New Phytologist next generation scientists 2025

Advancements in plant biotechnology, including Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and gene editing, offer immense potential to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability in developing regions. This research leverages CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to address challenges in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production in Nigeria, including low productivity, high post-harvest losses, and limited adoption of advanced technologies. Tomatoes are crucial for nutrition and livelihoods, but their short shelf life exacerbates food insecurity and financial instability for farmers.

This study focused on designing and implementing CRISPR-Cas9 constructs to target the Shelf-Life Food Regulator (SlFSR) gene in two tomato varieties, Pusa Ruby and UC82, to extend post-harvest shelf life. Precise editing involved selecting optimal target sites within the SlFSR gene and optimizing guide RNA sequences. CRISPR-Cas9 cassettes were PCR-amplified, cloned, ligated, and introduced into tomato varieties via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocols, achieving high efficiency (~85%).Field surveys across three Nigerian states revealed socio-economic factors influencing technology adoption, such as gender disparities and reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

This research demonstrates the potential of integrating socio-economic insights with precision genetic tools to enhance shelf life, stress tolerance, and fruit quality, contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security in resource-limited settings

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5130-4707

Plants optimize seed size, weight, vigor, and various other features during seed development, which are important for successful propagation and establishment for human use. However, how plants achieve and maintain these seed traits is still elusive.  Our study reveals that the rice Heat Shock Transcription Factor OsHSFC1b is highly expressed in the embryo and during the later stage of seed development. Through overexpression and gene editing approach, we found that OsHSFC1b not only plays a significant role in preserving seed vigor and longevity by activating various genes participating in protection mechanisms but also regulates seed size and weight by modulating auxin biosynthesis, endosperm development, and seed filling. Furthermore, the function of OsHSFC1b is compromised due to isoaspartyl modification in seeds particularly during seed storage and upon aging. Our MS/MS analyses confirm isoaspartyl modification in the asparagine residues near the DNA-binding domain and nuclear localization sequence of OsHSFC1b, which adversely affects OsHSFC1b’s transactivation activity. However, PROTEIN L-ISOASPARTYL METHYLTRANSFERASE, interacts and repairs this isoaspartyl-mediated damage and facilitates the function of OsHSFC1b. Taken together, our study uncovers how isoaspartyl damage dampens the transactivation prowess of OsHSFC1b, yet the intervention of PIMT not only repairs but also elevates agronomically important seed traits.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3279-0946

DNA hypomethylation in plants is associated with enhanced stress responses, making it a desirable trait. However, methylation mutants often experience a transgenerational decline in fitness, limiting their potential for crop improvement. 

We studied Arabidopsis epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRILs), created by crossing met1-3, which lacks CG methylation, with Col-0, resulting in a 'mosaic pattern' of DNA methylation. A specific region on chromosome 3, inherited solely from Col-0, drew our attention. This region contains the gene IBM1, known to be linked to transgenerational fitness decline due to reduced intronic methylation, causing alternative splicing of the IBM1 transcript and extensive gene body hypermethylation. 

Additionally, we identified VHA in the same region, sharing a similar methylation profile to IBM1 and complementary floral tissue expression. We hypothesized that the interaction between IBM1 and VHA contributes to the reduced fitness in met1-3 plants. To explore this, we performed RNA-seq on pollen and carpels, revealing interactions that may impair fertility. Genetic approaches, including crossing IBM1 and VHA knockout mutants and using CRISPR-Cas9 to generate double mutants, were also employed. 

Our findings indicate an incompatibility between pollen and carpels in methylation mutants, resulting in reduced fitness and providing new insights into the role of DNA methylation in plant reproduction. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0845-730X

The objective of this project is to determine how fungi can make decisions across scales that benefit the whole mycelial body and whether symbiotic interactions with plants can modify fungal decision making.

To answer these questions, we are using microfluidic chips, also called soil chips, to design physical and chemical challenges for the mycelium. The hyphal behavior is examined in diverse nutritional and symbiotic contexts by using different culture  and plant-host systems such as inoculated carrot root organ culture, inoculated Marchantia paleacea, or without a host, grown in a myristate medium. The micrometer scale of the chip enables us to observe the growth patterns of individual hyphae as well as subcellular processes, providing insights into how fungal hyphae respond to various environmental cues. This experimental configuration is also used to examine the mycorrhizal interaction at a larger scale by facilitating documentation of the mycelium's architectural features and allowing us to monitor resource allocation within the mycelium. Additionally, we have been able to observe and document mycelial development and anastomosis formation as well as monitor the ability of the mycelium to establish novel symbiotic interactions or maintain existing ones in diverse environments.

Endogenous circadian rhythms underpin plant growth and development and confer growth benefits when aligned with environmental rhythms. Despite a constant 24-hour period of daily rhythms in the environment, natural variation exists in plant circadian clock speed. This variation might be an adaptation to latitude or altitude. Recent evidence suggests that variation in clock speed might be an adaptation to daily variations in light intensity.

We grew natural accessions and mutants with variation in circadian clock speed in long-day and short-day conditions to compare relative photoperiodic growth as a function of clock speed. We found a linear relationship between clock speed and relative growth, suggesting that variation in clock speed might be an adaptation to latitude due to vegetative growth benefits. We also evaluated whether variation in clock speed influences relative utilization of daily light exposure. By restricting photosynthetic growth to either the first or second half of the day, we observed a linear relationship between clock speed and relative utilization of daily light exposure. Finally, we demonstrated that tissue-specific overexpression of CCA1 results in distinct growth and flowering-time phenotypes. We therefore engineered novel, tissue-specific clock phenotypes to further investigate how spatial variation in clock speed influences plant growth and development.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5524-6153

Drought stress significantly impacts forest tree physiology, disrupting photosynthesis and increasing oxidative stress. During drought, stomatal closure limits CO2 uptake, reducing photosynthetic efficiency. This results in an accumulation of excess energy, which is redirected to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study investigated the effects of drought on photosynthetic performance, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant defenses in common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) saplings, and examined how phosphorus (P) fertilization affects these processes. Drought reduced chlorophyll a+b concentrations, with a more pronounced decrease in oak, indicating impaired photosynthesis. Additionally, drought-induced oxidative stress resulted in increased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, indicating lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), were activated to mitigate ROS damage, although phosphorus fertilization had mixed effects. While P did not significantly improve chlorophyll content, it enhanced CAT activity in oak and APX activity in both species, especially under drought conditions. Provenance differences were observed, with oak from drier habitats exhibiting better photosynthetic performance and oxidative stress management. This study highlights the interconnected roles of photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, and phosphorus in mitigating drought stress, providing insights into improving drought tolerance in forest trees. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4877-1096

Photosystem I (PSI) is a pigment-binding protein complex involved in the first phase of photosynthesis. PSI is responsible for light harvesting and represents a critical component of electron transport within thylakoid membrane, which can be realised by either linear or cyclic flow. Cyclic electron transport around PSI is primarily mediated by Proton Gradient Regulation 5 protein/Proton Gradient Regulation 5-like photosynthetic phenotype 1 protein and NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH). In vascular plants, single copy of NDH binds two PSIs at characteristic positions via the light-harvesting antennae LHCA5 and LHCA6. However, this structure provides only limited information about the evolution of PSI-NDH interaction, unlike the moss Physcomitrium patens (Pp), which represents the evolutionary ancestor of vascular plants lacking the lhca6 gene but retaining lhca5.  

By single-particle electron microscopy, we revealed the structure of PSI-NDH supercomplex in Pp, which binds only one PSI to NDH and expresses a unique ability to bind PSI in two different configurations. One configuration closely resembles the angiosperms model, the other exhibits a novel, clockwise orientation of PSI. This unique flexibility indicates greater diversity at the PSI-NDH interface in evolutionary older organisms that has been lost in vascular plants, most likely due to increase in PSI-NDH complexity. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3833-6971

Biodiversity loss and climate change are interlinked global challenges. Climate impacts on biodiversity are often explained through spatial factors such as climatic area or isolation, or temporal factors such as climatic antiquity and stability. However, the combined influence of spatial and temporal climatic dynamics remains unknown. Here, we integrate both dimensions to assess how the long-term geographic extent and shift of climates have shaped global plant diversity. By compiling occurrence records for 350,864 vascular plant species, we produce the most comprehensive and precise global plant diversity map to date. We identify climatic analogues spanning tens of millions of years and quantify their geographic dynamics over deep time. Incorporating spatio-temporal climate changes into statistical models explains up to 92% of the deviance in present-day global plant diversity. Our findings extend previous hypotheses by showing that plant diversity is higher in climatic conditions that have stayed widespread over deep time. We also reveal a novel mechanism: climates that have expanded and shifted moderately in space over deep time foster higher diversity by balancing persistence with diversification. By revealing spatio-temporal climate influences on biodiversity, our study informs conservation strategies that conserve ancient biodiversity in stable climates while supporting ongoing diversification under climate change.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0247-363X

The accurate representation of African ecosystems in most of the global land surface models (LSMs) remains a critical challenge, limiting our understanding of the dynamics of carbon, water, and energy across this diverse region. This study addresses these gaps by refining the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) through improved parameterization of plant functional types (PFTs). A key foundation of this work involved the systematic classification of plant species observed in Africa, using data from the TRY plant trait database. This process identified key traits and grouped species into appropriate PFTs represented in JULES, providing region-specific parameters for JULES LSM. The ongoing project involves validating the model against flux data from 16 African sites, spanning diverse biomes such as savannas, grasslands, and tropical forests. By integrating these refined PFTs and site-specific environmental conditions, this research aims to improve model accuracy and advance our understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change. These efforts highlight the importance of regional data in enhancing the global applicability of LSMs.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7879-2250

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development, yet N availability often limits agricultural productivity. The excessive use of synthetic N fertilizers has resulted in significant environmental problems including greenhouse gas emissions & water pollution, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Beneficial plant-associated microbes present a promising solution to enhance nutrient use efficiency and promote plant growth under N-limited conditions. 

In this study, we explore how Enterobacter sp. SA187 (SA187), a bacterium known for promoting abiotic stress tolerance, supports the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana under low N conditions. Through physiological and molecular analyses, we demonstrate that SA187 enhances plant biomass and improves plant N content in N-deficient environments. Our results show that SA187 regulates the expression of key high-affinity nitrate transporter genes, NRT2.5 and NRT2.6. Notably, NRT2.5 is regulated downstream of ethylene signaling pathways activated by SA187, whereas NRT2.6 is regulated independently of ethylene. Mutant analyses confirm the distinct roles of these pathways in mediating the growth-promoting effects of SA187. 

These findings highlight the potential of SA187 as a microbial solution for improving plant growth under limited N conditions. Leveraging such beneficial microbes could reduce the dependence on synthetic N-fertilizers, paving the way for environmentally sustainable strategies to enhance crop productivity. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5017-869X

Increasing temperatures and droughts are known to affect mountain plant communities, their functional trait,s and life strategies. However, little is known about how communities acclimate to climate change, and how tightly plant responses are linked to responses of ecosystem and microbial functions. 

With a whole-community transplantation experiment, we compared warmed and dried communities transplanted from alpine to subalpine conditions to alpine and subalpine control communities. Five years after transplantation, we found slower growth (e.g. lower leaf nitrogen) and more outsourcing strategies (e.g. lower specific root length) in the warmed alpine communities, probably due to drought stress. While below-ground traits fully acclimated to new subalpine conditions, above-ground traits did not.  

