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Plant Bioinformatic Methods Specialization, 4 online courses
Plant Bioinformatic Methods Specialization encompassing 4 courses are being offered on Coursera.org: Bioinformatic Methods I, ( → starts on June 22, 2020)Bioinformatic Methods II, Plant Bioinformatics, and a Plant Bioinformatics Capstone …
EPSO statement on the EC study on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs)
The European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) welcomes the ongoing European Commission (EC) study on new genomic techniques (NGTs). They are defined as techniques capable of changing the genetic material of an organism, which have emerged…
Newly Identified Gene Reduces Pollen Number of Plants
Producing fewer sperm cells can be advantageous in self-fertilizing plants. An international study led by the University of Zurich has identified a gene in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that reduces the number of pollen. In addition…
Gene drives: benefits, risks, and possible applications – A new fact sheet
Gene drives are genetic elements that skew the pattern of inheritance of a given characteristic in sexually reproducing organisms. They can be used to spread a trait that can alter or even reduce the numbers of individuals in wild…
Assessment of the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health in the context of climate change: Review the IPBES draft report
You are invited to review of the draft scoping report for the IPBES nexus assessment. Dear IPBES members, observers and other interested stakeholders, With reference to notification EM/2020/4 (25 February 2020), I am pleased to announce…
How bacteria fertilise soya
Soya and clover have their very own fertiliser factories in their roots. That's where bacteria manufacture ammonium, which is crucial for plant growth. This has long been common knowledge, but scientists have only recently described the…
Flora des Kantons Zürich
Das grosse Überblickswerk zur Flora des Kantons Zürich ist soeben erschienen.Das Buch zeigt alle 1757 im Kanton Zürich wild vorkommenden Pflanzenarten im Porträt. Dazu gehört je ein informativer Text, zwei Fotos und eine Verbreitungskarte.…
Plants and soils in a warmer Arctic – Scientific Expedition to Spitsbergen
Svalbard – also known as Spitsbergen – is a very special place on Earth. It is located 1000 kilometers north of the South Pole. It harbours a very unique ecosystem. However, it is now threatened by the world's fastest rate of climate…Escaping the Fly Room - Reflections on reductionist thinking
In shaking our society to its core, says Jaboury Ghazoul, professor at ETH Zurich and member of the Swiss Plant Science Web. Covid-19 shows that we must adopt a far broader perspective to tackle the complex socio-ecological problems…