New review from HYDROSENSING in "Current Opinion in Plant Biology" The paper maps how ABA and its precursor move between plant tissues, and why the destination decides the response: closing stomata, sealing roots, setting seeds. 🔗 hydrosensing.eu/2026/07/absc...

We're thrilled to celebrate Dr. Poonam Mehra, who has been named a Rising Stars in Plant Sciences 2026 awardee! 🎉 This recognition highlights her contributions to plant science and reflects the innovative research taking place within the Hydrosensing project. Congratulations Poonam 🎉🌱

Inspiring days in Sutton Bonington with Hydrosensing team. Great discussions, slightly too much fancy food, and a Saturday run that turned into an obstacle course, dodging cars that all drive on the wrong side of the road. Great collaborators becoming even better friends. @hydrosensing.bsky.social

Our team is on the road! Past weeks have been full of opportunities to share our research across Europe. 🎤 Wiebke Haeger presented at the Plant Cell Wall Meeting 2026 in Porto (Portugal), bringing together researchers exploring the latest advances in plant cell wall biology cellwall2026.org

(1/2) Open Research Europe is seeking nominations for its new Scientific Advisory Board! They’re looking for internationally recognised researchers with editorial experience and a strong commitment to #OpenScience principles. #SciComm 🧪

Two years in, our annual consortium meeting in Lausanne reminded us how far we've come. From mechanosensors & cell wall-mediated osmosensing to water imaging, cryo-EM & CRISPR, the puzzle is coming together. Most importantly, a strong scientific community has grown alongside the science. 1/2

In a recent feature for BBC Gardeners' World, Prof Malcolm Bennett explained how plant hormones control the transition from dormancy to growth. "If the conditions are right, gibberellic acid dominates and starts growth," he says, as the seed absorbs water and the embryonic root begins to emerge.

Grateful for the opportunity to present my research at the GRC Water and Salt Conference in Switzerland! Great few days of science, discussions, and meeting inspiring people. Big thanks to the organisers for a fantastic conference! @hydrosensing.bsky.social @hamannlab.bsky.social

🌱 New research highlights how AGP and EXO-LIKE genes support brassinosteroid-dependent anisotropic growth in Arabidopsis. The work links these genes to root development, cell expansion, and tissue mechanics — offering new insights into plant growth regulation and crop resilience research.

AGP and EXO‐LIKE genes promote brassinosteroid‐dependent anisotropic growth

The brassinosteroid pathway promotes anisotropic cell expansion; however, the effectors in this process remain unclear. Candidates include ARABINOGALACTAN PROTEIN (AGP) genes, which are prominent ...

doi.org

How do plants know when their cell walls are damaged?🤔 THESEUS1 (THE1) is a key “sensor” that helps plants: 🔎 Detect cell wall stress 🌱 Adjust growth & root development ⚡ Trigger stress responses A new review explores its evolution + what we still don’t know #PlantScience #Arabidopsis #CellBiology

Happy to share a new Nature Communications @natcomms.nature.com paper: “Ancestral functionality and symbiotic refinement of NIN in root nodule symbiosis.” Grateful for the opportunity to contribute and proud to be included among the co-authors: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Why do so many plant gene knockouts show no phenotype? Answer is genetic redundancy New review in @cp-trendsplantsci.bsky.social by Berman, Zylberberg, Mayrose & @eilonshani.bsky.social explores how multiplex CRISPR + comparative genomics can unmask hidden gene functions for better breeding. 👇

Happy to support Jana’s Erasmus+ mobility at NTNU, Trondheim 🇳🇴 Thanks to Muzeum Beskyd for visiting. We discussed links between universities and museums, science communication, and the ongoing ERC Synergy project @hydrosensing.bsky.social, exploring how plants perceive and respond to water stress.

How do roots decide where to grow? New research reveals: ⚡ Calcium signals trigger ROS bursts ⚖️ These balance gravity + mechanical resistance 🌍 Result: roots navigate soil more effectively By tuning cell wall stiffness, plants “feel” their way through the ground. hydrosensing.eu/2026/04/calc...