Changes in functional traits cascaded to changes in the ecosystem and microbial functions (eg. productivity, decomposition rates, arbuscular colonization, and bacterial biomass). Most of the variance in ecosystem and microbial functions was explained by the above-ground traits and links between traits and ecosystem and microbial functions did not change under treatment. In contrast, the links between below-ground traits and ecosystem and microbial functions were disrupted under climate change. This might challenge our capacity to predict the trajectories of plant and soil communities and their associated ecosystem functions under climate change.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4805-7180

Climate change is forcing species to shift their distributions to track suitable climates. For sessile organisms such as plants, the dispersal of their seeds is crucial, as it is their only opportunity to move. Thus, on mountains, animal seed dispersers may be important in helping plants ascend to higher altitudes. However, the role of animal dispersers remains poorly understood due to a lack of empirical datasets spanning multiple disperser guilds along elevational gradients. To address this gap, I built seed dispersal networks for the five altitudinal vegetation belts of Tenerife Island (0-3,718 m a.s.l.) to evaluate whether animal dispersers enable plants to colonise higher elevations under climate change. The overall network comprised 283 unique interactions among 73 plant and 27 animal species. Seed dispersers functionally connect vegetation belts, offering viable pathways for plants to colonise upper areas. Furthermore, 11 plant species were dispersed to higher elevations beyond their current distribution range, achieving vertical distances exceeding those required to escape rising temperatures. Nonetheless, over half of the plants reaching higher elevations were exotic. This work suggests that diverse disperser communities are key for helping plants track climate change on mountainous, yet exotic plants may also benefit from this upward lift.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-9743

Amazonian forests have faced extreme droughts in recent decades often linked to El Niño events, leading to increased tree mortality, reduced carbon sequestration, and sharp rises in global atmospheric CO₂ levels. The extent to which photosynthetic drought sensitivity varies across the vertical canopy profile in Amazonian forests remains poorly quantified, despite its potential importance for these forest-wide responses. Here, we show that photosynthetic capacity and photoprotective responses vary significantly across canopy strata during drought events. Using vertical canopy sampling of chlorophyll fluorescence in mature leaves, we analyzed seasonal and drought-induced changes during the 2023-2024 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drought. Reductions in photosynthetic electron flow occurred in mid (20–40 m) and upper (>40 m) canopy layers, alongside changes in photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII), non-photochemical quenching (ΦNPQ), and steady-state leaf fluorescence (ΦNO). The ΦNPQ/ΦNO ratio increased across all strata under drought stress, indicating enhanced photoprotection. However, photosynthesis relative to fluorescence declined, indicating a shifting SIF-GPP relationship during extreme drought that must be accounted for when using SIF remote sensing to assess canopy responses to climate extremes.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0762-9218

Dehydration stress is one of the leading factors limiting crop yield globally. In this study, we report that glucose (Glc) regulates root directional growth under high agar-induced dehydration stress via TOR signaling pathway. TOR RNAi seedlings were hyposensitive, whereas seedlings overexpressing TOR were hypersensitive to Glc-induced root growth deviation. Comparison of dehydration-responsive transcriptome of tori and Col highlights the crucial involvement of TOR signaling in plant stress response. Our work reveals that dehydration stress-induced straightening of roots requires cytokinin (CK) signaling. Glc signaling and CK signaling inhibit each other under stress conditions. Glc also modulates auxin signaling and transport to regulate root directional growth. Moreover, Glc-TOR induces an asymmetric distribution of DR5::GFP across the root tip, whereas dehydration stress and CK abolish the asymmetric distribution of DR5::GFP. Notably, agar-induced dehydration stress caused loop formation in roots and stunted growth under horizontal growth conditions. However, Glc significantly reduces loop formation in the roots and promotes a root architecture that allows for better surface exploration of the medium. Glc-induced change in root architecture involves downstream CK and auxin signaling. Altogether, Glc-mediated change in root direction enhances the plasticity of roots and is beneficial under dehydration stress.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9376-8956

Noncoding DNA regions constitute a substantial portion of eukaryotic genomes, with their transcription playing critical roles in regulating biological processes. Among these, natural antisense transcripts (NATs)—RNA molecules transcribed from the non-template strand of coding DNA—represent an integral yet largely unexplored component of plant genomes. Despite their demonstrated importance, significant knowledge gaps remain in understanding the origins, evolutionary progression, and functional dynamics of NATs. Using interdisciplinary approaches such as molecular phylogenomics and synteny analysis, we uncovered unique genomic distributions of NATs compared to coding genes across various gene families. Notably, transcription factor families exhibited significant variation in NAT abundance, particularly among recently evolved subgroups. Furthermore, differential expression analysis during cold stress underscores the intricate regulatory role of NATs in facilitating environmental adaptation. Moreover, we aim to investigate the promoter regulatory regions to understand the regulatory role of NATs and their contribution to stress adaptation. The findings will redefine the role of noncoding regions in plant genomes, offering novel insights into genome evolution, regulatory networks, and plant resilience. These insights can enable innovative crop engineering strategies to enhance plant resilience, supporting sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9078-4168

Understanding the role of climate in the assembly of rainforest tree communities is informative for predicting how future climates will impact species and communities. We surveyed rainforest tree communities across the Australian subtropics (spanning 600 to 2500 mm rainfall year−1) and measured functional traits on 285 (91%) of all recorded species. We used principal component analysis to create axes approximating species' hydraulic strategies, leaf economics and stature and included these as predictors in joint species distribution models, along with traits describing dispersal ability and leaf phenology. Hydraulic strategy and leaf phenology strongly modulated species' occurrence trends along the moisture availability gradient, while stature and leaf economics modulated species' responses to minimum temperature and soil variables, respectively. Overall, we quantify the occurrence trends of almost half of Australia's subtropical rainforest tree species based on their functional traits, providing a general foundation for prediction under ongoing climate change. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6949-9469

Chenopodium quinoa, a nutritionally rich pseudocereal, is gaining global attention due to its gluten-free, protein-rich seeds. However, the seeds contain bitter-tasting oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, such as oleanolic acid, which contributes to their bitterness and hemolytic activity. Oleanolic acid is synthesized through the cyclization of 2,3-oxidosqualene by beta-amyrin synthase, followed by oxidation of beta-amyrin, a process catalyzed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. While plant genomes contain CYP families involved in sapogenin biosynthesis, the specific enzyme responsible for oleanolic acid synthesis in quinoa was previously unidentified. In this study, we identified the CYP716A enzyme in C. quinoa, which converts beta-amyrin into oleanolic acid. Functional validation through transient overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in quinoa leaves, along with UPLC-MS analysis, confirmed the role of CYP716A in oleanolic acid biosynthesis. Heterologous expression in tobacco and Arabidopsis further demonstrated CYP716A's involvement in growth and stress responses. These findings identify a novel beta-amyrin 28-oxidase enzyme and provide insights into triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis in quinoa. This research lays the groundwork for developing saponin-free quinoa varieties, which would improve the crop's palatability and health benefits. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3640-3173

Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (eCa), by increasing plant carbon uptake, is thought to ameliorate the negative impacts of stresses on trees. Waterlogging is a severe stress that is potentially harmful to trees, but whether eCa offers trees extra resistance, resilience or both against waterlogging remains unclear. We examined the potential ameliorative effect of eCa against waterlogging at the Eucalyptus Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (EucFACE) facility, which experienced a 11-month waterlogging. We hypothesised that eCa would reduce the impact of waterlogging on trees by increasing the availability of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). We tracked the response of trees to waterlogging by measuring tree health, litterfall, photosynthesis, leaf area index (LAI), and NSC. We found that during waterlogging, eCa plots showed higher resistance by having healthier canopies and lower twig litterfall rates. Concurrently, eCa plots had higher LAI and healthy trees in eCa plots had higher sugar fractions in sapwood. We inferred that eCa provided trees with more NSC to resist waterlogging. After the waterlogging event, eCa plots exhibited a faster recovery by having higher leaf production. The higher leaf production was associated with a higher remobilisation of NSC in live bark. In summary, our findings suggest that eCa can ameliorate the negative impact of waterlogging and give trees additional resistance and resilience. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0098-6095

Crop pathogens significantly reduce agricultural production. Early interactions between the pathogen and its environment in the host determine whether the pathogen can establish and cause disease. Here, we used functional genomics approaches (RNAseq & RB-TnSeq) to identify Xanthomonas campestris genes involved in early colonization of the plant leaf. We found that metabolic capacities, transport, defense evasion, and stress tolerance functions contribute to bacterial growth in the host. Interestingly, we also found that cooperation and cheating for virulence functions occurred among TnSeq mutant strains. This prompted us to investigate how the social behaviors of pathogens could shape infection outcomes. We focused on phenotypic heterogeneity within a clonal pathogen population. We asked how local interactions between individual pathogen cells and their environment affect the co-existence of phenotypically diverse subpopulations. Using computational simulations of plant infection, we identified conditions (spatial arrangement, initial abundances, plant and microbial traits) that restrict pathogen colonization. In particular, we found that bottlenecks in the plant tissue restrict co-existence and limit bacterial spreading. On the other hand, quick restoration of phenotypic heterogeneity after bottlenecks promotes division of labor for immunosuppression and ensures tissue colonization. Altogether, this research helps elucidate the strategies of plant pathogens in their natural ecological context. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1917-3468

Plant cell mitochondria exhibit collective behaviours, with individuals moving rapidly and interacting. Mitochondrial populations are evenly spread across cellular space while forming efficient networks with high potential for exchanging contents. A framework of single-cell confocal microscopy, physical modelling and graph theory quantified behaviour and connectivity of the intracellular social network. This analysis can now include functional information on genetic contents and exchange across the population. 

Exogenous nucleotide staining and live imaging of Arabidopsis hypocotyl cells quantified mitochondrial subpopulations and potential mtDNA exchange events. By tracking individual organelles and their contents a detailed, quantitative, single-cell view can be taken. 3D image analysis counted individual mitochondria per cell, and those with/without mtDNA. We also introduced a genetically encoded photoconvertible fluorescent marker for mtDNA based on the bacterial H-NS binding protein.  

Plant mtDNA exhibits high rates of recombination. It is hypothesised that plant mitochondria retain individual, non-reticulated shapes partly to segregate genomic material. My previous work shows that genetic perturbation leads to altered physical dynamics, and live imaging with photoconversion of mtDNA allows direct testing of physical control over the genome. Using these tools will allow us to probe the link between physical control of colocalisation, positioning and genetic dynamics. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1473-8415

Trait spectra have been used in various branches of ecology to explain and predict patters of species distributions. Several categorical and continuous traits have been proposed as relevant for ectomycorrhizal fungi, but a spectrum that unifies co-varying traits remains to be established and tested.  

In this presentation, I propose a nutrient acquisition spectrum for ectomycorrhizal fungi, which encompasses several morphological, physiological and metabolic traits. The trait spectrum is linked to the concept of apparent carbon use efficiency and resolves the contradiction that species with high supply of host C can maintain nitrogen transfer despite building large mycelial biomass. Ectomycorrhizal fungal species would be distributed along this spectrum, with lifestyles ranging from “absorbers” with a niche in high productive forests with high availability of soluble N to “miners”, focused on exploitation of organic matter in forests with low N availability.  

This spectrum highlights that ectomycorrhizal have different function, and that their relationship to their host is not simply altruistic. Instead, the outcome of the symbiotic relationship, in regards to nutrient delivery, species composition and nutrient cycling, is regulated by feedbacks between fungi and the plant.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5550-4762

Understanding the intricate language of plant RNA is essential for uncovering key regulatory elements driving growth, adaptation, and defense. Here, we present PlantRNA-FM, a pioneering AI-driven foundation model that integrates both RNA sequence and structure information from over 1,000 plant species. By training on 54 billion RNA elements, PlantRNA-FM accurately decodes functional motifs and structural patterns, enabling highly precise predictions of gene regulatory functions. In benchmark evaluations, the model outperformed existing approaches, successfully identifying crucial structural features such as those associated with translation efficiency. Experimental validations confirmed that certain RNA structures predicted by PlantRNA-FM promote efficient protein production in plants. Furthermore, our interpretability framework clarifies how the position and nature of these RNA motifs influence gene function, offering a comprehensive view of sequence–structure interplay. This capability not only accelerates the discovery of functional regulatory elements but also opens avenues for engineering RNA-based traits in crops. We anticipate that PlantRNA-FM will catalyze future breakthroughs in plant science, complementing traditional biology to rapidly advance our understanding and design of plant genetic systems. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5184-2430

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is widespread in eukaryotes, including plants, where it can drive adaptation and innovation. However, the proportion of LGT that are adaptive and the factors influencing their persistence remain unclear. Using Alloteropsis as a model, we examined grass-to-grass transfers through transcriptome and genome analyses. We found that most laterally acquired genes are expressed at lower levels and are often truncated when compared to vertically inherited orthologs that co-exist in the genome. For the laterally acquired genes that do maintain their expression, the level is more similar to the ortholog in the donor species than to the vertically inherited ortholog. Furthermore, laterally acquired genes exhibit higher methylation levels than vertically inherited genes. Overall, the results indicate that most laterally acquired genes detected in a genome are likely to be neutral or deleterious, and the actual background rate is likely to be many times higher as most LGT are rapidly silenced and lost. Those that are retained may encode their own regulation (e.g. presence of adjacent cis-regulatory element) and/or have a modified protein function. For a laterally acquired gene to drive adaptive evolution it needs to be readily usable by the recipient and to offer an evolutionary advantage.

