How does a cell learn? In our new perspective in @nature.com we propose a model where the properties of the AP-1 family of transcription factors – stress-induced feedback, regulatory combinatorics and cellular memory – encode a mechanism for cellular learning. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

At the end of 2024 I did a chronological round up of all the #plantscience in @science.org that year.
So how did 2025 pan out? This year, I’m grouping papers thematically instead of chronologically so read on to find out what exciting plant science came out over the last 12 months. (1/22)

Unlocking the potential of brassinosteroids: A path to precision plant engineering Brassinosteroids are essential plant hormones that play a central role in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Their impact on plant architecture and productivity makes them attractiv...

Another great collaboration with @trevormnolan.bsky.social and @nvukas.bsky.social where we give our vision on how brassinosteroid research can pave the way to precision plant engineering www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Interested in learning about the latest and greatest research in how plants respond to excess salt, too little or too much water? Come to the GRC in Salt and Water Stress in Switzerland. Lots of opportunities for all career levels. www.grc.org/salt-and-wat.... Please repost!

Unlocking the potential of brassinosteroids: A path to precision plant engineering Brassinosteroids are essential plant hormones that play a central role in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Their impact on plant architecture and productivity makes them attractiv...

New #plantscience Review article out in this week's @science.org looking at how technological advances are informing brassinosteroid research:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Thanks to authors
@jennyrussinova.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social

It was great to talk science and show @billgates.bsky.social around our lab at @caltech.edu . Nolan and Meyerowitz lab postdoc Donovan Phua's regenerating callus is featured 🌱 www.instagram.com/reel/DQo2pen...

Our new review in Science @science.org is out with @jennyrussinova.bsky.social and @nvukas.bsky.social. We discuss how precise modulation of brassinosteroid signaling can enable more targeted, predictable improvements in plant growth and resilience.
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu9798

Congrats, Priya! That's amazing and very well deserved. Looking forward to the many exciting things you'll do there!

Single-cell transcriptomics reveal how root tissues adapt to soil stress - Nature Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic approaches reveal major expression changes in outer root cell types when grown in soil versus gel conditions, and also uncover how root tissu...

Plant roots adapt to their environment including to soil conditions. Using single-cell transcriptomics, @nature authors report on the rice root responses and adaptations to soil-related stresses at individual cell level. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thrilled to see our work now online @nature.com
This study reveals how individual root cells sense and respond to real, compacted soil environments.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

beautiful spatial transcritomics of rice root in gel & soil conditions and huge credit to Mingyuan and colleagues.

Postdoctoral Researcher- Brady Lab University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

We have a postdoc position that just opened up in the Brady lab on reprogramming tomato root system architecture in response to changes in nutrient availability - please consider applying! recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07095

(1/17) We are excited to share the Ashraf and Gallagher labs collaboration on cell cycle regulation during environmental stress recovery in Arabidopsis, Brachypodium, and ryegrass.

Congrats, all! This is fascinating work.

🌱 When a root cell undergoes symmetric division, are the daughter cells actually identical? By combining live-cell imaging and scRNAseq we discovered a new cell state with uneven BR activity. Read our full paper in Cell: doi.org/10.1016/j.ce... @nvukas.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social

See our full thread is here for more details bsky.app/profile/jenn...

We dedicate this study to my postdoctoral mentor Philip Benfey—a visionary in plant developmental biology whose groundbreaking contributions and unwavering mentorship enabled so many scientific careers, including mine.

This project was led by @nvukas.bsky.social with key contributions from Che-Wei Hsu, and several research groups, including The Russinova and Nolan labs. Many thanks to all our coauthors! @emmanuellebayer.bsky.social @rachelmshahan.bsky.social

🖥️ Dive into our interactive atlas to explore these dynamics and your favorite genes in detail: nolanlab.shinyapps.io/arvex

📸 Live imaging provided the answer: immediately after division, daughter cells diverge into distinct roles. One cell specializes in signaling while the other boosts biosynthesis, circumventing feedback inhibition.

🧬 Single-cell analysis showed brassinosteroid signaling peaks during G1 phase. Surprisingly, we also observed increased expression of brassinosteroid biosynthesis gene DWF4 at the same stage. How is this possible, given known feedback inhibition?

🔬 Our lab developed a detailed single-cell cell-cycle reference atlas—led by efforts from Che-Wei Hsu and phase markers from Laura Lee—allowing us to precisely track hormone signaling dynamics across the cell cycle

🌱 Thrilled to see our latest collaborative work with @jennyrussinova.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social published in Cell! By combining single-cell RNA-seq and live imaging, we uncovered previously hidden brassinosteroid signaling states and their role in optimizing root growth. doi.org/10.1016/j.ce...