Our PhD student, Jia-Chi Ku, successfully defended her PhD thesis! 🎉She completed her doctoral thesis on the subject of "Identification and characterization of factors govering male germline development in Zea mays" under the supervision of PD Dr. Karina van-der-Linde. Congratulations! 👏🎓

The development of the male inflorescence in Zea mays 🌽 is a complex and highly regulated process that is essential for reproductive success and yield. Our PI Karina van der Linde has published her latest research findings on tassel development in the journal "BMC Plant Biology". 👏

A new publication by our RU members Michael Raissig and Lea Berg from Switzerland 🇨🇭 has been published online. 🌾Congratulations! 👏

Michael Raissig@michaelraissig.bsky.social · last mo.

🌾 Grass leaves are the photosynthetic powerhouses of human civilisation. @lbmountain.bsky.social's transcriptomic atlas of nearly 70,000 cells from shoot apex to mature leaf follows the genetic programs that form a grass leaf 🧬 paper doi.org/10.1093/plce... expression browser shiny.ips.unibe.ch

Hurrah, it’s now official: the RU CSCS is moving into its second funding phase! 🥂 Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this success.🎉

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft@dfg.de · last mo.

Förderentscheidungen zu #Forschungsgruppen durch den DFG-Hauptausschuss im Rahmen der Jahresversammlung: 5 Neueinrichtungen, 5 Verlängerungen. Die neuen Forschungsgruppen erhalten insges. rund 27 Mio. € für die erste Förderperiode. Mehr zu den Themen und Institutionen: www.dfg.de/de/aktuelles...

Last day, if you want to submit your #plantsci poster abstract considered for a poster talk at #BT2026, the International Conference of our @plantsciencedbg.bsky.social (DBG) ⏰Deadline is 11 June 2026, 23:59 (CEST) bsky.app/profile/plan...

German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG)@plantsciencedbg.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Abstract submission deadline extended for 2 types of posters to present your #plantsci work at our #BT2026 to an international plant science audience 📍 in Bochum, Germany 📅 6-10 Sept 2026 www.deutsche-botanische-gesellschaft.de/u/BT2026ext

Anika Dolata, Prof. Dr. Yvonne Stahl (both University Frankfurt) & Dr. Cecilia Lara Mondragón (University Tübingen) - Three female researchers at different stages of their careers represented our Research Unit at MBP 2026. Thank you very much for the poster, the talk, and for chairing the session!🤩

CSCS scientist Dr. Guojing Jiang from the university of Regensburg presented his recent research in a poster session at the 68th annual maize genetics meeting in Cologne, Germany. 🌽 Congratulations on the excellent poster!👍

Dr. Thirulogachandar Venkatasubbu presented his research in an excellent talk titled ”Supervised Clustering Sheds Light on the Developmental Trajectories of Young Inflorescence in Barley” 👏 at the 34th Plant and Animal Genome Conference that was hold from January 8 to 12, 2026, in San Diego, USA. 🌱

Congratulations Dr. @lbmountain.bsky.social I could not be prouder of your achievements and the scientist you have grown into. Your output, your calm demeanour, your focus, your enthusiasm and your community-oriented mindset make you a fantastic scientist, team member, person and role model.

Registration for the 13th PhD School on Plant Development is open! 🌾 🔬 🌺 🧬 🌵 🧪 Deadline: June 30, 2026 Link to registration form forms.gle/tbmUxaw2vmEn... Cost: €350.- (incl. board, lodging and social event) For details re payment and abstracts see form or homepage raissiglab.org/plantdevosch...

🌡️🌽 RESEARCH 🌽🌡️ A minimal increase in temperature, as forecast by global warming scenarios, results in increased Ustilago maydis infection and significant differences in maize gene expression – Schwarz et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪 @cerealcell.bsky.social

Our fourth annual CSCS conference, held from 15 to 17 December 2025, provided us with a unique opportunity to discuss our latest findings in cereal stem cell research 🌱 in detail against the maritime backdrop of Hamburg! ⚓Thank you all for your feedback, inspiring ideas 💡and stimulating discussions❣️

From October 14–15, 2025, a workshop on „Academic Career Perspectives in Germany: Junior research Groups” took place in Regensburg. 📓🔬 Coach Dr. Birte Seffert from GSO* Berlin provided tips and resources on funding opportunities, host institutions, application preparation, and networking.