Nicotiana section Suaveolentes (Solanaceae) contains approximately 80 wild tobacco species, originating in South America 5-6 million years ago. Today, species are found in Australia, some Pacific Islands, and Namibia. This monophyletic group diversified rapidly across Australia in the last 1-2 million years, despite the region’s relatively stable climate with some ephemeral, xerophytic species, while others are less arid-adapted perennials. The drivers of this diversification remain unclear. 

We hypothesise that closely related taxa occupy similar environmental niches, while distantly related species may occupy divergent ones. However, ecological factors like pollinators or microhabitat differentiation could also influence speciation, leading to divergent niches even among closely related taxa. The group has an allotetraploid origin (n=24), with species displaying varying chromosome numbers (reducing to n=14), offering a unique system to study the role of chromosomal rearrangement in niche divergence. Concurrently, the insular distributions of some taxa offer insights into gene flow and isolation, plus the section's disjunct distribution. 

Using spatial analysis, we quantify environmental niches and investigate divergence versus conservatism in recent speciation. Phylogenetic and population genomic tools illuminate species relationships, species delimitation, gene flow, and distribution patterns, especially in island populations. Our findings contribute to understanding the evolution and ecology of Suaveolentes, which may reveal broad macroevolutionary patterns common to other angiosperm groups. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2200-9677

The seed microbiome was shown to have implications for plant health. Yet, there is limited knowledge regarding the factors influencing the composition and assembly of the seed microbiome, particularly in nutritionally and economically important crops like tomato (Solanum lycopersicon). In a large seed microbiome dataset involving 100 tomato cultivars, we examine host and environmental factors influencing the seed microbiome structure. By using predictive models, the influence on the seed microbiome of plant traits, like insect resistance, yield, seed weight, number of ovaries, berry colour, berry taste, e.tc were explored. We hypothesized that the heterogenous genetic background of tomatoes reflects on its seed microbiome, and that it is dependent on the region of production as well as certain host traits. We detected high effective bacterial diversity in the range 20 to 150 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs); with host genetics, more than geographic region of tomato production contributing towards shaping the tomato seed bacterial community (R2=56% vs. 11%). Our study highlights the crucial role of plant genetics in shaping the seed bacterial community, uncovers the plasticity of the seed microbiome, and provides a basis for seed microbiome engineering approaches.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2549-0301

RNA modifications are critical for distinguishing self from non-self in humans, with implications for immunity and development. In humans, mRNA modifications, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), are essential for modulating immune responses and central to mRNA therapeutic advancements. Similarly, in Arabidopsis, m6A modifications mediated by the mRNA writer complex (including VIRILIZER) are vital for viability, with loss-of-function mutations causing severe and often lethal developmental defects. 

We investigated the role of m6A in Arabidopsis and discovered that disrupting the writer complex produces a temperature-sensitive autoimmune phenotype. Mutants exhibit increased basal resistance to pathogens, heightened cell death, and immune gene dysregulation, suppressed at elevated temperatures. In contrast, the developmental defects in these mutants are not temperature-sensitive, indicating separable impacts of m6A loss on autoimmunity and development. 

Alongside the autoimmune response, we observe temperature-sensitive changes to poly(A) tail length distributions in writer mutants. These changes were not restricted to genes with predicted m6A modification, suggesting global disruption in poly(A) processing which could be a result of, or lead to, the autoimmune response. 

These findings highlight m6A as a critical regulator of immune homeostasis in plants, and indicate a possible connection between m6A modification, poly(A) tail length and autoimmune response. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5295-694X

Common remediation methods (e.g. soil washing and chelate-assisted phytoextraction) are effective at removing heavy metal (HM) pollutants from soil. However, they are also costly, mobilise pollutants via leaching and oxidation and fail to address reductions in microbial biodiversity caused by HM contamination. Diverse soil microbiomes can improve plant growth, nutrient cycling, disease resistance and ecosystem multifunctionality. Thus, promoting microbial diversity in combination with phytoremediation may encourage beneficial soil processes (e.g. soil nitrification) and aid extraction efficiency of hyperaccumulators. 

Multi-plant systems have gained increasing interest as a potential bridge between biological and physiochemical technologies with regards to phytoremediation. This project utilises greenhouse and in-situ trials to examine the effects of multi-plant systems, as compared to monocultures, for four hyperaccumulator species. Growth of hyperaccumulators, microbial diversity of the soil and HMs in plants and soil are measured in-situ and greenhouse trials 

Zymoseptoria tritici causes Septoria tritici blotch (STB), a damaging disease in all wheat-producing parts of the world. Due to limited genetic diversity in elite wheat cultivars, identifying new resistance sources is critical. This study builds on the observation that several Z. tritici effectors are recognised in the non-host plant Nicotiana benthamiana but not in the natural wheat host. Our goal is to identify the recognition determinants for these Z. tritici effectors which could provide new sources of resistance. 

Proximity labelling using TurboID has emerged as a powerful tool for studying proximal and low-affinity protein interactions. However, applying this approach in the apoplast presents significant challenges due to the unique extracellular environment. In a pilot study, we characterised the interaction between the oomycete apoplastic elicitor INF1 and the cell-surface receptor-like protein (RLP) REL to demonstrate the feasibility of proximity labelling in the apoplast. By supplying external ATP and magnesium acetate, we successfully detected biotinylation of plant proteins in the apoplast of N. benthamiana leaves. The next step involves confirmation that REL interacts with INF1, through mass spectrometry analysis. Simultaneously, we are extending this approach to investigate the interactomes of the Z. tritici effectors Zt9, Zt11, and Zt12.  to understand the recognition mechanism(s) for these effectors. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1779-8015

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient utilized by plants to support various metabolic processes during growth and development. Recent studies have revealed the pivotal role of inositol hexakis/pyrophosphates (InsP6–8), the derivatives of myo-inositol (MI), in facilitating the interaction between SYG1/PHO81/XPR1 (SPX) and phosphate starvation response (PHR) proteins. myo-Inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS) catalyses the first committed step in MI biosynthesis. Although the role of MIPS members in mediating stress responses in plants is well elucidated, their role in phosphate (Pi) deficiency remains largely unexplored. This study demonstrates SlMIPS2 is sharply induced at an early stage of Pi starvation in tomato seedlings. Silencing of SlMIPS2 led to improved seedling growth with enhanced soluble Pi and total P levels, and also caused a significant reduction in MI and InsP6 content in tomato seedlings under high Pi availability. These seedlings with depleted InsP6 levels accumulated lower levels of SlSPX2 protein. In contrast, stabilized SlPHL1 levels were noticed in these plants, directly implicating it in activating phosphate-starvation-inducible genes in the silenced seedlings, even under high Pi conditions. The results assign a novel role to SlMIPS2 in regulating cellular InsP6 levels and SPX–PHR interactions to control Pi homeostasis in tomato seedlings. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5565-0098

Bryophyta are a basal group of plants that lack stomata and a hydrophobic cuticle in their haploid form. Consequently, these “cell-wall-naked” plants are classified as poikilohydric, meaning they have poor control of water loss. While this classification is widely accepted, it does not fully align with the observed strategies, which range from withstanding dehydration to long-term desiccation tolerance. We studied gas exchange under controlled dehydration conditions. Our results revealed significant variation in transpiration rates, cell wall humidity, and desiccation times across species. These differences could not be explained by tissue water storage relative to the transpiring surface area, suggesting that water loss is not entirely passive. Additionally, we found that active water loss regulation was correlated with pressure-volume derived parameters. Species with better water control also presented traits of an avoidance strategy, including elastic tissues and high capacitance, suggesting an adaptative constraint. These findings point to a basal, non-stomatal mechanism of water loss control through cell membranes and/or cell walls. Potentially, all or part of this mechanism is homologous to the non-stomatal control recently identified in angiosperms, which induces unsaturated conditions in substomatal cavities. Bryophyta present a valuable non-stomatal model for further investigating this mechanism and its evolutionary significance. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8451-6052

NLR immune receptors can be functionally organized in genetically linked sensor-helper pairs. However, methods to categorize paired NLRs remain limited, primarily relying on the presence of non-canonical domains in some sensor NLRs. Here, we propose that the AI system AlphaFold 3 can classify paired NLR proteins into sensor or helper categories based on predicted structural characteristics. Helper NLRs showed higher AlphaFold 3 confidence scores than sensors when modelled in oligomeric configurations. Furthermore, funnel-shaped structures—essential for activating immune responses—were reliably predicted in helpers but not in sensors. Applying this method to uncharacterized NLR pairs from rice, we found that AlphaFold 3 can differentiate between putative sensors and helpers even when both proteins lack non-canonical domain annotations. These findings suggest that AlphaFold 3 offers a new approach to categorize NLRs and enhances our understanding of plant immune systems' functional configurations, even without non-canonical domain annotations. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-699X

In plants, defense responses against herbivores and necrotrophic pathogens are primarily mediated by the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway. In healthy plants, JAZ repressor proteins suppress this pathway, preventing MYC transcription factors from activating defense-related genes. Previous studies have shown that solar UV-B radiation enhances plant defenses against herbivores, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of the JA pathway in mediating UV-B effects on Arabidopsis resistance to Spodoptera frugiperda caterpillars. 

Insects grown on plants exposed to low doses of UV-B accumulated less mass compared in bioassays compared to those on control plants. This reduced growth correlated with increased bioactive jasmonates and JA response gene expression in UV-B-exposed plants. The UV-B effects were dependent on the UVR8 photoreceptor. Importantly, enhanced resistance to S. frugiperda by UV-B was absent in an aos null mutant, which is defective in a key step of JA biosynthesis. Additionally, plants exposed to UV-B radiation in the growth chamber or to natural solar UV-B in the field showed decreased stability of the JAZ10 repressor protein and increased MYC2 stability in a UVR8-dependent manner. 

Our results suggest that UV-B radiation, acting through UVR8, enhances plant resistance to insect herbivory by altering the balance between repressors and activators of the jasmonate pathway. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3497-157X

Traditionally managed grasslands are among Europe’s most biodiverse habitats but are threatened by land abandonment. While the negative effects of grazing cessation on species richness are well known, its evolutionary impacts remain understudied. Intraspecific functional diversity is crucial for grassland restoration and adaptation to climate change. 

We investigated trait responses in Briza media, a common grass, across 11 pairs of grazed and abandoned grasslands along the Baltic Sea coast. At abandoned sites, plants exhibited phenotypic plasticity, with traits like greater height and specific leaf area enhancing light competition but reducing stress tolerance (lower dry matter content). However, clonal offspring grown under common conditions showed heritable shifts toward greater tissue protection at abandoned sites, revealing countergradient variation. 

Trait diversity measured in the field was higher at abandoned sites due to greater variation in light and litter conditions. Yet, heritable trait variation was greater in grazed populations, which were characterized by higher species richness and flowering densities. 

Our results show that land-use change drives evolutionary shifts and reduces heritable trait variation, which phenotypic plasticity in the field can mask. Thus, field-based trait diversity assessments may not reliably capture the heritable variation critical for population adaptation. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3734-9284

Anther dehiscence, the process of pollen release from mature anthers, is essential for reproduction in flowering plants. In spite of its biological importance, the developmental mechanisms driving this process and the response to environmental factors remain to be resolved. Using non-invasive, controlled humidity conditions, we demonstrate that high humidity inhibits anther opening in Arabidopsis thaliana flowers. Our results indicate that stomatal density modulates dehiscence dynamics, implicating regulated transpiration in this process. Furthermore, subcellular marker analysis reveals that programmed cell death (PCD) occurs in specific anther tissues, the epidermis and endothecium, and is both developmentally programmed and environmentally regulated. Genetic inhibition of PCD delays dehiscence, whereas premature induction of PCD accelerates dehiscence. These results highlight a rapid, humidity-triggered PCD process as a critical factor in ensuring timely pollen release in Arabidopsis. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1285-2916

Plants deploy multiple strategies to optimize water acquisition when competing with neighbours, particularly through root adaptations. One adaptation is the rhizosheath - soil that strongly adheres to root surfaces - which can enhance resource capture. Using water and ethanol as liquids to distinguish between physical and biochemical mechanisms, we investigated how timothy grass (Phleum pratense) modifies its rhizosheath properties when growing alongside chicory (Cichorium intybus) under contrasting soil conditions. 

