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Jun Yu (left), Maria E. Eriksson (middle) and Bertold Mariën (right) are discussing their collaboration project in IceLab (photo: Gabrielle Beans, IceLab).
A new study from Umeå University has revealed that the trees’ circadian clock guides their growth and the timing of seasonal events like the appearance of leaves in spring. The researchers investigated the growth of genetically modified poplars in greenhouse and field conditions, combining statistical learning and plant biology methods. Their findings suggest that adjusting clock-associated genes could help trees better synchronize with changing climates, offering new opportunities for forestry.
Read more: Adjusting trees' internal clocks can help them cope with climate change
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Several group leaders from UPSC shared their experiences with the participants of the symposium at a panel discussion highlighting different academic journeys (photo: Anne Honsel).
End of March, the UPSC Early Career Plant Scientists Symposium took place. Six talented young researchers from around the globe were visiting UPSC, presented their research and got to know the research environment. Feedback from the participants highlighted the welcoming atmosphere and the stimulating interactions with group leaders and postdoctoral researchers.
Read more: UPSC Early Career Plant Scientists Symposium receives positive feedback from participants
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Chile is like Sweden a country with extreme climate zones. Photo: Maria E Eriksson.
In January 2026, researchers from Sweden and Chile will meet in Concepción, Chile, for the ACCESS Forum 2026. The aim is to foster networking and exchange between researchers from both countries, with focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development goals. One of the participating scientists is Maria E. Eriksson from UPSC and Umeå University. Together with Luisa Bascuñán from Universidad de Concepción, she will lead the research theme “Resilient plants for the future: Lessons learned from challenging environments” and organise a workshop.
Read more: Fostering International Collaboration for Sustainable Development
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PhD student Alice Marcon has studied flowering and seasonal growth in trees.
Spring is on its way and trees will soon flush their buds. Deciduous trees have to adjust their growth and development to the respective season, but how is this regulated? PhD student Alice Marcon set out to investigate this and characterised the function of two flowering genes that regulate not only flowering but also seasonal growth in poplar. She also created a seasonal roadmap of gene activities and identified key genes regulating bud dormancy, bud flush and flowering providing valuable information for tree breeding programmes.
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Thale cress seedlings with defective RG-II pectin dimerization (right seedling) cannot establish a full apical hook like non-modified seedlings (right seedling). The apical hook is formed when seedlings emerged from the soil to protect their sensitive leaves on top (collage: Anne Honsel).
Plant cell walls give stability to the plant, but they are not just rigid structures. The wall components dynamically interact with each other to influence growth and development. An international research team led by Rishikesh Bhalerao from SLU uncovered a new regulatory link between the plant cell wall and plant hormones. Their results were recently published in Science Advances.
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Åsa Strand, Professor at the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University, is appointed as the first substitute for the three teacher representatives at the University Board of Umeå University (photo: Mattias Pettersson, Umeå University).
With the start of the new term of office on January 1, Åsa Strand has been appointed as a member to the University Board of Umeå University, the highest decision-making body at the university. She will serve as the first substitute for the three teacher representatives until the end of 2027.
Read more: Åsa Strand joins the University Board of Umeå University
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PhD student Sanchali Nanda (front) and her supervisor Stefan Jansson (back) at the ChloroSpec instrument at Umeå Plant Science Centre (photo: Anne Honsel).
Light drives photosynthesis, but excessive light can be harmful. Plants protect themselves by converting surplus energy in their chloroplasts into heat for dissipation. PhD student Sanchali Nanda helped validate a novel instrument that monitors the stress levels of plants and used it to gain new insights on their energy dissipation mechanisms.
Read more: Novel instrument advances research on photoprotection in plants
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PhD student Varvara Dikaya has studied how plants adjust to cold by focussing on the protein PORCUPINE (photo: Nabila El Arbi).
Plants have developed versatile processes to react to cold temperatures. Varvara Dikaya studied PORCUPINE, a protein that is part of a hub regulating responses to environmental cues like cold. In her PhD thesis, she showed that there is not just a single link between PORCUPINE and cold signalling, but multiple intertwined passes that act simultaneously.
Read more: Untangling the multifaceted cold response in plants
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The researchers Olivier Keech and Clément Boussardon are studying pollen grains from Arabidopsis plants. Photo: Rebecca Forsberg
Scientists at Umeå University have found a way to break open the protective walls of pollen grains – one of the hardest biomaterials in the world – without damaging the inside cell and its components. This achievement opened the possibility to isolate and study mitochondria – parts of the cell essential for energy production. To their surprise, several proteins that are key for maintaining the energy production of the mitochondria, were nowhere to be found.
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A digital representation of a human head with DNA strands and a balance scale, symbolizing the intersection of genetics and justice. Generated with AI by Thanarat, Adobe Stock.
Today is the 10th International Day for Women and Girls in Science. The goal is to highlight the need to advance gender equality and celebrate diversity in science. UPSC has been striving for gender balance already since 2007 and has currently achieved it, but the work to create a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment continues.
Read more: Working towards equity, diversity and gender balance