In plants, most Cys2/His2 zinc finger proteins with two zinc finger domains (ZPT2) are involved in abiotic stress responses. A team from Jiangxi Agricultural University in China, led by Dechun Liu, cloned and studied the role of a ZPT2 gene family, PtrZPT2-1 from trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), in abiotic stress response. PtrZPT2-1 was revealed to be contained in the nucleus. PtrZPT2-1 expression is strongly induced by cold, drought, salt and abiotic stresses.

A team of researchers at the John Innes Centre (JIC) led by Professor Robert Sablowski studied DELLA proteins which cause a range of growth responses in plants. Mutations in DELLA genes were selected by plant breeders during the green revolution to increase yield through reduced stem length. The research details how selecting the mutation for shorter stems also resulted in a smaller inflorescence meristem, the growth zone where flowers form.

In 2005, the area of maize in Vietnam was 1.052 million hectares which increased by 100,000 hectares only in 2016. It is projected that in the coming years, the area might be reduced to less than 1 million hectares which will increase Vietnam's dependency on imported products. According to the report of the Department of Crop Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on maize production and orientation of development in 2016

Research led by University of Pennsylvania biologists has identified small DNA sequences in plant that act as signposts for shutting off gene activity, directing the placement of proteins that silence gene expression. Manipulation of these short DNA fragments promises plants with enhanced activation of certain traits.

Biologists led by Prof. Erika Isono from Konstanz University have discovered a previously unknown function of the SH3P2 protein, which has an important role in protein transport.

Plasma membrane proteins that will be degraded are transported to the vacoule, the largest compartment in the plant cell.

During their August plenary meeting, the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) of Brazil has approved a new variety of Bt soybean for planting, human consumption, and animal consumption. In addition to insect resistance, the genetically modified (GM) soybean has tolerance to three herbicides: glyphosate, glufosinate, and dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D).

A group of researchers from ETH Zürich led by Navreet Bhullar and her PhD student Simrat Pal Singh have succeeded in genetically modifying a new rice variety that not only has increased levels of the micronutrients iron and zinc in the grains, but also produces beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

Committed to improving food and nutrition security, Kayla Zhu and Alyssa Swehla, were selected by the World Food Prize Foundation for the Borlaug-Ruan International internship. They have spent the last two months at ICRISAT and the World Vegetable Center in India working within research teams to gain firsthand experience of how science can change lives.

The total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen this year hit the half a million mark on Sunday, and nearly 2000 people have died since the outbreak began to spread rapidly at the end of April. The spread of cholera has slowed significantly in some areas compared to peak levels but the disease is still spreading fast in more recently affected districts, which are recording large numbers of cases.

The resource-poor farmers residing in stress-prone areas form the section of our society that is highly vulnerable to poverty and hunger. Environmental stresses such as drought, flood, and salinity frequently destroy their food crops, forcing them to leave their agricultural fields fallow. These environmental conditions affect the poorest farmers—women,