Science of the extremes – what does it take for plants to survive?
Dora's research focuses on understanding how plants respond and adapt to weather extremes. Her work is revealing just what it takes for plants to survive, including work that has identified a mechanism that plants use to cope with cold at dawn
Super-resolution microscopy reveals the manufacture of wood deep inside a living plant
The biosynthesis of the principle component of native wood in real time has been observed for the first time thanks to advances in deep tissue super-resolution microscopy – revealing the wood-forming cells to be highly efficient material makers. Research up until now has relied on artificially induced wood-making cells...
Sebastian Schornack and the MycoRed research undertaken in collaboration between his and Sam Brockington's team in Plant Sciences was featured on prime-time BBC One TV on the programme Countryfile.
Pulses are packed with goodness: Five cool things you should know about them Written by Dr Nadia Radzman Each year on February 10, the United Nations commemorates what probably sounds to many like a strange occasion: World Pulses Day . But, as a researcher focused on forgotten and underutilised legumes , I think the...
Plants employ chemical engineering to manufacture bee-luring optical devices
There is a clear visible difference between striated and smooth petal surfaces when the petals are viewed under microscopes: Hibiscus trionum (left) has microscopic ridges on its petal surface that act as diffraction gratings to reflect light, while Hibiscus sabdariffa (right) has a smooth surface. Cambridge researchers...
Join the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) at this year's Big Biology Day at Hills Road Sixth Form on Saturday 15th October 10:00 - 16:00. This is a free, fun-packed education day showcasing biology. There will be hands-on activities for all ages, information about biology careers and an opportunity to chat...
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser awarded Royal Society’s Croonian Medal and Lecture
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser FRS, Group Leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU), Regius Professor of Botany in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, and Chief Executive Officer of UK Research and Innovation, has been awarded the Royal Society’s 2023 Croonian Medal and Lecture...
Novel deconvolution method advances in vivo imaging results
A novel method that improves the images captured in light-sheet microscopy looks set to help advance the future of in vivo biological imaging. Light-sheet microscopy is less damaging to cells and tissues than other forms of imaging like confocal and electron microscopy and allows scientists to image live biological samples...
A day just for plants The sixth international “Fascination of Plants Day” is on Wednesday 18 May 2022. It is an initiative of plant scientists across the world under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) . Why do we need a Fascination of Plants Day? The goal of this activity is to get as many...
New high-throughput method to quantify flower organ development
Illustration of the tissue-level segmentation workflow showing different processing stages, consisting of the 1) raw data, 2) contour, 3) surface mesh, 4) mesh curvature, and 5) the final, segmented mesh. From the segmented data, sub-tissue geometrical properties can be quantified. New high-throughput method to quantify...
