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Two men at a huge microscope, one is sitting in front and one is standing next to him, both are looking into the camera

New discovery challenges old assumptions about how plant cells stick together

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Last Updated: 07 October 2025
Two men at a huge microscope, one is sitting in front and one is standing next to him, both are looking into the cameraPhD student Özer Erguvan (left) at his favourite microscope, together with his supervisor Stéphane Verger (right) (photo: Anne Honsel).

PhD student Özer Erguvan discovered two key sites in plant cell walls that help cells stick together - findings that challenge textbook knowledge. He also found that sugars play a role in this process. In this interview, he shares insights from his PhD journey.

Read more: New discovery challenges old assumptions about how plant cells stick together

A women with red coloured curly hair is looking straigt into the camera and smiling. She is wearing a whit top and stands in front of pink flowering cherry trees.

Looking for the perfect tree partner – Laura competes in the Researcher's Grand Prix

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Last Updated: 30 September 2025
A women with red coloured curly hair is looking straigt into the camera and smiling. She is wearing a whit top and stands in front of pink flowering cherry trees.PhD student Laura García Romañach is participating in the Researcher's Grand Prix.

On October 10, Laura García Romañach, a PhD student at SLU, will take to the stage at SciFest to compete in the Researcher's Grand Prix. Using dating apps as a metaphor, she will explain the science behind tree breeding – and why her research is crucial in the face of climate change.

Read more: Looking for the perfect tree partner – Laura competes in the Researcher's Grand Prix

Three man and one women wearing blue labcoats are standing in front of aspen trees in a greenhouse. They are all smiling into the camera.

Aspen trees integrate light and temperature to time bud set

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Last Updated: 08 September 2025
Three man and one women wearing blue labcoats are standing in front of aspen trees in a greenhouse. They are all smiling into the camera.Ove Nilsson's group has identified a "temperature sensor" that helps trees integrate temperature and day length when deciding to enter dormancy. Four of the six authors of the study are still active in the group (from left to right): Keh Chien Lee, Laura García Romañach, Bo Zhang, Ove Nilsson (photo: Anne Honsel).

Even in summer, sudden cold snaps are common in northern regions such as Umeå. To survive, trees must know when to keep growing and when to stop and prepare for winter. Now, researchers at UPSC have discovered how aspen trees sense temperature and combine it with daylight to make that decision.

Read more: Aspen trees integrate light and temperature to time bud set

Figure illustrating the annual growth cycle in a juvenile aspen tree

Scientists map aspen tree genes across seasons, creating a detailed genetic roadmap

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Last Updated: 01 September 2025
Figure illustrating the annual growth cycle in a juvenile aspen treeFrom bud burst to bud set: The different stages of the annual growth cycle in a juvenile aspen tree. Illustration: Domenique André

Aspen trees follow a precise annual rhythm, shaped by the changing seasons. Researchers at UPSC have mapped this natural calendar at the genetic level, comparing trees grown outdoors and in the lab. Their study offers a detailed look into the molecular choreography behind the trees’ seasonal life.

Read more: Scientists map aspen tree genes across seasons, creating a detailed genetic roadmap

A women with a mask is standing behind some trees in front of a wooden wall

Artistic research turns tree science into a sensory experience

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Last Updated: 29 August 2025

In December last year, Luis Berríos-Negrón, UmArts Research Fellow in Art and Architecture, staged a performance at the UPSC Tree Phenotyping Platform, reimagining it as a ‘tree nursery’. To challenge conventional views of forests and propose trees as sentient beings worthy of care, he transformed the scientific setting into a multisensory experience using sound art, song and live action. In this interview, he talks about the roots of his research and what drew him to the UPSC platform.

Read more: Artistic research turns tree science into a sensory experience

Eleven pale seedlings grown next to each other in a row with their yellowish tip bend downwards.

The protein that helps seedlings straighten

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Last Updated: 27 August 2025
Eleven pale seedlings grown next to each other in a row with their yellowish tip bend downwards. To investigate how the apical hook forms and opens, researchers grow thale cress seedlings in darkness. Photo: Qian Ma

Seedlings bend their tip as they grow through soil, then straighten when they reach light. Scientists from Umeå have, after years of challenging research, identified a protein that promotes this straightening by regulating cell growth through the plant hormone auxin.