In a soil with naturally high phosphorus levels, timothy enhanced downward water movement in its rhizosheath by 50% when growing with chicory compared to conspecifics, regardless of additional phosphorus fertilization. This directional adaptation, achieved through changes in surface chemistry rather than structural modifications, could enhance rainfall channelling to root tips. However, in a contrasting soil type where phosphorus was limiting, timothy exhibited fundamentally different responses; structural modifications of the rhizosheath became dominant, with phosphorus availability, rather than neighbour identity, controlling water movement. 

Our findings reveal that while similar functional changes may occur in the rhizosheath, plants can deploy different mechanisms depending on soil type and competitive context. This plasticity in root-level adaptation highlights how species might coexist in mixed grasslands through dynamic modifications of their resource acquisition strategies. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4408-8038

Mitotic recombination, which can emerge from DNA double strand break repair, can result in significant changes to genes and genomes without sexual reproduction and has been shown to drive evolution, especially in plants. However, even though DNA repair systems are conserved throughout the tree of life, the response to DNA damage in diatoms and how it links to diatom evolution remain unknown. Polar diatoms may have evolved more effective DNA repair mechanisms to combat the greater load of DNA damage due to the extreme environments they are adapted to thrive in. Subjecting three model diatom species to the DNA damaging agent zeocin revealed significant differences between species, with the centric Thalassiosira pseudonana being more sensitive than two pennate diatom species. RNA sequencing is underway and may reveal differences in DNA repair pathway regulation. Furthermore, in the temperate diatom T. pseudonana, loss of function of the homologous recombination gene BRCA2 led to a distinct phenotype, which includes increased sensitivity to high temperature and elongated cells. Research is ongoing to repeat experiments with the psychrophile diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus and will help to compare genome evolution between temperate and polar adapted diatoms and may help elucidate adaptations to the changing oceans. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9914-196X

Plant-pollinator interactions are intrinsically tied to floral resources, forming the foundation upon which these ecological relationships are built. Yet, critical questions remain about how this fundamental niche dimension influences such interactions. How are floral resources distributed globally, and what drives these patterns at the biosphere scale? How do they determine the organisation of pairwise interactions among plants and pollinators at the community level? And how do floral resource functional traits shape the eco-evolutionary dynamics of interactions at the population scale? To tackle these questions, my research combines systematic reviews, biogeographical modelling, ecological network analysis, and experimental approaches in pollination biology, such as exclusion experiments. This combination of methodologies aims to clarify the role of floral resources in structuring plant-pollinator interactions across scales, advancing our understanding of their ecological and evolutionary importance within diverse interactions and floral resource landscapes. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8299-3189

Living in the roots of plants, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) aid the plant with the acquisition of otherwise inaccessible mineral nutrients. In exchange, plants supply the AMF with photosynthetic products which serve as the fungus’ sole source of carbon that it uses to grow its mycelium. Having lost all chlorophyll and therefore the ability to photosynthesize, rare mycoheterotrophic plants cheat this symbiosis and rely on AMF supplied carbon instead, thus acting as indirect parasites on the surrounding vegetation. However, recent evidence using stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (13C and 15N) has shown that many green plants may also tap into this carbon source, indicating that the partial mycoheterotrophic (or arbuscular mycorrhizal mixotrophic) mode of life might be present in up to 40% of all land plants. Therefore, the goal of my PhD project is to determine (i) how common AM partial mycoheterotrophy is and in which environments it occurs, (ii) which fungi are involved and (iii) how these plants and fungi are linked through mutualistic interaction networks. Mixotrophy is expected in plants with the Paris symbiotic morphotype in the shaded understory of (tropical) forests and these plants are expected to preferentially interact with well-connected generalist AMF, similar to mycoheterotrophs. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8416-9100

Auxin plays a vital role in regulating various biological processes, ranging from embryogenesis and organogenesis at a macroscopic level, to specific cellular activities like ion exchange, cell polarity, and endocytic trafficking (Sauer et al., 2013). Additionally, recent research has shown that auxin is possibly involved in the activation of another crucial cellular process that is macroautophagy (Rodriguez et al., 2020). 

Macroautophagy (from now on referred as autophagy) is a “self-eating” catabolic mechanism for the removal of unneeded or dysfunctional cytoplasmic contents, such as protein aggregates or damaged organelles (Gou et al., 2019). 

Although autophagy was initially thought of as a coping mechanism for damage and different stresses, there is now proof that this process is essential for cell homeostasis, particularly in the short-term reprogramming of somatic cells. In order to enable quick changes in cell state, autophagy thus appears to be highly controlled by a variety of pathways that are convergent on it. (Batoko et al., 2017; Rodriguez et al., 2020). Here, we will present how auxin can fine-tune autophagy to rewire the somatic cell state, through its canonical pathway, involving cAMP and transcriptional regulation, by using characterized auxin analogues, genetic methods, and proteomics approaches. 

An important aim of ecology is to understand the ecological strategies of organisms, how strategies relate to species traits, how traits and strategies of species affect ecosystem functions, and how these effects may be mediated by, or affect, other species. As for many aspects of ecology, far less is known about the world belowground than aboveground. For the plant roots there seems agreement about two main trait-strategy dimensions. But what about the soil fauna? For example, what are the ecological strategies of soil nematodes, a group that plays key roles in ecosystem carbon cycles? From sampling grasslands, shrublands and forests forming a natural restoration chronosequence, we first identified the primary trait-strategy dimensions of nematodes and quantified their relationships with plant trait-strategy dimensions. For nematodes, one major dimension concerned reproduction, with species varying from low to high fecundity. This dimension aligned with the root collaboration dimension. The other represents a “nematode economics spectrum”, or NES, that represents strategies from rapid growth potential to longevity. Variation along the NES is coordinated with the root economics spectrum. We then assessed how these coordinated trait-strategy dimensions contributed to soil carbon dynamics. The collaboration–reproduction dimension is related to carbon fluxes while the fast–slow continuum is associated with carbon pool size. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1113-6283

Aluminium (Al3+) ions under acid soil is a major threat to crop production. Recent studies have highlighted the role of photoreceptors and light signalling factors in nutrient acquisition (P, N, Fe) from soil. We found that darkness aggravates aluminium(Al) sensitivity whereas light, specifically blue light promotes Al tolerance by lowering internal Al accumulation in the roots. The HY5-COP1 module functions downstream to cryptochromes under Al. The hy5 and cop1 seedlings show a hyper and hyposensitive response to external Al respectively. Accumulation of HY5 is downregulated in the roots exposed to Al in a COP1 dependent manner. The hy5 seedlings accumulate higher internal Al, ROS, and the cop1 accumulate lower Al, ROS in the roots. We further observed that cop1 could rescue the Al sensitivity in darkness as well in stop1. Also, HY5 transcriptionally regulates STOP1, ALMT1 and MATE to confer aluminium tolerance. The STOP1 accumulation is higher in cop1 in a HY5 dependent manner resulting in higher MATE levels. This is reflected in higher citrate exudation ability of cop1 resulting in Al tolerance. Also, COP1 interacts and degrades STOP1 in darkness under Al stress. Taken together, this study suggests the role of a blue light mediated HY5-COP1 module in regulating citrate levels conferring Al tolerance. 

The savannas are vast reservoirs of unique disturbance-adapted plant diversity with these ecosystems directly supporting the livelihoods of 15% of the global population. The near future of savannas are uncertain due to large increases in woody cover (encroachment) that negatively impact biodiversity, changing ecosystem functioning. Encroachment is an overlooked but highly pervasive global change impact on savannas affecting over 5 million km2 with extensive regions of Africa being rapidly transformed. To date, research has focused on quantifying encroachment extent and its environmental correlates. Using invasion ecology frameworks our study makes a pivotal shift to examine the species driving encroachment. What are they? Are these species a random subset of the available species pool? We examined the species of the dominant genera of African savannas Dichrostachys, Prosopis, Senegalia, Vachellia, Combretum, and Terminalia and found that the species responsible for continental-scale vegetation change is driven by just 63 species classified as encroachers. Furthermore, encroachers differ systematically from non-encroachers, exhibiting broader environmental tolerances, larger geographic range sizes, a propensity for traits related to tall stature, and a flexible plant habit. Our findings suggest encroachers are a specific group of species with an ecology responsive to global change drivers such as rising atmospheric CO2, altered fire and herbivory regimes. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1511-1083

The ability of plants responding dynamically to temperature fluctuations is critical for survival in our warming climate. Plants regulate their growth in response to warm temperatures, a process termed thermomorphogenesis, through the elongation of the hypocotyl and petioles, as well as hyponastic growth. These changes in growth are hypothesized to optimize cooling. Although key components of the thermomorphogenesis pathway have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, the pathway is not fully understood.My PhD project focuses on determining whether AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (ARF2), a known repressor of auxin signaling, is a novel regulator of thermomorphogenesis. Preliminary findings demonstrate that arf2 knockout mutants exhibit an exaggerated growth response under elevated temperatures, implicating ARF2 in temperature-dependent growth. Furthermore, ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) data reveal that multiple upstream open reading frames (uORFs) within the ARF2 5’-untranslated region (5’-UTR) are preferentially translated at higher temperatures, suggesting a temperature-specific translational regulation of ARF2. This project aims to determine how these uORFs influence ARF2 translation at warmer temperatures and to elucidate their functional significance in mediating ARF2’s role in thermomorphogenesis. By characterizing these regulatory mechanisms both in vitro and in vivo, this research seeks to advance our understanding of temperature-responsive growth pathways in plants. 

Pathogen-induced activation of host resistance proteins (Effector Triggered Immunity, ETI) induces broad-spectrum systemic protection against subsequent infections, termed Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). Salicylic acid (SA) is classically associated with SAR induction almost at the exclusion of other phytohormones. We demonstrate a concerted role for jasmonic acid (JA), abscisic acid (ABA), electrical and calcium signalling in the earliest stages of SAR signal propagation and translocation. Using the JASMONATE-INDUCED SYSTEMIC SIGNAL 1 (JISS1) promoter, temporal-spatial dynamics of ETI-elicited SAR signalling were monitored at the whole plant and subcellular levels using JISS1:LUC and JISS1:GFP lines, respectively. Systemic JISS1:LUC signalling was observed following challenge with ETI-inducing bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strain DC3000 (DC), and JISS1 expression was upregulated rapidly following infection. Pre-treatment of A. thaliana with ABA prior to infection abolished JISS1:LUC induction. JISS1:LUC signalling was unaffected in SA pathway mutants, but was abolished in JA mutants. Systemic JISS1:LUC signalling was also observed in response to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Consistent with literature on JA-dependent wounding responses, ETI-activated systemic electrical potentials were dependent on both jasmonate signalling and JISS1. Together, these results indicate that JA, but not SA, signalling is crucial for eliciting JISS1-mediated systemic defence to DC in A. thaliana. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7900-4279

Recent agricultural intensification has led to the replacement of crop landraces with higher yielding, genetically uniform modern cultivars. Many of these lack adaptive alleles that build resilience against environmental change, posing an increasing threat to future food security. Due to continuous rounds of selecting and saving seed on farm, landraces act as a vital genetic resource to overcome this. 

In Great Britain, previous attempts to document landrace diversity are outdated and incomprehensive therefore this research aims to better understand current cultivation trends and strategically determine conservation priorities. Through maintainer interviews, questionnaires and expert discussions, 76 maintainers and 431 landrace populations have been identified, with diversity hotspots in East Anglia and Southwest England. The most common reasons for maintaining landraces were nutrient quality, suitability to low input systems and crop quality. Maintainer number and cultivation scale of cereal landraces has increased since 2003 however vegetable and forage landrace diversity are becoming increasingly threatened. Across all crop types, the major challenges reported by maintainers were lack of market demand, climate change and legislative restrictions. Conservation strategies must be developed to overcome these challenges, ensuring that this material still exists as a potential resource for future generations in the fight against climate change. 

