Plant Talks at Cambridge

Mon 06 Feb 15:00: Publishing in Communications Biology and other journals in the Nature Portfolio

Tue, 31/01/2023 - 09:52

Publishing in Communications Biology and other journals in the Nature Portfolio

Abstract not available

Speaker: David Favero, Nature Communications
Monday 06 February 2023, 15:00-16:00
Venue: Online (Zoom meeting). Contact events@slcu.cam.ac.uk for meeting joining details. .
Series: Sainsbury Laboratory Seminars; organiser: Elisabeth Burmeister.

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Thu 09 Feb 12:15: Molecular insights into abiotic and biotic factors shaping diatom ecophysiology and signalling

Thu, 26/01/2023 - 16:21

Molecular insights into abiotic and biotic factors shaping diatom ecophysiology and signalling

Abstract not available

Speaker: Dr Katherine Helliwell, University of Exeter, UK
Thursday 09 February 2023, 12:15-13:45
Venue: Online / Plant Sciences LLT for Department members only.
Series: Plant Sciences Departmental Seminars; organiser: cjh92.

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Thu 26 Jan 12:15: Alternative meristems: mapping the expression landscape of transcription factor in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Fri, 20/01/2023 - 10:57

Alternative meristems: mapping the expression landscape of transcription factor in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

Transcription factors (TFs) are essential for the regulation of gene expression and cell fate determination. Characterizing the transcriptional activity of TF genes, in time and in space, is a critical step toward understanding complex biological systems. The vegetative gametophyte of bryophytes resembles some characteristics with the shoot-apical meristem of flowering plants. However, the identity and expression profiles of TFs associated with the organization are largely unknown. With only ~450 TF genes, Marchantia polymorpha is an outstanding model system for systems biology. Here we generated a near-complete collection of promoter elements derived Marchantia TFs. We experimentally tested in planta transcriptional fluorescent reporters for all TFs in the collection and systematically mapped the expression patterns in the Marchantia gemma. This allowed us to delimitate expression domains and identify a unique set of TFs expressed in the stem-cell zone, providing new insight into the dynamic regulation of the gametophytic meristem and its evolution and identify new cell-type specific promoters.

Speaker: Dr Facundo Romani, Haseloff Group, Department of Plant Sciences
Thursday 26 January 2023, 12:15-13:45
Venue: Online / Plant Sciences LLT for Department members only.
Series: Plant Sciences Departmental Seminars; organiser: Kumari Billakurthi.

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Fri 20 Jan 10:00: Getting to the root of symbiotic nodule developments in legumes

Fri, 20/01/2023 - 09:42

Getting to the root of symbiotic nodule developments in legumes

Abstract not available

Speaker: Katharina Schiessl (SLCU)
Friday 20 January 2023, 10:00-11:00
Venue: Online (Zoom meeting). Contact events@slcu.cam.ac.uk for meeting joining details. .
Series: Sainsbury Laboratory Seminars; organiser: Sainsbury Laboratory.

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Thu 02 Feb 12:15: Soil microbiomes and one Health

Wed, 18/01/2023 - 16:07

Soil microbiomes and one Health

The soil microbiome is highly diverse and comprises up to one quarter of Earth’s diversity. Yet, how such a diverse and functionally complex microbiome influences ecosystem functioning and sustainability remains unclear. In particular, it is unresolved whether soil microbiome management can help to develop more sustainable agroecosystems. Our research has demonstrated that microbiome management, in particular, inoculation with beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can promote crop yield and plant health in agricultural fields. Interestingly inoculation success was best predicted by soil microbiome characteristics, specifically pathogen occurrence. Moreover, the application of pesticides in agricultural fields reduced AMF richness and the ability of AMF to acquire nutrients for plants. Finally, by analysing the soil microbiome across >700 sites in Europe we demonstrate the impact of land-use on a wide range of functional groups including plant pathogens. Overall, our work demonstrates that soil microbiome engineering has a large potential to contribute to soil health and sustainable plant production.

Speaker: Professor Marcel van der Heijden, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Thursday 02 February 2023, 12:15-13:45
Venue: Online only.
Series: Plant Sciences Departmental Seminars; organiser: cjh92.

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Thu 23 Feb 12:15: Circadian regulation of sunflower development

Wed, 18/01/2023 - 08:48

Circadian regulation of sunflower development

Plants display a remarkable degree of plasticity, altering their growth and development in response to an array of environmental cues. We use domesticated sunflower as a model to investigate how this plasticity is modified by the circadian system. Domesticated sunflower is well-known for its heliotropic behavior, with stems bending to follow the sun from east to west during the day and then bending from west to east during the night so they face east before the sun rises in the morning. Sunflowers are also famous for the remarkable spiral arrangement of florets on their composite inflorescences, a pattern imposed early in development. It is less recognized that during late-stage floral development this spiral pattern is transformed into one of concentric rings. We find that both solar tracking of stems and spatial patterns seen in late-stage floral development are generated by interactions between the circadian system and environmental signaling pathways and demonstrate the importance of this coordination for plant reproductive fitness.