Read more: The protein that helps seedlings straighten

A short-haired men in a white labcoat is pipetting something into a large, black machine

New research facility allows scientists to watch molecules in action

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Last Updated: 20 August 2025
A short-haired men in a white labcoat is pipetting something into a large, black machineRubén Casanova Sáez is loading a sample into the microfluidics unit of the C-trap instrument. Photo: Mattias Pettersson, Umeå University

The C-Trap Facility at Umeå Plant Science Centre is the result of a joint effort of different departments and faculties at Umeå University. Now fully operational, it opens up exciting new possibilities for research at the single molecule scale. At the heart of the facility is the C-trap instrument, which combines laser-based optical tweezers with advanced microfluidics and confocal microscopy, enabling scientists to manipulate and observe dynamic molecular processes in real time.

Read more: New research facility allows scientists to watch molecules in action

Two men with shirts are standing next to each smiling into the camera; both have short hair and glasses. In the background, parts of a green tree are visible.

Unlocking nature’s blueprint – scientists identified the function of a so far uncharacterised protein complex

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Last Updated: 19 August 2025
Two men with shirts are standing next to each smiling into the camera; both have short hair and glasses. In the background, parts of a green tree are visible.The main authors of the study, Totte Niittylä (left) and Wei Wang (right), began working with OPENER while searching for unknown genes essential for early seed development in Arabidopsis. Photo: Rebecca Forsberg

Scientists have uncovered the functions of many genes and proteins across different organisms, but much is still unknown. Now, researchers at Umeå Plant Science Centre have identified the function of a protein complex involved in establishing protein production in plants.

Read more: Unlocking nature’s blueprint – scientists identified the function of a so far uncharacterised...

A men and two women are standing next to each other looking into the camera. The middle woman is holding a prize in her hand. In the background is the logo of IPNC2025 visible.

Laura Tünnermann receives the Marschner Young Scientist Award

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Last Updated: 19 August 2025
A men and two women are standing next to each other looking into the camera. The middle woman is holding a prize in her hand. In the background is the logo of IPNC2025 visible.Laura Tünnermann (middle) received the Marschner Young Scientist Award in Porto from Marta Vasconcelos (right) from the Catholic University of Portugal and president of the International Plant Nutrition Council and from selection committee member Zed Rengel (left) from the University of Western Australia (photo credit: International Plant Nutrition Council).

Last week, the International Plant Nutrition Council announced the winners of the prestigious Marschner Young Scientist Award. Laura Tünnermann was selected as one of two recipients in the PhD student category and received the award at the 20th International Plant Nutrition Colloquium in Porto.

Read more: Laura Tünnermann receives the Marschner Young Scientist Award

A large group of people is standing in front of green trees and a small lake. Some small tables with chairs are visible in front of them.

Tree rings build cross-disciplinary bridges at TRACE 2025 in Umeå

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Last Updated: 19 August 2025
A large group of people is standing in front of green trees and a small lake. Some small tables with chairs are visible in front of them.Researchers from various disciplines came together in Umeå in June to discuss their work related to tree ring research (photo: Anne Honsel).

From 15 to 20 June, tree rings were in focus in Umeå during the international TRACE 2025 conference. Around 150 researchers and students from archaeology, climatology and ecology gathered to exchange knowledge and methodologies for tree ring analysis while enjoying the long Swedish summer days.

Read more: Tree rings build cross-disciplinary bridges at TRACE 2025 in Umeå

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Coming Events

    October

    • Oct 11
      SLU-dagen / SLU Open house 2025Sat. 11 Oct, 2025 (11:00 - 15:00)
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      Departmental meeting genfys (SLU) (APT möte)Mon. 13 Oct, 2025 (10:15 - 11:15)
    • Oct 14
      INUPRAG meeting 2025Tue. 14 Oct, 2025 (All day)
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      INUPRAG meeting 2025Wed. 15 Oct, 2025 (All day)
    • Oct 16
      INUPRAG meeting 2025Thu. 16 Oct, 2025 (All day)
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Anne Honsel
Communications Officer
Umeå Plant Science Centre
info@upsc.se
+46 70 285 6657
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