A Crop of Good Sense

This issue illustrates the breadth and dynamism of plant science. In the Technology section, we focus on a series of dazzling genome initiatives that have transformed the field (see p. 32). The Research section includes a story on the striking similarities between the innate immune mechanisms of plants and animals; another on the structure of a molecular complex at the heart of photosynthesis; and a third on the catastrophic impact of recent wildfires on forest ecosystems (see pp. 26, 25, and 23, respectively). Our First Person interview is with geneticist Steve A. Kay (p. 13).

Of course, the aspect of plant science most visible to the outside world, and perhaps most frustrating to insiders, concerns genetically modified (GM) crops. The latest move from the research community is a letter¹ signed by 150 internationally known scientists and addressed to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair,...