DNA is a programming language for living cells. The cell's basic operating system, or genome, directs functions like growth and reproduction, energy utilization, and the production of useful compounds like ethanol or penicillin. With genetic engineering, new functions can be added to cells or broken metabolic pathways repaired. Until recently, ...

What if plants could grow with less water, in poor soil, using less fertilizer or toxic chemical pesticides to produce food for a hungry world? Or what if plants could remove toxic substances from the environment? UCSD plant biologist Julian Schroeder takes you on an exploration of how genetic modification of plants may be able to achieve ...