodara [Roxb.] G. Don), oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus), and sal (Shorea robusta [Roth]) forests.

The Norwegian 'rules of use' for Sámi reindeer husbandry were intended to help keep reindeer husbandry sustainable and allow for self-governance. But "sustainability" and "self-governance" can mean something completely different for authorities than reindeer herders.

CSHL postdoc Miguel Santo Domingo Martinez and colleagues in the Lippman lab have used CRISPR gene editing to produce more compact goldenberry crops, making them easier to grow and harvest. The development could help bring this tasty fruit to farms and grocery stores around the globe.

A team led by Prof Susann Wicke from the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity at the University of Münster has shown that certain parasitic plants activate their haustoria independently of the host plant. This strategy increases their ability to successfully infest the host.