A Theory Blossoms

By Bob Grant A Theory Blossoms Researchers unfold a key step in the process that tells plants to flower, findings that could one day benefit agriculture. Fluorescent FT protein in the phloem of an Arabidopsis plant. Courtesy of Laurent Corbesier and George Coupland Few acts of nature seem simpler than flowers blooming on the outstretched tips of a plant’s shoots. But the induction of that seemingly simple process baffled pla

| 4 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
4:00
Share

Few acts of nature seem simpler than flowers blooming on the outstretched tips of a plant’s shoots. But the induction of that seemingly simple process baffled plant biologists for almost 60 years.

In the 1930s, Cornell University plant scientist James Knott coined the term “florigen” for a mysterious signal that instructs flowers to begin growing at the tips of stems, called apical meristems.1 Researchers knew and had demonstrated that changes in day length and temperature caused plants to flower, a process essential to plant reproduction. Knott tracked the unidentified florigen traveling through the vascular system of a spinach plant, and other scientists worked out parts of the molecular pathway that allowed plants to sense environmental changes and respond by producing flowers. But the chemical identity of florigen eluded discovery. “It was a technical challenge to put that last nail in the coffin,” says Richard Amasino, a plant scientist at the ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Bob Grant

    From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Explore a Concise Guide to Optimizing Viral Transduction

A Visual Guide to Lentiviral Gene Delivery

Takara Bio
Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio