Starch is a complex carbohydrate polymer produced by plants and especially by crops in
huge amounts. It consists of amylose and amylopectin, which have α-1, 4-and α-1, 6-linked …

Starch-rich crops form the basis of our nutrition, but plants have still to yield all their secrets
as to how they make this vital substance. Great progress has been made by studying both …

Starch commands a central role in the carbon budget of the majority of plants on earth, and
its biological role changes during development and in response to the environment …

Background Microbial inhabitants of soils are important to ecosystem and planetary
functions, yet there are large gaps in our knowledge of their diversity and ecology. The …

Starch is a vital energy source for living organisms and is a key raw material and additive in
the food and non-food industries. Starch has received continuous attention in multiple …

Background The global shift in food consumption patterns accompanied by a sedentary
lifestyle has been driving the upsurge of non-communicable diseases, projected to remain …

The sedentary lifestyle and refined food consumption significantly lead to obesity, type 2
diabetes, and related complications, which have become one of the major threats to global …

The molecular mechanism that initiates the synthesis of starch granules is poorly
understood. Here, we discovered two plastidial proteins involved in granule initiation in …

What determines the number of starch granules in plastids is an enigmatic aspect of starch
metabolism. Several structurally and functionally diverse proteins have been implicated in …

The eating and cooking quality (ECQ) of rice is critical for determining its economic value in
the marketplace and promoting consumer acceptance. It has therefore been of paramount …