News

Beyond Arabidopsis – Pioneering microscopy techniques and Botanic Garden expertise reveal the inner workings of Saxifraga plants

New research reveals the science behind a silver lining – SLCU researchers and CU Botanic Garden staff combine forces to discover the how and why behind the Saxifraga’s silver-white crust.

SLCU gets ready for the Festival of Plants

Can we improve crop photosynthesis to feed the world sustainably? A lecture by Prof Steve Long as well as tours, talks and activities mark SLCU's involvement in the upcoming Festival of Plants on 20 May.

How to become a giant cell? Fluctuations in a key regulator guide cell size in flower organs.

A key regulator has been discovered to determine cell size in flowers through random fluctuations. Counterintuitively, this randomness can lead to patterns. This finding helps us to understand how biological patterns are initiated, how shape and size are determined during growth, and may lead to important discoveries improving crop yields.

Ottoline Leyser honoured with the 2017 FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award

EMBO and FEBS announce SLCU Director Professor Ottoline Leyser as the recipient of the tenth FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award.

Professor Ottoline Leyser awarded a DBE

We are pleased to announce that Professor Ottoline Leyser , Director of SLCU, has been made a DBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to Plant Science, Science in Society and Equality and Diversity in Science. Professor Leyser said, "This is a huge honour. It’s so uplifting that things I really care about can be...

Plant ‘thermometer’ discovered that triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat

A photoreceptor molecule in plant cells has been found to moonlight as a thermometer after dark – allowing plants to read seasonal temperature changes. Scientists say the discovery could help breed crops that are more resilient to the temperatures expected to result from climate change.

Dr Charles Melnyk awarded Royal Society University Research Fellowship

We are pleased to announce that Dr Charles Melnyk has been awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship . His research focuses on understanding how plants repair and connect their vasculature. Unlike most animals, many plants can efficiently reattach and repair wounded or cut vascular strands even after complete...

New research is inspiring the design of new biomaterials

New research is inspiring the design of new biomaterials In 1665 Robert Hooke famously used early advances in microscopy to discover that plants are made up of tiny cells, each surrounded by a wall. Now, 350 years later, the latest microscopes have helped us to understand how the plant cell wall is made. It is well known...

Festival of Plants, Saturday 14 May

SLCU is busy preparing for one of the public engagement highlights of the year- the Festival of Plants in the Botanic Garden. The event is a wide ranging celebration of plants and a great opportunity for SLCU researchers to interact with people who are interested in plants. SLCU members will be offering tours and talks, as...

Scientific Discovery Trail-limited returns available

Due to last minute cancellations, a few places are now available for our Scientific Discovery Trail on 17 March. Booking essential.

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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