The secret of how fiber shapes the structure of plant cell walls has been revealed, with potentially wide-ranging applications ranging from nutrition and health to agriculture. Researchers from The ...

(A) SAXS analysis of fiber cell materials to determine the diameter of each bundle in a different microfibril. (B) Polydispersity analysis of the five samples. Peak positions corresponding to the ...

Researchers have uncovered the mechanics of how plant cell walls balance the strength and rigidity provided by cellulose with its ability to stretch and compress. This discovery helps explain how ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A plant cell wall's unique ability to expand without weakening or breaking--a quality required for plant growth--is due to the movement of its cellulose skeleton, according to ...