Phenotypic scoring of Canola Blackleg severity using machine learning image analysis
Authors: Hu, Q., Anderson, S. N., Gardner, S., Ernst, T. W., Koscielny, C. B., Bahia, N. S., Johnson, C. G., Jarvis, A. C., Hynek, J., Coles, N., Falak, I., Charne, D. R., Ruidiaz, M. E., Linares, J. N., Mazis, A., Stanton, D. J.
The study introduces a deep‑learning based image analysis pipeline that scores blackleg disease severity from stem cross‑section images of canola species, achieving greater consistency than median expert raters while preserving comparable heritability of susceptibility traits. This standardized scoring method aims to improve selection of resistant varieties in breeding programs.
The study presents a deep‑learning pipeline that uses state‑of‑the‑art convolutional neural networks to automatically estimate the establishment of perennial groundcovers in agricultural research plots from smartphone images. By employing region‑of‑interest markers and deploying the models on AWS SageMaker with a lightweight Django web interface, the approach provides fast, objective, and reproducible assessments that can be adopted by researchers and growers across the Midwest.
Unraveling the cis-regulatory code controlling abscisic acid-dependent gene expression in Arabidopsis using deep learning
Authors: Opdebeeck, H., Smet, D., Thierens, S., Minne, M., De Beukelaer, H., Zuallaert, J., Van Bel, M., Van Montagu, M., Degroeve, S., De Rybel, B., Vandepoele, K.
The study used an interpretable convolutional neural network to predict ABA responsiveness from proximal promoter sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana, revealing both known ABF-binding motifs and novel regulatory elements. Model performance was boosted by advanced data augmentation, and predicted regulatory regions were experimentally validated using reporter lines, confirming the inferred cis‑regulatory code.
The study reveals that leaf wounding in Arabidopsis triggers localized cooling and activation of cold-responsive genes, with the subsequent loss of cooling marking wound healing. It identifies CBF transcription factors as mediators of this cooling signal and introduces a computer‑vision and deep‑learning workflow to quantitatively monitor healing dynamics.
The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.
The study presents GenoRetriever, an interpretable deep learning framework trained on STRIPE-seq data from soybean and other crops, that predicts transcription start site locations and usage by identifying 27 core promoter motifs. Validation using in silico motif insertions, saturation mutagenesis, and CRISPR‑Cas9 promoter editing demonstrates high predictive accuracy and reveals domestication‑driven motif usage shifts and lineage‑specific effects. The tool is provided via a web server for promoter analysis and design, offering a new resource for plant functional genomics and crop improvement.
Revisiting the Central Dogma: the distinct roles of genome, methylation, transcription, and translation on protein expression in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zhong, Z., Bailey, M., Kim, Y.-I., Pesaran-Afsharyan, N., Parker, B., Arathoon, L., Li, X., Rundle, C. A., Behrens, A., Nedialkova, D. D., Slavov, G., Hassani-Pak, K., Lilley, K. S., Theodoulou, F. L., Mott, R.
The study combined long‑read whole‑genome assembly, multi‑omics profiling (DNA methylation, mRNA, ribosome‑associated transcripts, tRNA abundance, and protein levels) in two Arabidopsis thaliana accessions to evaluate how genomic information propagates through the Central Dogma. Codon usage in gene sequences emerged as the strongest predictor of both mRNA and protein abundance, while methylation, tRNA levels, and ribosome‑associated transcripts contributed little additional information under stable conditions.
The Global Wheat Full Semantic Organ Segmentation (GWFSS) dataset
Authors: Wang, Z., Zenkl, R., Greche, L., De Solan, B., Bernigaud Samatan, L., Ouahid, S., Visioni, A., Robles-Zazueta, C. A., Pinto, F., Perez-Olivera, I., Reynolds, M. P., Zhu, C., Liu, S., D'argaignon, M.-P., Lopez-Lozano, R., Weiss, M., Marzougui, A., Roth, L., Dandrifosse, S., Carlier, A., Dumont, B., Mercatoris, B., Fernandez, J., Chapman, S., Najafian, K., Stavness, I., Wang, H., Guo, W., Virlet, N., Hawkesford, M., Chen, Z., David, E., Gillet, J., Irfan, K., Comar, A., Hund, A.
The Global Wheat Dataset Consortium released a comprehensive semantic segmentation dataset (GWFSS) of wheat organs across developmental stages, comprising 1,096 fully annotated images and 52,078 unannotated images from 11 institutions. Models based on DeepLabV3Plus and Segformer were trained, with Segformer achieving ≈90% mIoU for leaves and spikes but lower precision (54%) for stems, while also enabling weed exclusion and discrimination of necrotic, senescent, and residue tissues.
The study introduces an in-soil fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system that continuously records three-dimensional strain from growing pseudo-roots, enabling non‑destructive monitoring of root architecture. Using two ResNet models, the system predicts root width and depth with over 90% accuracy, and performance improves to 96‑98% after retraining on data from actual corn (Zea mays) roots over a 30‑day period. This prototype demonstrates potential for scalable, real‑time root phenotyping and broader soil environment sensing.
The study performed a comprehensive computational analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome, classifying 48,359 proteins by melting temperature (Tm) and melting temperature index (TI) and linking thermal stability to amino acid composition, molecular mass, and codon usage. Machine‑learning and evolutionary analyses revealed that higher molecular mass and specific codon pairs correlate with higher Tm, and that gene duplication has driven the evolution of high‑Tm proteins, suggesting a genomic basis for stress resilience.