Plant defense mechanisms are governed by a complex interplay of phytohormones, which also regulate various other plant processes such as growth and development. When a plant encounters pathogens, its defense responses are activated at the expense of growth, highlighting the necessity for precise hormonal regulation. Plant pathogens have evolved strategies to circumvent these defenses, one of which involves manipulating phytohormone signaling. 

The oilseed rape pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans can synthesize a range of phytohormones, including auxins, cytokinins, and salicylic acid (SA). The production of auxins can be stimulated by biosynthetic precursors and is linked to the induced transcription of biosynthetic genes LmTAM1 and LmIPDC2. Notably, auxin excretion has been observed in L. maculans. The application of auxins modulates the necrotic lesion area caused by the pathogen on Brassica napus. Cytokinins are synthesized through the action of isopentenyl transferase and adenosine kinase. The presence of SA has been detected in the mycelium of L. maculans, along with the identification of orthologues of the plant biosynthetic gene AtICS1. Additionally, a salicylic acid-sensing mechanism, including the SA-responsive gene LmSrg1, has been documented. The interplay between SA and auxin signaling in L. maculans underscores the significance of fungal phytohormone biosynthesis in facilitating the infection process. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7625-0204

Drought stress affects the production of volatile organic compounds such as monoterpenes, but their role in regulating plant stress responses is unclear. Wild-type tobacco plants that do not naturally produce monoterpenes, and transgenic plants with upregulated monoterpene production, particularly (−)-limonene (LG12), myrcene (MG1), and (−)-α/β-pinene (PG11), were allowed to dry the soil in different compartments to avoid non-target effects of monoterpene compounds. Drought initially increased monoterpene emissions, which subsequently declined as stress intensified. Transgenic plants exhibited reduced biomass and leaf area, and despite maintaining higher leaf water potential and turgor than wildtype plants, transgenic plants had slightly more sensitive stomatal conductance under drought stress. Although drought-enhanced foliar hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity did not significantly differ between genotypes, (–)-limonene production downregulated ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content under drought conditions compared to wildtype plants. However, re-watering restored APX activity and decreased oxidative damage, and seed production did not differ between genotypes. Thus, monoterpene biosynthesis and production modulate drought tolerance by affecting leaf water status and oxidative status but doesn’t interfere with photosynthetic processes under drought stress. Future research should explore the regulatory mechanisms linking monoterpene biosynthesis and emission to hormonal and antioxidant processes, as well as their interaction with native signalling pathways. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7010-8899

The chloroplast is the most important organelle in plant cells, as it converts light energy into chemical energy for the plant survival. Its biogenesis involves two carefully coordinated phases: the first stage is entirely nuclear controlled, while the second relies on the retrograde signaling from plastids to the nucleus. This retrograde signaling is regulated by the pentatricopeptide-repeat-containing protein (PPR) Genomes Uncoupled 1 (GUN1), however, its mechanism remains unclear.  

In our laboratory it has been demonstrated that GUN1 negatively regulates several transcription factors (TF) involved in light responses and photomorphogenesis. With the aim of elucidating the mechanism underlying these effects, we performed a proteomic analysis on Arabidopsis thaliana mutants lacking GUN1 (gun1-103) and mutants with a restored GUN1 function (gun1-103 GUN1-YFP). In GUN1-deficient plants, two PPR proteins were absent, and these proteins were predicted to interact with GUN1 before and during the second developmental phase. Ongoing assays aim to confirm these interactions. 

Altogether, these findings advance our understanding of the role of GUN1 in retrograde signaling. The elucidation of this mechanism could pave the way for innovative strategies in crop improvement. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6873-6474

Stomatal conductance (gs) is an important plant trait, regulating CO2 and water fluxes. Although gs decreases with elevated CO2 in laboratory settings, it is unclear how gs is responding in-situ to long-term exposure to rising CO2 and a changing climate. Understanding how gs will be impacted by these global changes is important for carbon and water cycles. Tree ring isotope analysis provides a unique method to assess tree ecophysiological responses to long-term exposure of slowly changing environmental variables. Changes in gs can – in principle – be inferred from tree ring stable oxygen isotope ratios (δ18OTRC). Several studies have indeed used δ18OTRC to conclude that gs has not significantly changed from pre-industrial values (Guerrieri et al., 2019; Mathias & Thomas, 2021). However, it remains unclear whether δ18OTRC is sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in gs as expected based on CO2 experiments. To test this, we model the responses of gs and δ18OTRC to CO2 and climate since 1900. We find that temporal gs trends are only detectable in δ18OTRC in dry climates and when the Péclet effect is present. These criteria were not fulfilled by the aforementioned studies. Thus, this increasingly popular method should be used with caution, as real changes to gs are not necessarily reflected in δ18OTRC. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1401-7451

Potato is the sixth most important food crop by global production; however, it remains at risk from various biotic and abiotic stresses. Thus, potato breeding to maintain yields in an ever-changing environment remains a key research area. This work aims to understand the complex quantitative genetics behind tetraploid potato and how this relates to canopy architecture traits that impact stress tolerance and yield. Using GWASpoly in R to perform a GWAS with genomic (8K SNP array) and phenomic (UAV imaging) data for 282 diverse cultivars we hope to find QTL associated with yield and diverse canopy traits. Analysis using a simplex dominant model has found two SNP markers linked to yield on chromosome 6 and two linked to plant area on chromosome 1. Moreover, via discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) with adegenet in R and Bayesian Clustering using STRUCTURE we aim to better account for the confounding effect of population structure. DAPC revealed 4 subpopulations in the data for characterisation using STRUCTURE to allow population structure to be accounted for in the GWAS model. Ultimately, the hope is that QTL discovered in this study can inform improved marker assisted selection that speeds up the laborious process of potato breeding. 

Anthocyanins, polyphenols conferring fruit coloration, are beneficial for human health. The tomato line “SunBlack” synthesizes anthocyanins in the fruit peel under light, producing purple fruits thanks to the myb-atv and Aft alleles. Light and temperature can crucially affect pigmentation in fruits. Whereas high light exposure or cool temperatures are required to allow strong purple colouration, shade or high temperatures repress anthocyanin synthesis. 

To investigate this photo/thermo-dependent process, we focused on its major players: COP1, the negative regulator of photomorphogenesis which tags its targets for degradation under dark, and HY5, the master-positive regulator, which activates many processes under light, included anthocyanin biosynthesis.  

We evaluated the activity of four BBX factors as HY5 cofactors under light. We analysed their expression levels, possible interactions with HY5 and other light signalling proteins and produced stable overexpression lines showing higher pigment contents.  

We also evaluated COP1 and HY5 content under different conditions in the fruit, their gene expressions and molecular targets. We finally showed how COP1 levels in the nucleus increase with temperature, allowing HY5 degradation, and consequent inhibition of anthocyanin production, even under light. 

Our study provides new insights into the complex network of light and temperature cross-talk regulating anthocyanin synthesis in tomato fruits. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4927-2878

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress that severely affects plant growth and development, causing crop losses worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms by which plants perceive and adapt to high salinity. While transcriptional responses to salt stress are well studied, the role of post-transcriptional regulation remains less explored. Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional mechanism that generates multiple mRNA variants from a single precursor mRNA. It is increasingly recognized as critical for plant responses to salinity. However, the key regulators of salt-regulated AS, their target genes, and their roles in developmental plasticity and salt tolerance are largely unknown. Using a phospho-proteomic approach, we identified splicing regulators from the serine/arginine-rich (SR) family that are specifically phosphorylated in response to NaCl, Na+ (NaCl and NaNO3), or osmotic stress. These proteins are promising candidates for controlling salt-regulated AS. We are currently analyzing the functional significance of SR proteins and their phosphorylation state in salt-induced AS. Preliminary phenotypic analyses show that rs mutants are hypersensitive to salt, suggesting that RS proteins may positively regulate salt tolerance. Our findings propose that salt and osmotic stress induce phosphorylation-dependent changes in SR protein activity, which modulates AS and influences salt stress responses.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9425-6538

Welwitschia mirabilis is an iconic, evolutionarily ancient plant that has thrived for millennia in the hyper-arid deserts of southwestern Africa. Despite its unique adaptations, the structural limitations of its photosynthesis, particularly the role of mesophyll conductance (gm), remain poorly understood. This study examines how leaf anatomy influences gm and photosynthetic efficiency by uncovering the mechanisms underlying its remarkable resilience. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we combined microscopy to analyse leaf ultrastructure, gas-exchange measurements to quantify photosynthesis, and elemental analysis of carbon and nitrogen in leaf tissues. By integrating these data, we aim to clarify how anatomical traits impact photosynthetic performance and how W. mirabilis maintains function in extreme environments. Understanding the structural limitations of photosynthesis in ancient plants is vital for broader ecological and evolutionary insights. Examining a species adapted to high-CO2 past environments provides a unique lens into the plasticity of leaf structure and photosynthetic mechanisms over time. This knowledge is crucial for predicting plant responses to rising CO2 levels under climate change. Our findings not only inform conservation strategies for vulnerable species but also provide valuable insights for agriculture, helping to anticipate how plants with varying gm traits may adapt to future environmental challenges. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2521-442X

Rhizosheaths are specialised structures that play a crucial role in plant-soil interactions, enhancing drought tolerance and water retention capacities. Rhizosheaths are formed from root hairs and adhesive root exudates that entangle soil particles. Polysaccharides commonly found in plant cell walls and cereal root exudates, such as xyloglucan and complex gums, have soil binding properties; however, precise mechanisms governing the release of soil binding exudates remain elusive. Using Arabidopsis as a model and a recently developed centrifuge assay, we assess the adhesion strength of Arabidopsis roots, identifying mutants with different adhesive phenotypes. These mutants exhibit altered root hair morphologies, cell wall composition or transporter activities, all of which could influence exudate composition and release. To understand the underlying mechanisms in more detail, we are using antibodies and fluorescent protein fusions to observe cellular and sub-cellular locations of exudate components in root cells of wild type plants and previously characterised root hair, cell wall or secretion mutants. Immunohistochemical methods using monoclonal antibodies for cell wall components are enabling us to dissect molecular mechanisms affecting exudate secretion and composition further. These experiments will provide insights into the role of root hairs and root secretion in exudate release and its effects on soil aggregation.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9193-0083

Global climate change is driving increases in both air temperature and atmospheric dryness, or vapour pressure deficit (VPD), significantly impacting plant and ecosystem function. An emerging phenomenon is the "decoupling" of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance (gs), where plants under heat stress exhibit declines in photosynthesis while maintaining or even increasing gs. These dynamics challenge current climate-vegetation models, which assume a tight coupling between photosynthesis and gs to optimise carbon uptake and minimise water loss. 

We evaluated the prevalence of decoupling in mature individuals of 16 tropical tree species across four sites along an elevation gradient in Panama. Photosynthesis and gs were measured during temperature response curves from 22 to 48°C, with VPD maintained at 2.5 kPa. We also calculated the key model parameter g1, which is inversely related to intrinsic water use efficiency. 

Both photosynthesis and gs generally declined with increasing temperature even when VPD was constant. However, we observed stomatal opening at the highest temperature in some species. Decoupling was evident through an exponential rise in g1 with temperature. The strength of decoupling varied across species and sites, suggesting differences in water use strategies. This work highlights the complexity of high-temperature gs responses in tropical trees. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9323-0870

The UK strawberry industry produced 106,400 tonnes of fruit in 2023, worth £421M (DEFRA, 2023), yet production per hectare must increase significantly to reduce reliance on imported fruit (60,000 tonnes worth £232M in 2023). Major limitations include high labour and plant material costs, pest and disease control, unmarketable fruit, variable yields, and unfavourable weather. Improving marketable yield per plant, rather than increasing plant density or area, is key to addressing these challenges. 

Variable marketable yield per plant, both in-field and under controlled conditions, often results from uneven planting material quality, much of which is imported, and latent pests and diseases that emerge post-planting. While some growers propagate their own material to overcome this, variable UK weather can limit the potential of these propagules, particularly out-of-season. 

Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) systems provide a promising solution for year-round production of high-health, high-yielding strawberry propagules. In a three-year project funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, we are investigating the effectiveness and economic viability of TCEA for producing disease-free, high-cropping plants. Our research focuses on how light intensity and carbon dioxide enrichment during propagation influence plant quality and photosynthesis. Initial results will be shared to demonstrate the potential of TCEA in transforming UK strawberry propagation. 

