New Phytologist next generation scientists meetings are free events with the unique aim to provide the next generation of plant scientists a chance to share their work with their peers and outstanding international scientists in a stimulating, supportive and exciting environment.
Organising committee:
Richard Norby, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of Tennessee, and University of Birmingham (Organising Committee co-lead and New Phytologist Editor)
Sami Ullah, University of Birmingham (Organising Committee co-lead)
Christine Foyer, University of Birmingham
Anna Garder, University of Birmingham
Daniel Gibbs, University of Birmingham
Grace Handy, University of Birmingham
Lisa Lamberte, University of Birmingham
Rob Mackenzie, University of Birmingham
Diego Márquez, University of Birmingham
Andrew Plackett, University of Birmingham
Rosa Sanchez-Lucas, University of Birmingham
Andrea Vadillo Dieguez, University of Birmingham
Day 1 | Monday 4 August |
12:00 – 13:30 | Registration and lunch Poster presenters should put up their posters during this time. |
13:30 – 14:00 | Welcome to NGS |
| Session 1 Chairs: Rosa Sanchez-Lucas and Katie Field |
14:00 | Keynote speaker Understanding arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: from natural biodiversity patterns to land management and societal needs and expectations 1.1 Maarja Öpik, University of Tartu, Estonia |
14:30 | Decoding Synergy: How Enterobacter sp. SA187 enhances plant growth under low nitrogen through ethylene signaling and nitrate transporters 1.2 Amina Ilyas, Université Paris-Saclay, France |
14:45 | Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi foraging strategies, decision making and interactions in soil chips. 1.3 Ayla Mongès, Lund University, Sweden |
15:00 | Seed dispersers help plants keep up with climate change on mountains 1.4 Sara Mendes, University of Coimbra, Portugal |
15:15 | Genetic and ecological determinants of bacterial pathogen success during plant infection 1.5 Julien Luneau, University of Lausanne, Switzerland |
15:30 | Refreshment break |
16:00 | Panel discussion 1 – Publishing Chair: Holly Slater
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17:00 | Flash talks part 1 – odd-numbered poster presenters This session will not be recorded, but will be streamed live |
17:30 | Break for delegates to check into accommodation (informal poster browsing encouraged) |
18:30 | Poster session 1 – odd-numbered posters and drinks reception |
19:30 | Dinner and networking |
21:00 | Close of day 1 |
Day 2 | Tuesday 5 August |
08:55 | Morning announcements |
| Session 2 Chairs: Grace Handy and Amy Austin |
09:00 | Keynote speaker Plus ça change … responses of a very long-established oak forest to elevated CO2 2.1 Rob Mackenzie, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom |
09:30 | Drought-induced photosynthetic decline and increased heat dissipation complicate SIF-based analysis of ecosystem responses to climate 2.2 Leonardo Ziccardi, Michigan State University, United States |
09:45 | An ecophysiological basis for the assembly of Australian rainforest tree communities 2.3 Julian Radford-Smith, The University of Queensland, Australia |
10:00 | Elevated CO2 gives mature Eucalyptus trees additional resistance and resilience to waterlogging 2.4 Min Zhao, Western Sydney University, Australia |
10:15 | Linking above- and below-ground trait coordination at community-level to ecosystem & microbial functions under climate change 2.5 Billur Bektas, ETH Zürich, Switzerland |
10:30 | Plant science to save the world – setting the scene Chairs: Diego Márquez and Anna Gardner Panellists: · Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso, University of Leeds, United Kingdom · Julie Gray, University of Shefield · Rosa Sanchez-Lucas, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom |
10:50 | Grab a drink and fruit pot on the way to your discussion group |
11:00 | Discussion groups Group allocations are displayed on name badges This session will not be available on Zoom or recorded |
12:10 | Plant science to save the world – delegate presentations This session will not be recorded, but will be streamed live |
13:00 | Lunch |
| Session 3 Chairs: Carlos Ballaré and Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso |
14:00 | Keynote speaker Plants of South Africa for human health: successes, prospects and challenges 3.1 Nox Makunga, Stellenbosch University, South Africa |
14:30 | Decoding the RNA language with AI-driven Foundation Model 3.2 Haopeng Yu, John Innes Centre, United Kingdom |
14:45 | Bridging innovation and adoption: understanding farmers’ preferences for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in gene-edited tomato cultivars in Nigeria 3.3 Seyi Adeboye, University of Abuja, Nigeria |
15:00 | How spatial and temporal climate changes over deep time have influenced global plant diversity 3.4 Jiaze Li, Imperial College London, United Kingdom |
15:15 | Enhancing African ecosystem representation in land surface models: a focus on plant functional types in JULES. 3.5 Enimhien Akhabue, University of Exeter, United Kingdom |
15:30 | Refreshment break |
16:00 | Flash talks part 2 – even-numbered poster presenters This session will not be recorded, but will be streamed live |
16:30 | Publishing ethics workshop Delegates will be presented with various scenarios from publishing to discuss as a group to explore the various ethical decisions facing journals/editors and reviewers. Each of the cases is based on real examples submitted to the COPE forum.
