Fungus can convince corn to stand up for itself

Published April 24, 2020

If you want to grow organic corn, you can’t use chemical insecticides. (I mean, you can use chemicals, but not ones that are made in a lab.) You have to fight insects and be able to call it “natural.” Anyway, Penn State researchers found a nifty new potential tool: the common Metarhizium robertsii fungus. What’s really cool is that the fungus doesn’t fight predators — it gets the corn to do it.

“We saw that colonization of corn plants by the fungus M. robertsii promoted plant growth and boosted the expression of selected genes involved in plant defense in corn.”

Of course, just because the fungus is affecting the corn genes you can’t call it “GMO.” It’s natural, after all.

• I make the toolbox, then … bupkis

  I'm very good, I've found, at creating systems and workflows. Not so much actually using them. Read more… →

• What’re you lookin’ at?

  I think one of the big downsides to virtual meetings, big or small, is the inability to make eye contact.… Read more… →

• No, there’s no evidence supporting ivermectin

  Virtually the entire evidence in favor of ivermectin came from a single debunked study — so saying "Well, the jury is out" is a crock. Read more… →

• No, it’s not an error

  Here is the current CDC map showing "Level of Community Transmission of COVID-19, by State/Territory" — I think it speaks for itself. Read more… →

• Maybe the next mission

  If the Marines really are out there "protecting democracy" like the NFL says, you would think they'd be deployed to Texas. Read more… →

• TikTok stupidity record broken, spider-bite ED med, possible rabies cure, and more September 30, 2023
• Pharma chains fear irrelevance, NCPA cackles with glee, caffeine for better sleep, and more September 29, 2023
• Fentanyl’s nastier cousin, Covid me could create variants, preparing for the shutdown, and more September 28, 2023