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Sainsbury Laboratory

Read more at: Cambridge plant scientists receive BBSRC funding to combat barley root diseases
Close-up of barley in field

Cambridge plant scientists receive BBSRC funding to combat barley root diseases

Funding to advance strategy that promises long-lasting disease resistance against multiple root rot pathogens in barley Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) has received funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to advance fundamental research to develop broad root disease...


Read more at: Dry days trigger leaves to send a surprising growth signal telling roots to keep growing
A protein structure model of the ABACUS2 biosensor made by the Jones lab to detect the plant hormone ABA

Dry days trigger leaves to send a surprising growth signal telling roots to keep growing

Scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) have discovered a new molecular signalling pathway, triggered when leaves are exposed to low humidity, that ensures plant roots keep growing towards water.


Read more at: Mechanical interactions between cell layers control growth in the stems of two wildly different plant species
Confocal image of Arabiopsis seedling with cracks. Image by James Fitzsimons.

Mechanical interactions between cell layers control growth in the stems of two wildly different plant species

Confocal image of Arabiopsis hypocotyl treated with brassinosteroid inhibitor. The seedling shows cracks appearing in the epidermis. Image by James Fitzsimons. Internal twists in a mutant carnivorous plant reveal how genes control growth coordination via tissue mechanics An aquatic carnivorous plant has helped to explain...


Read more at: Professor of Quantitative Plant Development appointed
Dr James Locke

Professor of Quantitative Plant Development appointed

Dr James Locke has been appointed as the Professor of Quantitative Plant Development at the University of Cambridge, a new single tenure professorship that will build on the University’s strengths in plant science research.


Read more at: Festival of Plants 2023
Carlos Lugo Vélez, Eashan Saikia and François Nédélec demonstrating their cytoskeleton simulation game Bugtiply

Festival of Plants 2023

Join the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) at this year's Festival of Plants on Saturday 10 June 10:00 - 17:00. The Cambridge University Botanic Garden's annual Festival of Plants is a day for exploring the wonderful world of plants


Read more at: Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi may use similar molecular tools to manipulate plants
Models of the structures of FOLD proteins from a pathogen (blue) and a symbiotic fungus (orange) superimposed onto each other to show how similar they are. Image by Albin Teulet

Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi may use similar molecular tools to manipulate plants

Symbiotic and pathogenic fungi that interact with plants are distantly related and don’t share many genetic similarities. C omparing plant pathogenic fungi and plant symbiotic fungi, scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) have discovered that these remote relatives are using a similar group of proteins to manipulate and live within plants.


Read more at: Meet Sebastián Moreno Ramirez
Sebastián Moreno Ramirez working with Arabidopsis thaliana plants

Meet Sebastián Moreno Ramirez

Humans of SLCU Taking inspiration from Humans of New York, each week we will feature people from our SLCU community. Meet Sebastián… Dr Sebastián Moreno Ramirez | Research Associate Twitter @seba_moreno_r Sebastián is a plant development biologist studying stem cells, in particular the shoot apical meristem dynamic (SAM)...


Read more at: Meet Cara Bootman
Cara Bootman pictured in Sainsbury Laboratory

Meet Cara Bootman

Humans of SLCU Taking inspiration from Humans of New York, each week we will feature people from our SLCU community. Meet Cara... Cara Bootman | Senior HR Co-ordinator Cara joined SLCU in March this year as our Senior HR Co-ordinator. Cara's office is in the Admin Office on the Ground Floor and she holds a HR drop-in...


Read more at: Meet Sonal Yadav
Dr Sonal Yadav with background of microscopy image of shoot meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana

Meet Sonal Yadav

Taking inspiration from Humans of New York, each week we will feature people from our SLCU community. Sonal joined SLCU in January 2023 as a Research Associate and is working in three research groups - Alexander Jones, Henrik Jönsson and Elliot Meyerowitz. She recently defended her PhD from IISER Mohali under the guidance of Dr Ram Kishor Yadav.


Read more at: Modelling the evolution of novelty

Modelling the evolution of novelty

Understanding the evolution of novelty through computational modelling The most striking outcome of evolution is the emergence of novel forms of life, with new abilities and interesting shapes, colours and sizes. In an Essays in Biochemistry review , Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University’s (SLCU) Enrico Sandro Colizzi...