Expression of a gene encoding β-ureidopropionase is critical for pollen germination in tomatoes.

Global warming has seriously decreased world crop yield. High temperatures affect development, growth and, particularly, reproductive tissues in plants. A gene encoding β-ureidopropionase (SlUPB1, EC 3.

Transparent Raman-enhancing substrates for microbiological monitoring and in situ pollutant detection.

Opaque Raman-enhancing substrates made of Ag nanoparticles on incompletely oxidized aluminum templates have been rendered transparent by an ion-drift process to complete the oxidation. The result shows that the transparent substrates exhibit high/uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capability and good optical transmissivity, allowing for concurrent SERS characterization and high contrast transmission-mode optical imaging of S. aureus bacteria.