News

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…

Two research consortia, including SLCU's Professor Henrik Jönsson and Dr Alexander Jones, have been awarded prestigious ERC Synergy Grants to investigate fundamental aspects of plant development from diverse angles, paving the way for advancements in biotechnology and plant engineering.The highly competitive ERC Synergy grants are designed to suppo…

Confocal imaging of FRET biosensor in Arabidopsis apical hook. Image by Maxime Josse.Creating a spatio-temporal map for auxin dynamicsERC Synergy grant to unlock secrets of plant organ growthAlexander Jones has teamed up with three other leading plant developmental scientists to investigate the interplay between growth hormones and mechanical force…

Building a virtual flowerERC Synergy grant to unravel the complex processes of symmetry breaking in biological systemsA collaboration of plant scientists from the Sainsbury Laboratory, Europe and Australia has been awarded a prestigious €10 million research grant aimed at tackling one of the most complex challenges in biological sciences – understa…

Fully funded PhD studentship to investigate rewiring root regulators for rhizobia-legume symbiosisCambridge Biosciences DTP PhD Programme  |  Available Targeted Projects  | How to ApplyApplications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship with the University of Cambridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to investigate the rewiring root regul…