News

Diagram of phloem in root: “We have shown how global signals in the root meristem interact with the cell type specific factors to determine distinct phases of phloem development at the cellular resolution.” Pawel Roszak

Blueprint reveals how plants build a sugar transport lane

A tiny region at the root tip has been found to be responsible for orchestrating the growth and development of the complex network of vascular tissues that transport sugars through plant roots.

The Automatic Mycorrhiza Finder (AMFinder) allows for automatic computer vision-based identification and quantification of AM fungal colonisation and intraradical hyphal structures on ink-stained root images using convolutional neural networks

New method to quantify arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonisation of plant roots

SLCU researchers have developed an automatic computer vision-based system to identify and quantify AM fungal colonisation called the Automatic Mycorrhiza Finder (AMFinder).

Important discovery will facilitate future engineering of nitrogen fixation into cereals

SLCU researchers have discovered that a protein involved in the early formation of root nodules in legumes also plays a key role in transforming the nodule into a nitrogen-fixing factory.

$Cryo-scanning electron microscopy of Hibiscus trionum petal fracture with false colour processing showing the cuticle has two physically distinct layers. Credit: Raymond Wightman. False color processing by Gareth Evans.$

Mechanical buckling of petals produces iridescent patterns visible to bees

Flowers are employing a materials science phenomenon typically associated with failures in structural engineering to produce exquisite three-dimensional petal patterns to lure pollinators.

Renske Vroomans to lead plant evo-devo research at SLCU

Dr Renske Vroomans has been appointed to the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) to lead research into the evolutionary dynamics of developmental processes in plants.

Blushing plants reveal when fungi are growing in their roots

Scientists have created plants whose cells and tissues ‘blush’ with beetroot pigments when they are colonised by fungi that help them take up nutrients from the soil.

Dionysia tapetodes is an alpine plant with leaves covered in woolly farina. Image by Matthieu Bourdon .

Alpine plant spins its own flavonoid wool

Like the movie version of Spider-Man who shoots spider webs from holes in his wrists, a little alpine plant has been found to eject cobweb-like threads from tiny holes in specialised cells on its leaves.

A graphical representation of the complete early morning gene-regulatory network.

Plants get a faster start to their day than we think

To describe something as slow and boring we say it’s “like watching grass grow”, but scientists studying the early morning activity of plants have found they make a rapid start to their day – within minutes of dawn.

Arabidopsis seedlings germinating at different times. Image by Katie Abley.

How do plants hedge their bets?

In some environments there is no way for a seed to know for sure when the best time to germinate is. So how does a plant make sure that all of its offspring are not killed at once by an ill-timed environmental stress following germination?

Giles Oldroyd at SLCU with lab area in background

Professor Giles Oldroyd elected to National Academy of Sciences

Professor Giles Oldroyd has been elected as an international member of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA.

Plant science at Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is home to one of the largest concentrations of plant research anywhere in the world. Visit the below organisations to find out about their work in sustainable agriculture, conservation and fundamental research.

Department of Plant Sciences

Crop Science Centre

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Cambridge University Herbarium

Cambridge Global Food Security

Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology

Conservation Research Institute

Plants @ Cambridge Hub

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