The EGY1-SGR1 module controls chloroplast development and senescence by modulating photosynthetic functions The chloroplast plays essential roles not only in production of biochemical energy and metabolism, but also in plant development, including senescence. We describe a mutant with an unusual progression...

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Check out what a totally accidental discovery might lead to!

Just before summer started, we had the pleasure to host Kimmy Oh, from Academia Sinica (sites.google.com/g.ntu.edu.tw...). This was the perfect chance for insightful talks and to listen and get inspired by the presentation she gave in our seminar series. Thanks for the great scientific exchange!

We had the pleasure to attend the 3rd Workshop on Carbon Allocation in Plants, at @inrae-france.bsky.social, Versailles: a great occasion to join exciting scientific conversations! PhD student Kaotar Elhazzime and post-doc @saraforlani.bsky.social presented their work as poster🌱

Auxin transport positions stem cells in the vascular cambium during normal development and regeneration | PNAS The vascular cambium contains bifacial stem cells producing secondary phloem in one and secondary xylem to the opposite direction. In Arabidopsis r...

By combining molecular genetics with cell-ablation experiments, we found that vascular cambium stem cells and xylem-identity cells form an interchangeable unit, a stem cell niche. Meticulous work by @xixizhang9001.bsky.social, Ondrej Smetana, Jing Zhang & Xiaoyu Wang 1/x www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Postdoctoral Researcher in Plant Genetics and Cell Wall Biology Postdoctoral Researcher in Plant Genetics and Cell Wall Biology

jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki... Postdoc position available in my lab, please spread the news!

Cambium LBDs promote radial growth by regulating PLL-mediated pectin metabolism - Nature Plants This study reveals that LBD transcription factors in the cambium drive radial plant growth by regulating PECTATE LYASE-LIKE (PLL) enzymes that remodel cell wall pectin, promoting cell expansion.

We found that cytokinin-induced LBDs drive radial (secondary) growth in Arabidopsis root by reshaping primary cell wall pectin, in part through four pectate-lyase-like genes. Huge congrats to the fantastic postdocs who led this work: Lingling Ye and Xin Wang. 1/x www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Research Council of Finland selects 15 new Academy Professors The Research Council of Finland (RCF) has decided on funding for 15 new Academy Professorships for the period 1 January 2026–31 December 2031. The revised Academy Professorship funding scheme pr...

Incredible news! I’ve been awarded the Academy Professorship for 2026–2031. I’m deeply grateful to my group members and colleagues for their invaluable contributions that made this possible. @helsinki.fi @treebiocoe.bsky.social www.aka.fi/en/about-the...

Plants monitor the integrity of their barrier by sensing gas diffusion - Nature A study using Arabidopsis shows that plants can monitor the integrity of their outer barriers by sensing gas diffusion, enabling them to initiate wound repair to prevent water loss and pathogen entry.

How plants sense injury in their barrier tissue, periderm? Painstakingly detailed and amazing work by post doc Hiroyuki Iida shows that wounding is sensed by the diffusion of two gases: ethylene and oxygen. @treebiocoe.bsky.social‬ @erc.europa.eu‬ 1/x 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Today we gather to honor the memory of Professor Jaakko Kangasjärvi. An inspiring leader, mentor, and driving force in our Center of Excellence in Tree Biology. His visionary work shaped our research and our community. We carry his legacy forward, with gratitude and admiration. #plantbiology

On raw moments of the binomial distribution We study the $k$:th raw moment of a variable $R$ following the binomial distribution $\text{B}(n, p)$, where $n/k \rightarrow β> 0$. It is known that $\mathbb{E}(R^k)$ is bounded both from below and f...

My new preprint: When R ~ B(n, p) and n/k -> b > 0, then the k:th raw moment of R is asymptotically k^k (Psi +/- epsilon)^k. Earlier only upper and lower bounds of Psi existed, and a recent sharp result when n/k -> infinity. TODO: the case n/k -> 0. arxiv.org/abs/2504.05766

Water immunity overrides stomatal immunity in plant resistance to Pseudomonas syringae (Jasmin Kemppinen, Maximillian Pollmeier, Sanna Ehonen, Mikael Brosché, Maija Sierla) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience

Yesterday we had a great talk by Tom Clement from the New Dawn Bio startup on the potential of growing wood in cell cultures. Hosted by Wiktoria Fatz from our CoE.

Have you ever wondered how pectin acetylation affects cell adhesion? Together with @breeannau.bsky.social we have the answer! Check our our joint preprint!
@treebiocoe.bsky.social
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-5...

Identification of cambium stem cell factors and their positioning mechanism Wood constitutes the largest reservoir of terrestrial biomass. Composed of xylem, it arises from one side of the vascular cambium, a bifacial stem cell niche that also produces phloem on the opposing ...

Our paper on cambium stem cells is out www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Delicious wild mushrooms from the foraging day organized by our PhDoc Society 🍄‍🟫🌲🌲🍄

Third and final day of “Plants in a changing world” with brilliant talks on plant development

Day 2 of our meeting with many presentations and discussions on plant adaptation and plasticity 🌳🌱

Day1: all set and ready to start!

First day of our meeting “Plants in a changing world” cohosted by @viikki_plants and us.

We have a fantastic lineup of speakers and poster presentations.

More info www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/viikki...

Looking forward to today’s session of TreeBio meets Forest Science. From weeds to trees we will discuss contemporary challenges in studying plant development and adaptation

from genes to the environment, and back.

#Viikkicampus