Genomic changes in the infectious yeast Candida tropicalis may play a role in its resistance to antifungals, according to a study published on April 1^st in the open-access journal, PLOS Biology by Guanghua Huang at Fudan University, China, and colleagues. These genomic changes can be brought on by a common antifungal, TBZ. The study demonstrates that the use of TBZ in agriculture may contribute to the increasing problem of antifungal resistance.

CSHL Professor Rob Martienssen and colleague Evan Ernst have released new and more accurate genome sequences for five species of duckweed. Their research reveals the specific genes responsible for some of the plant’s most useful traits, allowing for new commercial agriculture applications.

The $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission wants to improve economic development in the region through sustainable non-timber forest farming practices.

Four faculty members at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have been elected 2024 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Elected faculty are Professor Albrecht von Arnim of the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology; Alison Buchan, the Carolyn W. Fite Professor and associate head of the Department of Microbiology; Research Professor Susan Kalisz of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; and Herbert College of Agriculture Dean and Professor David G. White.