Cold climate ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to warming, with ongoing climate change posing high risks to their essential functions such as carbon storage. The responses of these ecosystems to warming arise from complex combinations among individual components including plants, soil microbes, and interactions between them such as plant-soil and plant-plant dynamics. Importantly, the decoupling of plant and soil responses to warming could disrupt these interactions, potentially leading to non-linear shifts in ecosystem functionality as thresholds of warming are surpassed. 

With the objective to test the existence and mechanisms of these thresholds and to better understand the warming responses of the Swedish tundra, we tested the warming responses of various tundra ecosystem components: soil and its microbial communities, understory herbs and ericaceous and ectomycorrhizal shrubs, overstory ectomycorrhizal trees, and the interactions between them. These tests were conducted through controlled climate chamber experiments with multiple combinations of plants and soils, and tested in the field with field soil transplantation experiments. My presentation provides an overview of the results of the experiments I conducted, and attempts to propose a unified theoretical framework for understanding the non-linear responses and thresholds of tundra ecosystems under global warming. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3224-9260

Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey-mould disease, poses a significant threat to global tomato production, with post-harvest yield losses reaching up to 50%. Our research investigates whether priming elicitors, such as β-aminobutyric acid (BABA), can enhance intrinsic plant defences and provide sustainable disease control alternatives. We have demonstrated that BABA-induced resistance (BABA-IR) is long-lasting and mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, we observed reduced DNA methylation in CHH contexts in young tomato plants compared to older plants, indicating greater epigenetic imprinting capacity at early developmental stages. 

Transcriptomic analysis revealed that gene expression changes associated with BABA-IR are strongly influenced by the plant’s developmental stage. Specifically, we identified key genes and molecular markers linked to early developmental stages that are likely involved in establishing long-lasting resistance. Notably, BABA-IR is consistently effective in plants treated at two to three weeks of age but declines after four weeks, coinciding with flowering—a pivotal developmental transition. 

Our findings provide new insights into the relationship between plant development, epigenetics, and induced resistance, offering a mechanistic understanding of how BABA establishes durable immunity in tomato. This work highlights its potential application in improving crop protection strategies in other plant systems. 

Bees play a crucial role in mediating patterns of pollen transfer that affect plant fitness. In studies of floral ecology and evolution, the role of pollinators as agents of pollen transfer is often treated as a black box. Buzz pollination is an innate behaviour and naive bumblebees buzz on their first visits. After vibrating a flower, buzz-pollinating bees groom their bodies, collecting and packing pollen grains in specialised structures on their hind legs. This groomed pollen is removed from the pollination process and affects how many pollen grains are available to fertilise flowers on subsequent visits. In this work, I investigate how bee behaviour affects the male fitness of the flowers they visit using captive bees of Bombus terrestris and flowers of Solanum sisymbriifolium as a model. I design and conduct controlled experiments in flight arenas to observe and record bee interactions with flowers, providing insights into the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of pollination.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0472-9101

With abiotic stress playing a major role in agricultural crop loss, it is becoming ever more important to understand the molecular mechanisms behind stress responses in plants, to counteract the global climate change and ensure sustainable crop yields. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in stress response and, though the signal pathway has been widely studied, quantitative data describing the massive protein-protein-interaction rearrangements within the core signaling complex are widely lacking. This project serves to advance the understanding of protein-protein interaction dynamics within the core ABA-signaling complex through comparative characterization of ABA receptors between the glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana and its close halophytic relative plant Eutrema salsugineum. An optimized bimolecular luminescence complementation (BiLC) assay was established and applied to study and quantify the interactions between ABA-receptors (PYLs) and the PP2C phosphatase (ABI1). The obtained insights into the dynamics and affinities revealed a significant difference between the two model plants: the interaction of EsPYL3 with ABI1 showed a 5-fold higher ABA-affinity than the Arabidopsis thaliana orthologue. Accompanying structure-function research identified the structural basis of the differing ABA-affinities. To which extent the increase in ABA-affinity has contributed to the stress tolerance of Eutrema salsugineum, will be analyzed through following phenotyping studies.  

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4246-4435

Auxin regulates many developmental processes in plants through ubiquitin-mediated degradation of Aux/IAA proteins and the subsequent release of transcription inhibition on auxin-regulated genes. While transcriptional effects are well understood, some auxin responses at the cell periphery, such as membrane depolarization, apoplast alkalinization, and Ca2+ influx, occur too quickly to be explained by transcriptional changes. AFB1, one member of the TIR1/AFB protein family of auxin co-receptors, differs from the rest of its family members in its subcellular localization and ability to trigger these rapid auxin responses. 

This research uses FRET-FLIM to investigate the molecular determinants and spatiotemporal dynamics of the SCFTIR/AFB-Aux/IAA auxin receptor complex in different subcellular compartments. We have shown that despite previous reports describing a lower affinity of AFB1 to the rest of the auxin receptor complex, part of this complex is constantly assembled in the cytoplasm with AFB1. However, several questions remain: What determines the correct and functional assembly of the auxin receptor complex? Is it possible that cytoplasmic auxin perception and rapid auxin signaling happen through an SCF-independent pathway? Addressing these questions will deepen our understanding of auxin signaling dynamics and could reveal novel mechanisms of plant response to environmental cues. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5741-3602

The Eurasiatic clade of Dianthus experienced the fastest diversification ever reported in plants. However, the mechanisms underlying this radiation remain unclear and investigating the early divergence in selected case studies might significantly expand our knowledge. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the origin of a Dianthus ecotype near-endemic to a Mediterranean volcanic archipelago. Specifically, we characterized genomic patterns and inter-ecotype postzygotic barriers, measured genome size and floral traits to test for an allometric relationship, and estimated reproductive success and biotic interactions to detect biotic drivers of divergence. The ecotype originated around 195 kya on the volcanic archipelago and a postzygotic barrier with the mainland ecotype quickly evolved. The strength of this barrier was correlated to the difference in genome size of parental plants. Also, genome size was correlated to style length which we found to be under a strong divergent selection. Our study suggests that biotic pressures can play a key role in the early divergence and documents a new postzygotic isolation mechanism between closely related lineages of Dianthus.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8578-6644

The air temperature in Estonia is projected to increase, affecting the growth of economically and ecologically significant tree species used for regenerating forests. Aboveground shoot growth and the development of root system do not respond the same way in response to different environmental changes.  

Four-year-old Picea abies seedlings were grown separately in transparent boxes in growth chambers. We conducted two separate experiments where heat treatment were simulated by decreasing relative air humidity and soil moisture and increasing air temperature in short and long-term scales. We imaged fine roots with a smartphone, and images were analysed by the deep learning method-based program RootPainter. From that, we have data on the total fine root projection area and the area of young white root tips. Shoot growth was measured manually.   

The shoot phenology followed a well-known pattern; the length of shoots increased fast at the beginning of the growing season and after stabilisation, the fine root growth proliferated. The treatments had less effect on aboveground phenology compared to belowground changes. The belowground growth dynamics was greatly affected by soil moisture changes, as predicted. After experiencing three weeks of harsh drought, the spruce seedlings showed good recovery, especially in immense pioneer root growth.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3243-0107

The perception of environmental stimuli in plants often triggers the systemic transmission of chemical and electrical signals, eliciting responses in unaffected tissues and coordinating developmental programs across various plant organs. Studies on Arabidopsis have underscored the pivotal role of Glutamate Receptor-Like channels (GLRs) in directing leaf-to-leaf electrical and calcium signals upon wounding, as well as the increase in Jasmonate levels, a key defense hormone, in undamaged systemic leaves. Whereas in response to wounding the glutamate-dependent activation of GLRs is mainly related to the apoplastic accumulation of this amino acid upon cellular disruption, it is not known if other less-invasive stresses can trigger similar effects. 

Here, we report that an osmotic shock applied to the roots of Arabidopsis soil-grown plants induces in leaf tissues: (i) a change in the surface potential, (ii) an accumulation of glutamate in the apoplast, and (iii) a calcium wave that is reliant on the phloem localized AtGLR3.3 activity. Differentially from wounding, Jasmonate signalling pathway is not activated by the osmotic shock, showing that AtGLR3.3 activity is necessary but not sufficient to induce this response. Importantly, by using a tailor-made large imaging set up we show that the osmotic-induced long-distance calcium wave is conserved in Nicotiana plants. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2295-0018

Calcium (Ca2+)-dependent signalling plays a well-characterized role in the perception and response mechanisms to environmental stimuli in plant cells. In the context of a constantly changing environment, it is fundamental to understand how crop yield and microalgal biomass productivity are affected by external factors. However, the knowledge of Ca2+ signalling in green algae remains limited, and even if Ca2+ is known to be important in different physiological processes in microalgae, many of these signal transduction pathways still need to be characterized. Here, the role of compartment specific Ca2+ signalling was investigated in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in response to a range of environmental stressors, such as high light, nutrient availability, osmotic stress, temperature fluctuations and carbon sensing. An in vivo single-cell imaging approach was adopted to directly visualize signalling processes at the level of specific subcellular compartments, using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii lines expressing a genetically encoded ratiometric Ca2+ indicator. Obtained data report cytosolic and chloroplast compartment-specific [Ca2+] transients, characterized by stimulus-specific kinetic parameters. Moreover, a relevant role of the chloroplast Ca2+ signalling was identified in response to high light, hyperosmotic shocks, heat stress and different exogenous carbon sources. Together these data will provide new understanding of the mechanisms that microalgae exploit to respond to specific natural conditions. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1168-6357

Plants constantly assess environmental fluctuations and adjust their development accordingly. Varying temperatures can induce abiotic stress, and inapt responses cause severe developmental defects. Recent research efforts underline the importance of transcriptomic adjustments to coordinate appropriate abiotic stress responses. These transcriptomic adjustments are largely mediated through the regulation of RNA Polymerase II and co-transcriptional alternative splicing.  

Mechanistic insights into these processes however are lacking, particularly in plantae. Hence, we aimed to identify additional players of the low temperature signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana through an EMS suppressor screen of the low-temperature sensitive splicing mutant porcupine-1 (pcp-1). 

We identified two alleles of the Cyclin-dependent kinase group C2 (CDKC;2), which phosphorylates the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II. Chemical inhibition of CDKC;2 phosphorylation phenocopied these results, confirming that decreased phosphorylation suppressed the low-temperature sensitivity of pcp-1. We furthermore showed that CDKC;2 is a central regulator of temperature-dependent transcription rates.  

While our results highlight the crosstalk between transcriptional regulation and co-transcriptional alternative splicing, they also show that current models of RNA polymerase II phosphorylations do not fully account for the complexity of plant transcriptional regulation under abiotic stress, and thus further research is needed to understand plant specific transcriptional regulations in response to the environment. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5494-2229

Root exudates contribute up to 17% of the carbon fixed through photosynthesis to belowground processes, playing a crucial role in shaping rhizosphere dynamics. Despite their ecological importance, the seasonal variability in carbon and nitrogen exudation rates in young trees remains insufficiently explored, particularly in contrasting species such as alder (Alnus glutinosa) and oak (Quercus robur). This study investigates the seasonal patterns of carbon and nitrogen exudation rates in young alder and oak trees. Root exudates were collected during spring, summer, and autumn using an in situ method (Philip, 2008), and were quantified per root biomass. Significant variations (p<0.01) in carbon and nitrogen exudation were observed between species and seasons. Oak exhibited the highest exudation rates particularly in summer, releasing 111% more carbon and 98.2% more nitrogen compared to alder. Summer also marked the peak exudation rates for both species. While oak displayed higher carbon exudation rates, alder exhibited increased root respiration, particularly during summer. Furthermore, root exudate concentrations were positively and strongly correlated with specific root tips. These findings underscore species-specific exudation strategies and their implications for rhizosphere processes and nutrient cycling, in which a higher concentration of root exudate resulted in higher nitrogen cycling.  

