Chromatin organizes nuclear DNA, but whether it actively regulates whole-cell mechanics remains unknown. Here, we used NETosis to show that chromatin decompaction within the nucleus increases plasma membrane tension and cell volume, establishing chromatin as a regulator of cell mechanics.

The Stanford researcher views plants as nature’s ultimate chemists. Her work has the potential to innovate everything from food allergies to cancer treatment.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is the dominant method for plant transgenesis, yet it frequently produces multi-copy, structurally complex T-DNA insertions associated with transgene silencing, u...

Plant immunity relies on precise regulation of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs). Beyond trigg...

The 2026 Gordon Research Conference on Salt and Water Stress in Plants will be held in Les Diablerets, Vaud (fr) Switzerland. Apply today to reserve your spot.

This study reports a modular-cloning-based platform for high-throughput chloroplast engineering in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that allows large-scale characterization of genetic parts and prototyping o...

Applications for Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology Now Open on Simons Foundation

Directed evolution can rapidly generate genetic variants with new and enhanced properties, yet efficient platforms for performing such evolution directly in plant cells have been lacking. We developed...

Plant roots release exudates to encourage microbiome assembly, which influences the function and stress resilience of plants. How specific exudates drive spatial colonization patterns remains largely ...

Plant roots release exudates to encourage microbiome assembly, which influences the function and stress resilience of plants. How specific exudates drive spatial colonization patterns remains largely ...

EBRC In Translation is a podcast working to bring you conversations with leaders in the world of Engineering Biology. The show is the official podcast of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium St...

In this episode of EBRC in Translation, we speak with Jenn Brophy, an assistant professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Jenn discusses her journey into plant synthetic biology, including h...

Post-drought rehydration triggers a preventive immune response in plants, revealing targets to enhance crop resilience by linking drought stress recovery with improved pathogen resistance.

Challenges and opportunities in plant (genetic) engineering with Vivian Zhong and Alexander Borowsky from the Brophy Lab

Relying on outdated soil quality data to value farmland creates a disincentive for farmers to invest in conserving topsoil.

SBA 2025 conference Synthetic Biology Australasia New Zealand synbio conference

An approach that combines single-nucleus RNA sequencing and multiplexed perturbation identifies genes that enable the biosynthesis of direct precursors of the anti-cancer drug Taxol, whose curren...

The Trump administration has so far frozen about $11 billion in research funding. University leaders say no other source can fill the void.

Abstract. Plants are essential for life as we know it on Earth. They oxygenate the atmosphere, regulate the climate, and comprise much of the primary produ