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...
Fig. 1.Comparative Ustilago maydis infections of 18 maize cultivars under different temperature conditions. (A) Plan of the infection studies performed under four different temperature regimes. DR, disease rating. (B) Photographs of different infection symptoms. The different symptom categories are represented by specific colors and a specific disease index (DIX), shown above the images. Scale bars=25 mm. (C–E) Disease ratings of 17 EU-NAM founder cultivars and B73 14 days after infection with the compatible U. maydis strains FB1 and FB2 or mock infection under the temperature conditions of 1985 (C), 2050 (D), or the temperature for 1985 with an additional 3 d heatwave (E). All experiments were performed in two biologically independent replicates; the total number of plants used (n) is indicated in each case. The mean ±SE infection intensity for each maize cultivar is given as the DIX. Colors indicate the different symptom categories defined in (B).
🌡️🌽 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...
🌍 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.
🔬 Scanning electron microscope picture of an immature maize tassel tip taken by Jia-Chi Ku (University Regensburg).
💡 Via several intermediate meristem stages (see picture) the tassel (male inflorescence of maize) with hundreds of male flowers, which contain the pollen producing anthers, is formed.
🔬 Maize embryo at 8 days after pollination, prepared by Dr Guojing Jiang, University of Regensburg.
💡 Plant embryogenesis is the process by which embryos develop from the fertilized zygote, involving the establishment of apical-basal polarity, meristem initiation, and lateral organ formation.
🔬 An image competition was organised at the Biologists @ 100 conference in Liverpool. The extraordinary image of the mature leaf epidermis of Brachypodium by Lea Berg @lbmountain.bsky.social is one of 15 finalists 🏆 in the Company of Biologist's @focalplane.bsky.social competition.👏
#Biologists100
🎬After months of preparation by Martina and Cecilia, the on-site filming of the CSCS video took place in Regensburg with the support of Guojing and PICT GmbH. 📽 Looking forward to share our research topic 🔬🧪 and why doing research on stem cells in plants 🌱 is important for the future.
🔬 This colorful picture shows the expression of MADS box genes in a young barley spike. The mapping was carried out by Jan Maika from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
💡 MADS box genes code for transcription factors that regulate a.o. flower development, fruit formation and seed maturation.