Soil fungal communities are crucial determinants of tree health and nutrient cycling in woodlands, yet their susceptibility to global change impacts is poorly understood. The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment facility (BIFoR FACE), a long-term experiment exposing sections of a mature oak woodland in England to elevated CO2 levels, offers a unique opportunity to investigate one aspect of this. Soil DNA samples from treatment plots (+150 ppm CO2) and control plots (ambient [CO2]) at BIFoR FACE were subjected to DNA metabarcoding to characterise the soil fungal communities at three different time-points representing up to seven years of CO2 enrichment. The resulting data were used to investigate fungal richness and diversity, community composition, and relative abundances of saprotrophic and symbiotrophic/ectomycorrhizal fungi. No significant differences were found between ambient and elevated [CO2] treatments, but there was some evidence of an interaction effect between CO2 treatment and soil horizon whereby CO2 enrichment appeared to reduce the differences in soil fungal communities between the O (organic) and A (upper mineral) horizons. These results on soil fungal community composition will form the basis for future work looking more directly at the functioning of soil fungal communities at BIFoR FACE.  

Forests play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change, absorbing around 1/3 of anthropogenic emissions, while also being home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Modern forest management is mainly directed at increasing carbon stocks, often assuming biodiversity will be protected as a co-benefit. Recent studies have identified only partial overlap in high biodiversity and carbon-dense areas, suggesting that these co-benefits are not always present. Additionally, present research has mainly assessed biodiversity using trees, birds, or mammals as indicator groups. This study investigates further and attempts to identify taxa or features that reliably indicate maximised biodiversity-carbon relationships in temperate ancient woodlands and how this may impact policy and net-zero targets. Carbon data were collected at forest inventory plots in 2022 and diversity data for lichens, ground flora, mammals, and birds at the same locations during 2024. Preliminary results suggest carbon-biodiversity relationships in British ancient woodlands have no significant correlations. This highlights the need for cooperative management and planning as co-benefits cannot be assumed when protecting either carbon or biodiversity and conversely the two factors cannot be assumed to be separate. Local knowledge of both will be required to assess ancient woodlands across the UK and identify the best management practices in each case.  

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3739-2760

Tropical forests in Amazonia are essential for the regulation of global biogeochemical cycles. Prolonged drought stress can be a significant driver of change in tropical ecosystems and there is uncertainty about how this effects soil carbon cycling and nutrient turnover. This research aims to measure the effects of drought on tropical plant fine root morphological strategies and root productivity and subsequent implications for nutrient cycling processes. The study site is ESCAFOR (Efeitos da Seca da Floresta), a throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiment in Caxiuaña National Forest, Pará State, Brazil, established in 2001. This site consists of a 1-hectare plot covered by clear polythene panels that exclude 50% of the rainfall and a replica 1-hectare natural control plot. The experiment provides a unique opportunity to study the effects of drought on forest ecosystem functioning following 23 years of drought treatment. Root biomass and morphological measurements were taken from root samples collected every 3 months from in-growth cores and compared between the drought and control plot alongside measurements of soil moisture and soil nutrient content. These comparisons will shed light on how long-term drought influences wider tropical forest carbon and nutrient cycling processes. 

Root growth towards the environment with adequate supply of nutrients along the gravity vector, while avoiding the non-conducive conditions is critical for plant survival. Small signaling peptides in plants are mobile signals, upon binding with their cell-surface receptors, transmit their information systemically to start a downstream signal relay to eventually control a physiological outcome. In current study, GWAS analysis on 170 Medicago truncatula accessions treated with GOLVEN10 peptide was performed to understand three root traits. Association analysis identified 89 significant associations in GLV10p treated accessions. Ethylene biosynthetic pathway genes like Amino-cyclopropane carboxylate oxidase were found to be the putative causal genes involved. Based on these findings, we concluded that GLV10p is involved in regulation of ethylene signaling network in Medicago truncatula, leading to circling and agravitropic response of primary roots, reduced lateral root formation and changes in gravitropic-set point angle of lateral roots. To further validate the influence of GLV10p on the ethylene signaling pathway leading tortuous roots, we treated wild A17 with GLV10p,1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid and combined application of GLV10p and ACC. Interestingly, the tortuosity was significantly reduced under ACC and combined treatment of GLV10p, and ACC and roots grew straighter towards the gravity which support the proposed hypothesis.  

Plectosphaerella cucumerina, an ascomycete fungus often describe as a necrotrophic fungal pathogen, is one of the most prevalent and abundant fungal taxa that associate with roots of Arabidopsis thaliana in natural populations across Europe. Confocal microscopy reveals an endophytic colonization pattern of P. cucumerina in roots not only of A. thaliana but also of Solanum Lycopersicum and Hordeum vulgare. However, the mechanisms driving its broad host-range, and robust A. thaliana root colonization capabilities remain poorly known. This project aims at understanding host colonization strategies, genetic determinants driving adaptation to different hosts, and dominance in the root microbiome using transcriptomic and experimental evolutionary approaches. Results reveal that there is a unique fungal transcriptional response activated in response to the different plant species. Particularly, genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes are strongly activated in response to all three plant species and large subsets display host-specific activation that reflect plant cell wall compositions of the hosts. Experimental evolution of the fungus in response to the three plant species has been performed and reciprocal inoculation revealed that the strain evolving on H. vulgare became less detrimental on dicot hosts. Additionally using CRISPR-mediated genome editing, we demonstrate that the glucan-degrading enzyme family GH64 connects the aggressiveness of endophytic colonization to the health of dicot plants. 

The circadian clock underlies a suite of regulatory processes that align the timing of metabolism with 24 h cycles that occur within the environment. The circadian clock of plants influences the rhizomicrobiome, and there are circadian rhythms in certain soil bacteria (e.g. Bacillius subtilis). Rhizosphere interactions, such as those that influence the rhizomicrobiome composition, are mediated by exuded metabolites that include specialized metabolites. Specialized metabolites also regulate plant development and have an important application in plant biotechnology as pharmaceuticals. I am investigating the mechanisms that underlie the daily timing of communication between plant roots and the rhizosphere through specialised compounds, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model. This is establishing potential regulatory pathways, in plants, for the circadian control of specialized metabolites which influence rhizomicrobiome interactions. I am focusing on roles for transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling in this process. My findings indicate that the circadian clock orchestrates mechanisms associated with the production of specialized metabolites. This suggests a process whereby circadian-regulated interactions could occur between plants and microorganisms, leading to timed interactions between different organisms in the ecosystem. These findings have the potential to inform on engineering useful metabolic processes. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0669-650X

Stomatal pores of leaves facilitate gas exchange in plants and various environmental signals control their development. In this study, we focused on characterizing the role of plant-specific TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR) family of transcriptional factors, in stomatal development. In a yeast one-hybrid screen, we identified several TCPs as potential transcriptional regulators of STOMAGEN, which encodes a mesophyll-derived, secreted peptide that promotes stomatal development. Upon ectopically expressing the TCPs, we found that it dramatically promotes stomatal development in the hypocotyl but only mildly in the cotyledons. This result also correlates with the up-regulation of the STOMAGEN transcripts, specifically in the hypocotyl of the ectopic expression lines. Further, reporter analyses showed that both TCPs and STOMAGEN are expressed in the sub-epidermal tissues of the hypocotyl and are induced by light. Thus, we propose that TCPs function in a tissue-specific manner and up-regulate STOMAGEN expression in the sub-epidermal cells of the hypocotyl to promote stomatal development. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1014-8557

Microbial communities play a critical role in enhancing agrosystems functioning and resilience under environmental stress. This study focuses on unraveling the dynamics, diversity and composition of microbiome across diverse arid and saline ecosystems in southern Morocco. By combining microbiome profiling with the functional characterization of culturable microbes from distinct plant-soil compartments from different ecosystems, this project aims to develop stress resilient microbial inoculants and understand the key mechanisms through which these microbes enhance plant tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity and drought. 

Our preliminary findings revealed contrasting soil physicochemical properties, diverse vegetation profiles, and varying degrees of aridity and salinity among the ecosystems. A total of 31 bacterial isolates isolated from the three ecosystems were characterized as halotolerant (up to 100g NaCl /L) and drought tolerant (−0.30 MPa), suggesting that these bacterial isolates maintain ancestral ecological functions, making them important candidates for microbial inocula to mitigate abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. From these isolates, various salt- and drought-tolerant consortia with additional plant-growth-promoting traits (e.g., phosphate solubilization, auxins and ammonia production) were developed and evaluated for their potential to mitigate salinity stress in wheat plants under controlled conditions.  We also aim to investigate the key mechanisms by which these consortia may induce plant tolerance to salinity. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1082-9336

Root respiration constitutes a significant component of forest ecosystem respiration, which contributes to atmospheric CO2 emissions. It has been notoriously difficult to partition from total soil respiration, which consists of respiration from soil organisms and plant roots. Previous methods for measuring root respiration have used roots which are no longer attached to the plant, which could significantly affect the accuracy of these results. The development of this new in situ method for measuring root respiration will involve using non-excised, mature oak roots from pre-existing root boxes at BIFoR-FACE. The oak roots will be placed in glass syringes, containing glass beads and nutrient solution in the bottom half, to prevent desiccation of the root. Gas samples will then be taken from the headspace in the top half of the syringe and analysed for CO2 concentration on a gas chromatograph. Root samples will be collected to conduct root scanning and drying for biomass calculations. Because root respiration consists of both respiration from the plant root itself and from mycorrhizal fungi which colonize fine roots, root ergosterol extractions and HPLC analysis will be used to measure mycorrhizal fungal content. In combination with BIFoR-FACE soil gas flux data, this method will help to elucidate the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on forest ecosystem dynamics.   

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3510-0488

Angiosperm co-evolution with pollinators has resulted in the explosion of petal patterns we see today. Colourful patterns displayed on the petal epidermis play crucial roles in attracting, selecting and guiding pollinators thus affecting reproductive fitness and speciation. However, how plants create those motifs is unclear. 

The petals of Hibiscus trionum, a new model organism, sport a striking bullseye with a purple centre and cream surround separated by a narrow boundary region. Epidermis cells in the different bullseye domains have distinct identities, exhibiting specific colour, shape and texture. Flavonols give the distal region its distinctive cream colour; transcriptome and LC-MS analyses indicate they may also regulate cell shape and texture.  

Modifying expression of the three H. trionum FLAVONOL SYNTHASE (FLS) genes directly or through their putative regulators results in plants with striking floral developmental defects, including: arrested cell development, irregular cell shape and aberrant organ development. I am now investigating the as-yet unknown mechanism by which flavonols contribute not only to pigmentation but also to cell shape and size specification during bullseye formation. Ultimately, my results should provide us with an understanding of the morphogenic action of flavonols and their contribution to the production of diverse bullseye morphologies during evolution. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9063-8680

The establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is known to encompass many intricate signalling processes within the host plant and AM fungus, including signals exchanged between the two. Recently, it has been proposed that such signals may include small RNAs (sRNAs) acting in cross-kingdom RNA interference (ckRNAi). ckRNAi has most commonly been described in pathogenic interactions between plants and microbes, with inter-organismal transport of sRNAs mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs); more recent evidence suggests its occurrence in mutualistic endosymbioses, although the mechanism of its action in AM symbiosis remains largely unexplored. 

Here, we present evidence from in silico analyses of M.truncatula sRNAs that are significantly upregulated during AM symbiosis, with predicted targets in the R.irregularis genome. Intriguingly, these include genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, suggesting that host-mediated ckRNAi may benefit the host through modulating nutrient exchange. Gene expression analysis of candidate sRNAs and their predicted targets during AM symbiosis indicates a downregulation of predicted targets correlating with the upregulation of the corresponding sRNA; this further correlates with the presence of these candidate sRNAs in EVs as detected from sRNAseq of M.truncatula. Our evidence suggests that host-mediated ckRNAi may be a key layer of communication in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7009-3554

When the sun rises, plant leaves need a significant amount of energy (ATP) to keep the stomatal guard cells open, which is essential for gas exchange and photosynthesis. However, previous studies have suggested that guard cell chloroplasts (GCCs) do not engage in CO2 fixation, leading to little or no photosynthesis occurring in these cells. This conclusion has been challenged by later research, igniting decades of discussion about whether GCC photosynthesis plays a direct role in stomatal regulation in response to CO2. Until recently, our team introduced genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors into Arabidopsis thaliana, enabling us to monitor NADPH and NAD(H) in living plants without extraction or damage. With these biosensors, we were able to explore this scientific question effectively. Furthermore, we identified the source of mitochondrial reducing equivalents used for ATP generation in mesophyll cells during the daytime. In this conference, I will discuss the differences in bioenergetics between mesophyll and guard cells and how their functions are intricately coordinated in CO2 uptake through stomata and CO2 fixation in mesophyll cells. We had also published guidelines for utilizing in planta biosensors, and we believe these valuable transgenic lines will enhance research in plant redox biology. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2096-569X

Climate change and elevated CO2 are greatly impacting ecosystems worldwide, resulting in more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as heat waves and drought. Understanding how ecosystems respond to elevated CO2 is critical for predicting the impacts of climate change on ecosystem processes. However, the capacity and magnitude of these ecosystems to sequester additional CO2 is uncertain when predicted using current terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs). To address this, improved mechanistic representations of ecosystem states and processes under changing climatic conditions are crucial, as well as constraining model simulations using real-world observations.  