Learn more about what you need to know before applying for an ERC grant in the 2027 competitions: • Resubmission restrictions • Application rules • Eligibility windows for #ERCStG #ERCCoG 🔗 link.europa.eu/BjTmVt

Applying for an ERC grant in the 2027 competitions: what you need to know

The ERC plans to launch the grant competitions under its 2027 Work Programme between July 2026 and June 2027, with the calls for proposals introducing several changes to the eligibility rules for appl...

link.europa.eu

🌱 Big news! Thorsten Hamann has been elected to the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS), a major recognition of his research on how plants sense water. Read more: hydrosensing.eu/2026/04/thor... @hamannlab.bsky.social

“If you see this picture, I don’t have to tell you which direction the wind is blowing.” 🌬️🌳 Thorsten Hamann (NTNU) used this example of plant adaptation to introduce how Brillouin microscopy reveals changes in stiffness and viscosity in Arabidopsis roots under osmotic stress. 📅 Mar 6 #PlantScience

While visiting Regensburg, Ellie had a confidential side project: using a scoring pipeline for flavour, texture, and appearance, she identified top performers with the kind of confidence usually reserved for structure papers. Reviewer 2 has requested a larger sample size and more ice cream controls.

Ziegler lab UR@ziegler-lab-ur.bsky.social · 5mo ago

@hydrosensing.bsky.social Integrative sensory profiling and comparative phenotypic scoring revealed substantial functional divergence within the sampled cake population. In a pre-peer-review phase, the findings provide support for a robust structure–function relationship in Regensburg pastry biology

@hydrosensing.bsky.social Integrative sensory profiling and comparative phenotypic scoring revealed substantial functional divergence within the sampled cake population. In a pre-peer-review phase, the findings provide support for a robust structure–function relationship in Regensburg pastry biology

New manuscript out in Cell Reports! Shani lab has develope a multiplexed, tissue-specific CRISPR toolbox for Arabidopsis that overcomes gene family redundancy & enables large-scale,cell-type-resolved genetic screens 📃 www.cell.com/cell-reports... @eilonshani.bsky.social @cellpress.bsky.social

How do plants actually sense water?🤔 This "simple" question is central to plant survival & crop resilience In a new Science Advances paper, our NTNU team uncovers new insights into the mechanisms plants use to detect changes in water availability & translate them into stress signals @science.org

The mechanical properties of Arabidopsis thaliana roots adapt dynamically during development and to stress

Brillouin microscopy reveals in vivo dynamics of mechanical properties during plant development and response to stress.

science.org

Happy International Women's Day! 🧪 The EMBO #WomenInScience Lectures address issues related to gender and #diversity in #science. Find out more and apply here: https://www.embo.org/funding/lecture-travel-and-childcare-grants/women-in-science-lectures/ #LifeSciences #funding

How do we strengthen trust in science? Public trust keeps science strong. Strong public engagement helps build that trust. A European community of practice on trust in science is now being initiated. Discover more: link.europa.eu/d6kNXT #EUResearchArea 🧪

Our work now on its final version. We mapped the mechanical properties of roots at tissue and single cell levels using Brillouin microscopy and molecular rotors. Additional mutants and stress measurements from what we previously showed in the preprint are included. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

The mechanical properties of Arabidopsis thaliana roots adapt dynamically during development and to stress

Brillouin microscopy reveals in vivo dynamics of mechanical properties during plant development and response to stress.

science.org

😲 A limestone cave in Western Australia where the Karri tree 🌳roots extend the whole height of the massive cavern in search of nutrients and water. Xero branching in action! 📷💪

1/7 Happy to share that the first publication from my PhD, in which we review the literature about THESEUS1, is now out in @theplantjournal.bsky.social ☘️: doi.org/10.1111/tpj....

The function of the Arabidopsis receptor kinase THESEUS1 in plant cell wall integrity maintenance: from evolutionary origin to future perspectives

THESEUS1 (THE1) is a receptor kinase for which many mutant phenotypes were described in relation to growth and stress responses in Arabidopsis. However, early signaling events by which these response...

doi.org

Curiosity, adventure and discovery. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Giulia Giordano, Eleonora Macchia and Géraldine Laloux share what inspired them to choose a career in science, from early curiosity to inspiring teachers. #WomenInScience #GirlsInScience #IDWGS #STEM

Full professor for plant ecology in Regensburg. #plantscience #plantscijobs jobs.zeit.de/jobs/w3-prof...

🌱 How do roots push through compacted soil? A new study in @nature.com shows that soil compaction increases ethylene, reshaping cell wall mechanics in roots hydrosensing.eu/2026/02/ethy... Some key findings📝 • Ethylene activates ARF1 in the root cortex • ARF1 represses cellulose synthase genes 👇

Why are stress-resistant crops still rare? Bridging the gap between discovery and the field buff.ly/gnIupta via @universityofessex.bsky.social #Plantscience

Why are stress-resistant crops still rare? Bridging the gap between discovery and the field - The Global Plant Council

Over the past three decades, plant scientists have identified thousands of genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to tolerance against drought, heat, salinity, and other environmental…

globalplantcouncil.org