This session will not be available on Zoom or recorded |
17:30 | Poster session 2 – even-numbered poster presenters |
18:30 | Chairs: Keith Lindsey & Daniel Gibbs Special evening keynote lecture A research career focused on investigating how self-incompatibility works Noni Franklin-Tong, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom |
19:30 | Post-lecture drinks reception and posters |
20:00 | Dinner and continued poster browsing |
21:00 | Close of day |
Day 3 | Wednesday 6 August |
08:55 | Morning announcements Anjan – Pune announcement |
| Session 4 Chairs: Diego Márquez and Julie Gray |
09:00 | Keynote speaker Enhancing C₄ photosynthesis for carbon capture and food security 4.1 Maria Ermakova, Monash University, Australia |
09:30 | Cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP716A catalyzes the biosynthesis of bitter and hemolytic oleanolic acid in the superfood Chenopodium quinoa 4.2 Pravesh Kundu, CSIR- Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, India |
09:45 | Beyond the DNA: an epigenetic mechanism for self incompatibility in Arabidopsis thaliana 4.3 Robyn Emmerson, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom |
10:00 | Linking mitochondrial dynamics with mtDNA exchange- expanding the ‘social network’ 4.4 Joanna Chustecki, University of Oxford, United Kingdom |
10:15 | Unique structural attributes of the PSI-NDH supercomplex in Physcomitrium patens 4.5 Monika Opatíková, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic |
10:30 | Refreshment break |
11:00 | Panel discussion – Careers Chairs: Grace Handy and Daniel Gibbs With Slido support from: Andrew Placket, Lisa Lamberte and Andrea Vadillo Dieguez Panellists · Adesola Bello, University of Birmingham Research Strategy and Services Division · Philippa Borrill, John Innes Centre · Costas Garagounis, PCR Biosystems Ltd · Claire Litchfield, University of Birmingham Enterprise · Marjorie Lundgren, Lancaster University · Matthew Naish, University of Cambridge · Carl Ng, University College Dublin · Mariana Vale, Fed. Univ. Rio de Janeiro |
12:00 | Lunch with career skills marketplace |
| Session 5 Chairs: Andrea Vadillo Dieguez and Lisa Lamberte |
13:30 | Keynote speaker Plants as models, plants as food: what we’re learning from the phyllosphere microbiome and why it matters 5.1 Britt Koskella, University of California, Berkeley, USA |
14:00 | Regulatory features determine the evolutionary fate of laterally acquired genes in plants 5.2 Catherine Collins, The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
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14:15 | The ecology and evolution of Nicotiana section Suaveolentes 5. 3 Charlotte Phillips, University of Portsmouth & Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom |
14:30 | Evolving with stress: the crucial role of natural antisense transcripts in plant resilience 5.4 Jeky Chanwala, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Sweden |
14:45 | Group photo |
15:00 | Refreshment break |
15:30 | Breakout session on careers Group allocations are displayed on name badges This session will not be available on Zoom or recorded |
16:30 | Science communication session
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Day 4 | Thursday 7 August |
08:55 | Morning announcements |
| Session 6 Chairs: Rory Osborne and Alistair Hetherington |
09:00 | Keynote speaker Understanding the biosynthesis of starch granules using insights from natural variation 6.1 David Seung, John Innes Centre, UK |
09:30 | An isoaspartate-induced impairment of OsHSFC1b transactivation negatively impacts seed vigour, seed weight and size in rice 6.2 Rakesh Kumar Achary, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, India |
09:45 | Sweet shaping of root system architecture under water deficit 6.3 Dhriti Singh, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Sweden |
10:00 | The pace of life: effects of circadian clock speed on plant growth and development 6.4 Danny Ginzburg, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom |
10:15 | Effects of m6A loss on immunity and polyadenylation in Arabidopsis thaliana 6.5 Carey Metheringham, University of Dundee, United Kingdom |
10:30 | Refreshment break Note: final poster votes are due by the end of this break |
| Session 6 continued Chairs: Anna Gardner and Ralph Panstruga |
11:30 | Photosynthetic and antioxidant responses to phosphorus fertilization in drought-stressed common beech and sessile oak from different provenances 6.6 Antonia Vukmirović, University of Zagreb, Croatia |
