Scientists have found a plant gene that drives the growth of root hairs, the tiny structures that help plants find water and nutrients in the soil. Identified by a team led by Washington State ...

down to approximately 8 micrometers for hairs that branched off of those roots. Taking the concept a step further, the scientists experimented with growing fungi in the media instead of plants.

They made the plants express a wide range of programmed root variation, from a sprawling spider web of root hairs to a single, long taproot. Their goal was to demonstrate flexible control, rather than ...