Clues contained in tree rings have identified mid-14^th-century volcanic activity as the first domino to fall in a sequence that led to the devastation of the Black Death in Europe.

A study has revealed that the expression of the poplar sex-determining gene FERR can significantly enhance drought tolerance in plants. 

Mitochondria integrally influence plant growth, fertility and adaptation. Notably, multiple chromosomal configurations are present in Saccharum complex mitogenomes. There are substantial genomic reorganization and gene transfer events throughout evolution.

Functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) effectively delivered the amh/amhy plasmid into all-female mandarin fish via immersion. At 40 mg/L, plasmid DNA and transcripts were detected in gonads within 7-14 days. By 60-120 days, some fish developed masculinized gonads with downregulated foxl2/cyp19a1a and upregulated amh/dmrt1. The study demonstrates SWCNTs as a viable gene delivery tool in fish and confirms the crucial role of amh/amhy in sex determination via the amhrII/smads pathway activating dmrt1.