11:45 | How plastic is the seed microbiome? 6.8 Expedito Olimi, Southampton University, United Kingdom |
12:00 | Panel discussion – Model-data integration Chair: Richard Norby, New Phytologist Editor
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13:00 | Closing and prizes:
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14:00 | Close of Symposium and lunch |
Poster 1 | Nabila El Arbi | Regulation of the Arabidopsis RNAPII by CDKC;2 influences temperature-dependent alternative splicing |
Poster 2 | Jumana Akhtar | Dissecting the role of how root hairs and secretion affect in the release of soil-binding exudates release and rhizosheath formation |
Poster 3 | Viraj Alimchandani | A tale of two scales: cellular and organ growth in plants, a meta-analysis |
Poster 4 | Caio Simões Ballarin | Exploring floral resource dimensions and their role in shaping plant-pollinator interactions. |
Poster 5 | Aakash Basi | Ecological remediation of urban legacy pollution: Developing techniques for marginal brownfield bioremediation |
Poster 6 | Viviana Bondaruk | Aridity modulates biomass changes following nutrient addition and extreme drought on globally distributed grasslands: the NPK-D Network first results |
Poster 7 | Jack Bosanquet | Understanding the genetic basis of canopy architecture and yield in tetraploid potato |
Poster 8 | Rachel Calder | Fungi of Future Forests: does CO2 enrichment affect soil fungal community composition in oak woodland? |
Poster 9 | Imogen Carter | Can oxygen isotopes in tree rings be used to detect stomatal responses to global change? |
Poster 10 | Gabrielle Clarke | Enhancing the Conservation and Use of Cereal, Vegetable and Forage Landraces in Great Britain to support future food security. |
Poster 11 | Tony César de Sousa Oliveira | Leaf nutrient concentration is an important aspect in regulating the thermal optimum of photosynthesis |
Poster 12 | Richard Dekeya | Circadian regulation of rhizosphere interactions |
Poster 13 | Zishan Fu | Unearthing the diversity and 300-million-year evolution of phloem anatomy in ferns |
Poster 15 | Caterina Giannini | Auxin-triggered cAMP production induces autophagy for developmental reprogramming |
Poster 16 | Matteo Grenzi | Osmotic changes at the crossroad of Glutamate Receptor-Like channels activation |
Poster 17 | Emma Hardy | (Not) Lost in Translation: Are Upstream Open Reading Frames Novel Regulators of Temperature Responses? |
Poster 18 | Shomari Healy | Modelling mature temperate forest responses to elevated CO2 and changing climatic conditions: insights from the BIFoR FACE experiment |
Poster 19 | Lorena Huffer | Understanding the molecular determinants and spatiotemporal dynamics of auxin receptor complex assembly - a complex problem |
Poster 20 | Skylar Johnson | Carnivorous Slime: changes in viscoelastic hemicellulose polymer secretion in Nepenthes takes pitchers from trapping-optimized to digestion-optimized, and are regulated by age and nutrient availability. |
Poster 21 | Anna Kampova | How do stomata and programmed cell death contribute to anther dehiscence? |
Poster 22 | Debojyoti Kar | Light mediated aluminium toxicity tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana |
Poster 23 | Said Khourchi | Native diverse ecosystems in southern Morocco demonstrate a potential climate-resilient microbiome for sustainable agriculture |
Poster 24 | Novalia Kusumarini | Seasonal Variations in Carbon and Nitrogen Exudation Rate of Young Alder and Oak |
Poster 25 | Lucrezia Laccetti | Assembling the puzzle: geographic isolation, biotic pressures, genome size variation and postzygotic isolation promote the rapid insurgence of a Dianthus ecotype on a volcanic archipelago |
Poster 26 | Hana Leontovycova | Interplay Between Phytohormones and Pathogen Strategies: Insights from Leptosphaeria maculans |
Poster 27 | Shey Li Lim | Photosynthesis in Arabidopsis Mesophyll and Guard Cell Chloroplast |
Poster 28 | Rachel Mailes | Investigating Drivers of Variation Within Carbon and Biodiversity Co-Benefit/Trade-off Relationships in Forests To Improve Practice |
Poster 29 | Lamya Majeed | Developmental Regulation and Molecular Mechanisms in the Establishment of Long-Lasting Induced Resistance |
Poster 30 | Vishwadeep Mane | Unfolding How Robust Shape and Surface Curvature Emerges in Plant Embryonic Leaves. |
Poster 31 | Ana Laura Medina-Fraga | UV-B radiation induces jasmonate-dependent anti-herbivore defenses in Arabidopsis via UVR8 by regulating the stability of JAZ and MYC proteins |
