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Axillary buds are located at the base of each leaf. Initially dormant, each can grow into a branch. To study how branching is regulated by local signalling within each bud and by systemic signalling from other buds, we used stem sections with two axillary buds and their associated leaves (left). This signalling network influences, for example, whet…

A gene identified more than 30 years ago has now revealed its role as a natural microRNA (miRNA) sponge to fine-tune the legume nodulation pathway, thanks to an international collaboration led by Wageningen University and the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University. Nodules are specialised organs found on the roots of legumes that provide homes a…

Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) has been awarded a £500,000 two-year grant from the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) to pioneer a radical new approach in plant synthetic biology by using biological noise as a tool rather than treating it as a problem.Co-led by Professor James Locke and Dr Chris Micklem, the project will …

Advancing NeuroinclusionBest Practices Round Table24 September 2025  | 2pmVenue: Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 47 Bateman St, Cambridge CB1 7AF (How to find us)There’s no need to book, just come along on the day.Attend Online:Join the live Zoom WebinarMore information: events@slcu.cam.ac.ukAbout the eventJoin colleagues from across…

Trichomes on an Arabidopsis thaliana leaf (here shown using electron microscopy) are formed by a single cell adopting this spiked shape (top images). Arabidopsis plants without a SCAR/WAVE gene cannot form properly shaped trichomes, because their inner cytoskeleton control is impaired (bottom images). Images by Sabine Brumm.Plant cell sculptors: Ho…

Cambridge scientists uncover the genetic pathways behind petal pattern evolutionNew research reveals how repeated genetic changes in Hibiscus flowers have led to the loss of visually striking bullseye patterns despite their advantage in attracting pollinators like bumblebees.Scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge have…

Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus in the Green Mother Machine. A freeze-frame of a timelapse movie. Cells are entrained in the chip upon exposure to 12 h darkness and then observed under free-running, continuous light conditions (medium LL, 20 μmol m−2 s −1 ). Phase contrast images are shown in the background in grey. The imaging frequency is …

The Department of Engineering’s Design and Technical Services team will bring mathematical beauty to life with a Fibonacci spiral wall, designed and built for the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20-24 May, 2025).We have been able to push the boundaries of traditional fabrication techniques to create something …

Illustration of the planned Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge Blooming Numbers exhibit for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025. Melanie Sadler designed The Pollinator Patch to showcase the incredible diversity of plants that can be grown in a small area to support bees, butterflies, and other important pollinator species.  Illustration by Melanie Sadler.…

Root meristem of Vicia faba (broad bean) cells in anaphase and prophase stages of mitosis. Image from archive of Josef Reischig and licenced under CC BY SA 3.0 license as a part of Wikimedia Czech Republic's GLAM initiative.New research reveals key mechanisms behind cell division A breakthrough in the study of cell division has revealed critical in…

The Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge is thrilled to announce its participation in the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where it will unveil an interactive plant science exhibit, Blooming Numbers, as part of the new GreenSTEM section highlighting research, innovation and technologies.The exhibit will take visitors on an interactive j…

Groundbreaking insights into the genetic toolkit underlying plant adaptation to landSequencing the genomes of over a hundred liverworts has uncovered ancient plant adaptation mechanisms, with researchers pinpointing genes linked to temperature and rainfall changes.Researchers at the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, have contributed to…

New findings explain how the uncurling of the apical hook in illuminated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings relies on synchronising hormone, cytoskeletal, and cell wall dynamics to drive this growth process.Using a plant seedling apical hook as a model for organ shape change, research conducted at the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, show…

BBSRC's Strategic Longer and Larger grants scheme supports project to pave way for broad-spectrum plant disease resistance by identifying key players in pathogen subversionResearchers from the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) are collaborating on a £5.91 million 5-year UK research project that will identify how pathogens manipulate …

Cyanobacteria, an ancient lineage of bacteria that perform photosynthesis, have been found to regulate their genes using the same physics principle used in AM radio transmission. New research published in Current Biology has found that cyanobacteria use variations in the amplitude (strength) of a pulse to convey information in single cells. The fin…