Furanocoumarins are small organic molecules produced by plants and known to play defense roles against pathogens and herbivores. Interestingly, some of them are also potential treatments for cancer or vitiligo. These compounds are found in specific but surprisingly distantly related plant families, such as in... click to read more

Stable cereal production plays an important role in maintaining a food supply for the world’s growing population. However, seed-borne bacterial diseases can limit crop production and quality. This has been aggravated in recent decades by changes in both the global climate and modern farming techniques.... click to read more

Many forests across the globe are experiencing tree mortality episodes as a consequence of long, intense drought periods, likely associated to anthropogenic – human-caused, as opposed to natural – climate change. To date, most research has focused on plant mortality processes during drought, and the... click to read more

Soil is a vital commodity for food security - more than 95% of global food production depends on soil. Modern intensive farming practices help us to meet the growing demand for food today. On the downside, they often compromise the health of agricultural soils. Increasingly heavy... click to read more

Deep in the rainforests of eastern Australia, all along New South Wales up to south-eastern Queensland, one can find Dendrocnide excelsa, the giant stinging tree. Key to its name, the stinging tree possesses thin, felt-like hairs on its leaves that, in reality, act as densely... click to read more