Poster 32 | Lilian Melo | Linking changes in pollinator behaviour with their effect on male fitness in buzz-pollinated flowers |
Poster 33 | Jacopo Menconi | A multiprotein network composed of BBX and COP1 proteins converging on HY5 fine-tunes anthocyanin synthesis in tomato fruit |
Poster 34 | Kali Middleby | Variation in the Decoupling between Photosynthesis and Stomatal Conductance under High Temperature Stress in Tropical Trees |
Poster 35 | Abdelrahman Mohammad | Proximity labelling for detection of effector-receptor interactions in the Nicotiana benthamiana apoplast |
Poster 36 | Antonia Otte | The role of mitotic recombination in the evolution of diatoms |
Poster 37 | Rajni Parmar | Image-based Genome-Wide Association Studies uncovers the Genetic Basis of GOLVEN10 peptide Control of Root Angle Traits in Medicago truncatula |
Poster 38 | Alicia V Perera-Castro | Regulation of water diffusion in non-stomatal plants |
Poster 39 | Matteo Pivato | Abiotic stress-induced chloroplast and cytosolic Ca2+ dynamics in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii |
Poster 40 | Ilian Giordano Ponce-Pineda | Decoding GUN1: A Master Regulator of Retrograde Signaling During Chloroplast Development |
Poster 41 | Serena Qiao | Manipulation in a mutualism: exploring a role for cross-kingdom RNA interference in arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis |
Poster 42 | Annette Raffan | Multiple Mechanisms, Convergent Control: How Neighbour Identity and Phosphorus Influence Water Directionality in the Rhizosheath |
Poster 43 | Rini Rahiman | Role of TCP transcription factors in regulating stomatal development in Arabidopsis thaliana |
Poster 44 | Ram Sevak Raja Kumar | Transcriptome plasticity underpins host range expansion in a core member of the root mycobiota |
Poster 45 | Jesamine Rikisahedew | One Leaf, Many Ages: Ontogenetic Zonation in Welwitschia mirabilis |
Poster 46 | Abhishek Roychowdhury | SlMIPS2, a myo-inositol phosphate synthase, regulates phosphate homeostasis influencing SPX-PHR module in tomato seedlings |
Poster 47 | Jennifer Saile | Alternative ways to deal with salinity |
Poster 48 | Svenja Saile | MAX effectors meet HMA domains: Decoding susceptibility in rice blast disease |
Poster 49 | Marili Sell | The above- and belowground phenology of Picea abies in response to short and long-term heat episodes |
Poster 50 | Rachel Selman | The effects of drought on tropical root growth and nutrient cycling in tropical forests |
Poster 51 | Lina Spiller | ABA-signaling differs between the extremophyte Eutrema salsugineum and its close glycophytic relative Arabidopsis thaliana |
Poster 52 | Erin Stroud | Long-distance defence signalling is modulated by jasmonic acid and abscisic acid in Arabidopsis thaliana. |
Poster 53 | Kohsuke Tanigawa | The non-linearity of tundra warming responses, their thresholds, and their mechanisms |
Poster 54 | Elizabeth Telford | The ecology of woody encroachers: Identifying the species and their ecological strategies driving savanna change |
Poster 55 | Keiri Winnie Swann | Optimising strawberry propagation in TCEA systems |
Poster 57 | AmirAli Toghani | Can AI modelling of protein structures distinguish between sensor and helper NLR immune receptors? |
Poster 58 | Anastasia Tõnisson | Phenotypic plasticity masks evolutionary change in grassland plant traits in response to land use abandonment. |
Poster 59 | Cas Verbeek | Arbuscular mycorrhizal mixotrophy in green plants |
Poster 60 | Ziqi Ye | Root nitrogen uptake extends beyond leaf and root growing seasons in wetland monocots |
Poster 61 | Selin Zeyrek | Role of flavonols in petal pigmentation and morphogenesis in a small group of Hibiscus |
Poster 62 | Chongzhe Zhang | Coordinated plant-nematode ecological trait dimensions shape soil carbon pools and fluxes |
Poster 63 | Hao Zhou | Limonene emission in transgenic tobacco downregulates APX activity under drought |
Poster 64 | Sibongile Zimba | Uncovering mechanisms and pathways underlying root growth angle regulation in response to drought stress |
Poster A | Andrea Vadillo Dieguez | Investigating early stages of infection in bacterial cherry canker disease using a metabolomics approach |
Poster C | Diego Márquez | Explaining the variation in mesophyll airspace resistance: A physiological basis linked to CO₂ diffusivity in the liquid phase |
Poster D | Grace Handy | Changed fine root biomass and morphology in a mature temperate forest under elevated CO2 |
News
Poster prize winners at New Phytologist next generation scientists 2025
Congratulations to the winner, two runners up, and four honourable mentions