Plants Archives - Strategian: Science Magazine

Drinking water quality is a chronic problem; what can phytoremediation do about nitrate and other pollutants? How does it work?

April 17, 2026 Kevin Engel Intersections

Background: “Phytoremediation uses plants to clean up environmental contamination in soil, air, and water, offering a potentially cost-effective and less environmentally disruptive alternative to traditional methods of remediation. Phytoremediation methods include phytoextraction for inorganic pollutants, phytodegradation for organic contaminants, phytovolatilization for releasing volatile substances, phytostabilization for immobilizing pollutants, and phytostimulation for enhancing microbial activity in the rhizosphere.” From: Klein, M.A., Papoyan, A., & Kochian, L.V….

Can viruses do good things?

February 16, 2021 Kevin Engel Quick bibliographies

Can viruses be beneficial? Did they aid the development of life on this planet? Can they be used in treating cancer? Can they protect plants against drought and cold temperatures? Can they protect against infection? Are they, in fact, essential for life on Earth? See the background and the research … Background: *Nuwer, R. (2020). Why the world needs viruses to function. BBC Future. *Quammen,…

Arabidopsis: model organism in Biology

August 9, 2020 Kevin Engel Understanding Science

Arabidopsis thaliana is a small, annual rosette plant. It belongs to the family of the Brassicaceae in the eudicotyledonous group of angiosperm vascular plants. This family also includes related oilseed crops, vegetables and spice plants–rapeseed, brussel sprouts, various cabbages, cauliflower, garden radish, and mustard. From: eLife 2015;4:e06100, “The Natural History of Model Organisms: Planting molecular functions in an ecological context with Arabidopsis thaliana“, Ute Krämer….

Bee populations declining in the United States, especially in the midwest

August 1, 2020 Kevin Engel Featured Article

Background: “Since at least the 1960’s it has been widely recognized that insecticide application can also negatively affect non-target species, including populations of insect pollinators [like bees] and natural enemies that serve to support crop production.” The development of neonicotinoid insecticides (insecticides chemically similar to nicotine) have made their effect more potent. Featured article: Douglas, M. R., Sponsler, D. B., Lonsdorf, E. V., & Grozinger,…

Cloud cover, plants, and a changing climate

May 10, 2020 Kevin Engel News

“Cumulus clouds make a significant contribution to the Earth’s energy balance and hydrological [water] cycle and are a major source of uncertainty in climate projections.” Sikma, M., & Jordi Vilà‐Guerau, d. A. (2019). Substantial reductions in cloud cover and moisture transport by dynamic plant responses. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(3), 1870-1878. [PDF] [Cited by] “With an average daily occurrence of around 25% in midlatitude and tropical…