Cool Plant Parasite Science

“Dodder, a parasitic plant that levies millions of dollars’ worth of damage on crops each year is a stealthy invader with the ability to wage war on the genes of its host plants. The assailant utilizes a highly sophisticated method of disarming its victims involving cross-species gene manipulation that has never before been seen from a parasitic plant. Understanding dodder’s covert communications weaponry system, which operates much like a computer virus, could provide researchers with a method to engineer parasite-resistant plants.” – Scienmag

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