At the International Symposium on Cereal Meristems and Stem Cell Systems Dr. Ludi Wang (University of Cambridge) was honored with the Best Poster Award🏆 for her outstanding poster entitled “Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pistil suppression in maize”. Congratulations on the excellent poster!👏

It was a fantastic meeting! Thank you for organising and bringing together #cereal scientists to talk about meristems. The science was breathtaking and the parallels between the species was thought-provoking. #wheat #barley #maize #rice #shoot #root #meristems

🌱Are you wondering what the research unit Cereal Stem Cell Systems is doing and what significance its research has for the future?🌾 🎥The video on our website www.cerealstemcells.de/index.php?br... explains what we focus on and why doing research on stem cells in plants is important. 🌽

What a wonderful event! 🌱A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our CSCS symposium 2025🌽: the top-class speakers for their inspiring presentations👏, our sponsors for their generous support💰, and all participants for the relaxed, collegial atmosphere. 🙂

What a community, what a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, what a location! Thank you @snsf.ch, CSF @ethz.ch, @newphyt.bsky.social, @biologists.bsky.social and @cerealcell.bsky.social for supporting us. 🌾Brachypodium 2025 was a blast🌾 Grazie mille - Thank you so much Forza Brachy - Go Brachy

This #FluorescenceFriday our featured image is from by @lbmountain.bsky.social (@michaelraissig.bsky.social lab). It shows mature epidermal cell types in a grass leaf of Brachypodium distachyon. Check out our post to learn more the image & Lea’s research: focalplane.biologists.com/2025/07/04/f...

Featured image with Lea Berg - FocalPlane

Featured image with Lea Berg - News

focalplane.biologists.com

🌍 Join Us in Regensburg for an International Symposium on Cereal Meristems and Stem Cell Systems! 📢 Abstract submission deadline was extended to 31 July 2025! 📍 Where: University of Regensburg, Germany 🕒 When: 28/09 to 1/10/2025 💻 Registration: cscs2025.de

A 7-day-old maize embryo (center) surrounded by ESR cells that shape its microenvironment. These specialized cells may guide development by secreting signals and blocking plant hormones.Plant life begins with remarkable coordination. 🌽 🔬Picture from Dr. Guojing Jiang (University of Regensburg)

Early bird registration and submission of abstracts ends on 15 July 2025! Get ready to connect, collaborate, and innovate at the International Symposium on Cereal Meristems and Stem Cell Systems! 📍 Where: University of Regensburg, Germany 🕒 When: 28/09 to 1/10/2025 💻 Registration: cscs2025.de

🔬3D Cell segmentation of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) of maize🌽in top/side view was analyzed by Dr Cecilia Lara Mondragon from the University of Tübingen. 💡The SAM consists of pluripotent stem cells that determine the cell number and position of all lateral organs during plant shoot development.

⌛One month until early bird registration and abstract submission deadline! The International Symposium on 🌽Cereal Meristems and Stem Cell Systems 🌱 organized by @cerealcell.bsky.social will take place in Regensburg (Germany) from Sep 28 – Oct 1, 2025. Register until June 30: www.cscs2025.de

🔬 Proliferating cells in a barley inflorescence meristem visualized by Jan Maika, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. 💡Cell proliferation is characterized by de novo DNA synthesis. Incorporation of 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine, a thymidine analogue, detected with a fluorescent azide molecule in vivo.

🔬 This photo taken by Dr Yaping Zhou (University of Bonn) shows that defects in the lateral root system inhibit nutrient uptake and thereby affects the entire plant development in maize. 🌽While the WT has a normal leaf phenotype, the lateral root defective mutants have significantly smaller leaves.🍃

Early bird registration is ending soon! Get ready to connect, collaborate, and innovate at the International Symposium on Cereal Meristems and Stem Cell Systems! 📍 Where: University of Regensburg, Germany 🕒 When: 28th September - 1st October 2025 💻 Registration: cscs2025.de

📷This photo of the construction site 🏗of a new greenhouse at the Institute of Plant Sciences was taken by Prof Dr Grasser (University of Regensburg). 👷 A greenhouse that allows to grow even tropical maize 🌽 lines of about 4 m height indoors at highly controllable conditions 💦🌞🌡is taking shape. 🎉

🔬 This field photo of a maize cross was shared by Cecilia Lara Mondragon from the University of Tübingen. 💡 Maize is about 95% wind-pollinated by pollen by neighboring plants. For controlled crosses, the female ear is covered, and pollen from a selected male plant is manually applied to the silks.

🔬 Insights into the depths of a maize ovule primordium were provided by Martina Balboni from University of Hamburg. 💡 The chromosome axis protein DSY2 fused to YFP (in yellow) and the RFP labeled TUBULIN2 (in magenta) were visualized in a live cell imaging approach during maize meiosis.