In this study, we examined the responses of mature temperate forests to rising atmospheric CO2 and changing climatic conditions using the Ecosystem Demography model. We parameterised the model with data from the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Free-air CO2 Enrichment (BIFoR FACE) experiment site. As the first study using a TBM at BIFoR, this study analysed the model’s capacity to simulate ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 and extreme weather events. We ran two simulations and compared model outputs against field measurements of key eco-physiological measurements such as maximum rate of carboxylation and Net Primary Production (NPP). This study demonstrates the capability and limitations of the TBM to simulate mature temperate forest responses to elevated CO2 conditions. 

Optimising root phenotypes for improved resource capture under drought, is an unexploited opportunity for sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change and global warming. Root system architecture (RSA) is potentially programmable component for crop improvement due to its plasticity. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of drought on root growth angle (RGA) during drought remains limited. Here, we investigate mechanistic pathways underlying sorghum RGA regulation under drought conditions. We screened sorghum RSA using high-throughput phenotyping protocols in varying drought stress and control conditions followed by high-throughput transcriptomic analyses. Our results reveal that RSA vary dramatically across genotypes with differing drought adaptability. Further analyses shows that the nodal RGA is a significant component of this variation. This study demonstrated that the RGA of seedlings can support later field performance predictions, and therefore, a potential target for breeding. It further shows that drought influences steeper, deeper rooting in water-stress-tolerant varieties. The study further identified drought-dependent regulation of auxin-responsive genes not yet characterised in sorghum, which may play a crucial role in regulating RSA in response to drought. Our data provide a practical framework for the targeted selection of germplasm as valuable pre-breeding material of high-yielding varieties that are robust to climate change and have optimized growth in low-input conditions. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7489-9018

Carnivorous plants from the genus Nepenthes grow in nutrient poor soils and rely on capturing and retaining insect prey in pitfall traps to obtain nitrogen from the environment. Abundant niche specialization within the genus has resulted in a variety of trap morphologies and adaptations, including several species which use sticky viscoelastic fluids to aid in insect retention. The viscoelastic fluid of Nepenthes rafflesiana is composed of a hemicellulose polymer, along with enzymatic components for prey digestion. In this study, we monitored fluid physical properties and digestive abilities in wild-grown plants to gain insight into regulation of viscoelastic fluid production through the pitcher lifespan. We found that pitchers shift from a trapping-optimized to a digestion-optimized phase as they mature towards senescence, with decreasing ability to secrete viscoelastic fluids but increasing accumulation of digestive proteases. This was followed by lab-based rna-sequencing and feeding experiments to gain further insight into the synthetic and regulatory mechanisms behind viscoelasticity. It appears that the hemicellulose polymer is synthesized by standard carbohydrate processing machinery, and viscoelasticity is diminished by the addition of nitrogen to the pitchers. The convenient secretory properties of this system may represent a new model for studying synthesis of non- xylan hemicelluloses in plants.  

Network theory has been widely applied to study plant-mycorrhizal associations, often using a bipartite framework where plants and fungi form two distinct sets of nodes. Traditional analyses rely on null models that randomly rewire observed connections to test for non-random patterns, often assuming nestedness and modularity as prevalent structural features. However, these models are constrained by highly restrictive assumptions, potentially limiting their ecological insights. 

In this study, we analyzed a large dataset of plant-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) networks using a new, well-validated generation of maximum entropy models with degree sequence soft constraints. This approach relaxes the limiting assumptions of traditional null models while providing robust null distributions for nestedness and modularity. Our results revealed that plant-AMF networks are predominantly anti-nested but highly modular, with a consistent pattern across habitat types and spatial scales. 

We found that anti-nestedness may naturally arise from modularity, driven by the identity and specificity of plant and fungal nodes. These findings challenge assumptions of nestedness dominance and suggest that modularity plays a critical role in network stability. Future research should explore how these structural patterns influence the resilience and adaptability of plant-AMF networks under environmental change, with implications for ecosystem stability and function. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1272-7714

The rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, causes severe yield losses in global rice production. To promote host susceptibility, it secretes effector proteins, including the sequence diverse but structurally related Magnaporthe AVRs and ToxB-like (MAX) effectors. Despite their importance during early infection, the virulence functions of MAX effectors and their host targets remain poorly understood. 

Heavy metal-associated (HMA) domain-containing proteins have emerged as key susceptibility factors in plant-pathogen interactions. HMA domains have also been integrated into rice immune receptors, enabling direct recognition of various MAX effectors. For instance, the MAX effector AVR-Pia is detected by the RGA5 immune receptor through direct binding to its HMA domain. Recently, we found that AVR-Pia also interacts with the HMA domains of a subset of rice HMA Plant Proteins (OsHPPs), and of a related HMA Isoprenylated Plant Protein (OsHIPP). Unlike other MAX effectors, which alter HIPPs’ stability and localization, AVR-Pia appears to use a distinct mechanism to manipulate these proteins.  

Our ongoing research aims to unravel the molecular roles of these H(I)PPs and the mechanisms through which AVR-Pia manipulates them, providing insights into how these interactions enhance rice susceptibility to M. oryzae. These findings could help develop effective strategies to combat rice blast disease. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2258-3166

Leaf level photosynthetic rates are directly related to the nutrient concentration, indicating a direct link between investment and return. However, the role of leaf nutrients in constraining the temperature response of photosynthetic parameters remains poorly explored. Understanding this aspect is critical for advancing our knowledge of ecological dynamics and improving predictions of the future of global vegetation under climate change. To address this gap, we tested the influence of three leaf key nutrients — nitrogen (Narea), phosphorus (Parea), and potassium (Karea) — over the optimum temperature of both maximum RuBP carboxylation rate (TOptV) and maximum electron transport rate (TOptJ). Naturally occurring trees from the Brazilian Cerrado revealed distinct nutrient-specific relationships, with TOptJ being strongly related to all three nutrients while TOptV only with Narea and Parea. Our findings highlight an important aspect of tropical vegetation primary productivity in the face of ongoing climate change that potentially alters nutrient biogeochemical cycles. Still, it is necessary to expand this approach to other forest ecosystems and gain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms behind the control of the temperature dependence of photosynthesis by foliar nutrients. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6209-3829

Quantifying cell growth is essential for understanding the biophysics of development and unveiling gene expression effects at the cellular level. However in plant biology, the majority of growth data is disparate and lacks a coherent framework, making it difficult to compare growth rates at different scales, between organs, and across different studies. In our meta-analysis, we have extracted and analysed growth data at the organ and cellular scale from decades of studies and proposed a mathematical framework for comparing growth between different organs across developmental stages and types of cell dynamics. Our analysis revealed that probing cellular growth during organ initiation is key to understanding later developmental stages that lead to the organ final size. By providing a map of cell and organ expansion in different organs of Arabidopsis thaliana, our work serves as a benchmark for experimentalists and modellers who need a reference point of organ growth in controlled conditions. We begin to bridge the gap between growth at the cellular and organ scales and expose the lack of data at the crucial early stages. Finally, the framework we established for converting and presenting growth rate data can be used in future studies to aid comparison with other works. 

Developmental robustness ensures consistent organ shapes and sizes despite environmental variability. In Arabidopsis, cotyledons develop through pre-germination cell proliferation and post-germination differentiation, marked by opening and surface curvature changes. Wild-type (WT) cotyledons exhibit isotropic growth post-germination, forming a flat, circular lamina with zero Gaussian curvature to maximise photosynthetic efficiency. This process relies on precise cellular and biomechanical patterns, with early stress changes guiding morphological transitions. 

We investigated cotyledon development robustness in WT using live imaging and environmental variations, focusing on JAW-like TCP genes (JAW-TCPs) regulating organ morphology. Mutant cotyledons with downregulated JAW-TCPs show disrupted shapes, elliptical laminae, altered proximodistal growth, and irregular surfaces. Initial growth rates in WT and mutants are similar, with minimal curvature changes in the first 12 hours. However, mutants exhibit delayed growth and differentiation, maintaining curvature over time. Both types display a basipetal arrest front, indicating conserved growth patterns. Growth analysis reveals WT favours mediolateral growth for circular laminae, while mutants prioritise proximodistal growth, shaping curvature. 

Our findings suggest that adaxial-abaxial differential growth resolves mechanical conflicts, emphasising cotyledon morphology's genetic, biomechanical, and cellular dynamics. This study highlights mechanisms underlying developmental robustness and their role in shaping leaf-like organs. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7311-5667

Anthropogenic nutrient increases can enhance plant biomass in grasslands, while droughts tend to reduce it. Biotic factors, such as biodiversity, and abiotic factors, like aridity and soil type, influence responses to both. However, combined impact of drought and nutrient increases on grasslands remains unclear. Using a globally distributed network that simulated drought and increased nutrient availability, we sampled aboveground biomass and species composition at 26 sites across nine countries. Drought reduced biomass by 19% and nutrient addition increased it by 24%, with counteractive effects resulting in no net impact on biomass overall under drought plus nutrient addition. General responses varied with aridity, with nutrient addition alleviating drought effects best in sub-humid sites. Only graminoids responded positively to nutrients during drought. Across environmental gradients, nutrient and drought impacts on biomass diminished with higher precipitation variability. Nutrient effects were stronger in arid grasslands but weaker in humid regions and nitrogen-rich soils. At high-diversity sites, biomass increased more with increased nutrient availability and declined more with drought than at low-diversity sites. Our findings highlight the importance of local abiotic and biotic conditions in predicting grassland responses to nutrient and climate changes, offering key insights for preserving ecosystems and supporting biodiversity amid global change.  

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8087-6584

All plant functions vary seasonally; however, root phenology is not well understood, with research mainly focusing on root production. The question remains, how does the phenology of root senescence and nutrient uptake relate to root production phenology and species functional traits. 

Using 15N isotope addition and whole-plant organ harvests, we investigated root production and nitrogen uptake phenology over 18 months in Northern Ontario for four wetland monocots in a common garden experiment. These species represent distinct root overwintering strategies: overwintering roots (resource-conservative) and annual roots (acquisitive). 

Production of annual roots peaked in summer and stopped by August, while overwintering root production peaked in autumn, with 50% of their annual production from August to October. However, nutrients are taken up during seasons without new root growth: Annual roots still absorbed added 15N to rhizomes in October, and overwintering roots absorbed 15N early in spring and even in winter (soil temperature 0–5°C). Seasonal variation in the N concentration indicates a storage function for overwintering roots, similar to that of rhizomes. 

Shoulder seasons fall and spring can be crucial for below-ground processes, particularly nutrient uptake and accumulation, with this importance varying by species and potentially linked to their economic strategies. 

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7008-4380

Phloem is vital for vascular plants because of its fundamental role in transporting photosynthate and comprehensive roles in signalling. Despite its importance, the evolution of phloem remains poorly understood. This is because phloem is rarely preserved in fossils and is poorly studied across vascular plant diversity including major groups such as ferns. Therefore, my research aims to uncover the diversity and evolution of the sieve elements (SEs) anatomy, the structure of conducting cells in phloem. Utilizing histology and advanced microscopy, I am examining phloem structure in extant and extinct ferns, enabling 3D visualization and quantification of SE anatomy. Intraspecific and interspecific variations are found in SE radius. A significant correlation between SE radius and stipe radius in extant ferns has been identified, despite the presence of outliers. Ancestral state reconstruction is applied to outline the evolution and to predict phloem structure in the common ancestor of ferns. By integrating fossil data, the analysis reveals a trend of decreasing SE radius over geological time. Further phylogenetic analysis shows that closely related species share similar SE radius and that the evolution of SE radius is not driven by a single external factor. 

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6865-2150