As part of an NSF-funded initiative, biology students, primarily those in the early stages of their degree program, were recruited to participate in ongoing research alongside principle investigators. In this example, ten students were given five weeks of intensive training in molecular research methods, with the objective of cloning genes involved in core metabolic processes in the parasitic p...

The importance of plant volatiles in mediating interactions between plant species is much debated. Here, we demonstrate that the parasitic plant Cuscuta pentagona (dodder) uses volatile cues for host location. Cuscuta pentagona seedlings exhibit directed growth toward nearby tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) and toward extracted tomato-plant volatiles presented in the absence of other cue...

The dodder plant Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. is an angiospermic leafless parasitic plant belonging to the family Cuscutaceae is abundantly found colonizing certain plant species in the premises of Manas Biosphere Reserve (MBR) and nearby area. Ten (10) angiospermic host plants in total of the above parasite were recognized. Based on the field inspection most of the numbers of patches were recorded in...