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sharmavinod.bsky.social
Vinod Kumar
@sharmavinod.bsky.social
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Reposted by Vinod Kumar
umeaplantsciencecentre.se
🎉 Congratulations to @cathbell62.bsky.social! 🎉

She has been awarded the Roséns Linnaeus Prize in Botany for her research on plant roots and carbon allocation, and for promoting international collaboration in science, especially the #INUPRAG collaboration.🧪🌾

Read more: www.upsc.se/about-upsc/n...
A women with short brown hair is smiling into the camera. She wears a white jacket and a colourful scarf. Her hair is brightened up by some sunshine.
December 3, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
apmahonen.bsky.social
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/...
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...
www.pnas.org
November 14, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
ec.europa.eu
#OnThisDay, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize was born: Marie Skłodowska-Curie.

Today, the MSCActions 🇪🇺 fellowship carries her name, supporting young scientists in their research. 

Together, we’re building a brighter future for generations to come.
November 7, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
@marhava.bsky.social and myself have edited a special issue on Auxin for Physiologia plantarum! Have a look at the nice contributions! @umeaplantsciencecentre.se
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
The A to Z of Auxin in Plant Development: Physiologia Plantarum
Click on the title to browse this issue
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 17, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Having fun with the group for Sandeep Farewell! @sharmavinod.bsky.social @siamsadoyle.bsky.social @loupitgreg.bsky.social @sandeep18887.bsky.social @absolutemaverick.bsky.social @umeaplantsciencecentre.se
September 23, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
starmorph-syg.bsky.social
STARMORPH kick off went smoothly! Nice group of young scientists to work together with! Fantastic couple of days! @xanderjones.bsky.social @kleinevehnlab.bsky.social @nowako76.bsky.social @srobertgroup.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu @umeaplantsciencecentre.se
September 3, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Summer vibes! @siamsadoyle.bsky.social @sharmavinod.bsky.social @sandeep18887.bsky.social @adrienheymans.bsky.social @loupitgreg.bsky.social Lorinda, Lin and Hemamshu! @umeaplantsciencecentre.se
July 23, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Please find our latest paper in @pnas.org. Lots of work from a fantastic group: Qian Ma, Sijia Liu, @siamsadoyle.bsky.social , Sara Raggi and others including @luciastrader.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu @kawresearch.bsky.social @umeaplantsciencecentre.se

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
RACK1A positively regulates opening of the apical hook in Arabidopsis thaliana via suppression of its auxin response gradient | PNAS
Apical hook development is an ideal model for studying differential growth in plants and is controlled by complex phytohormonal crosstalk, with aux...
www.pnas.org
July 22, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Escape game in the city of Umeå! @umeaplantsciencecentre.se
July 11, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
umeaplantsciencecentre.se
REVIEW - What is the mechanistic link between auxin signaling and cell wall dynamics in shaping plant cells?

Vinod Kumar et al from the @srobertgroup.bsky.social explore this link in their recent review published last week in @pplplantarum.bsky.social.

Follow the below link 👇 to find the article!
adrienheymans.bsky.social Adrien Heymans @adrienheymans.bsky.social · May 30
🌱🧩 How do plant cells get their shape? 🧪

Check out the new #open-access #review exploring the mechanochemical duet between auxin & the cell wall in shaping diverse plant cell types from @srobertgroup.bsky.social's Lab.

🔗 doi.org/10.1111/ppl....

#PlantBiology #CellShape #Auxin #Biomechanics
Epidermal cells acquire different cell shapes to enable their functions and maintain tissue integrity in plants. Meristematic cells differentiate and expand into diverse mature cell types, including jigsaw puzzle-shaped pavement cells (a), round stomatal guard cells (b), elongated epidermal cells in hypocotyls and the apical hook (c), and root epidermal cells with root hairs (d). The spatial distribution and arrangement of cell wall polysaccharides, such as cellulose microfibrils, xyloglucans, and pectins (e.g., homogalacturonan represent as HG), and the abundance of methylester groups on these components in differentiating cells regulate anisotropy during cell growth, enabling the acquisition of specific cell shapes. In addition, proteins like KATANIN and CLASP reorient dynamically the cortical microtubules. These cortical microtubules rearrangement is in response to mechanical cues, either self-generated (as in b, c) or from neighboring cells (a, c), leading to the resulting cell shape. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Auxin controls cell expansion by regulating cell wall biosynthesis and cell remodeling. Auxin promotes cell expansion by acidifying the cell wall and activating wall synthesis and loosening enzymes. Auxin efflux (PINs) and influx (AUX1) transporters establish concentration gradients in growing tissue. Auxin enters cells via influx transporters and activates the TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1/AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX PROTEINS-AUXIN/INDOLE ACETIC ACID (TIR1/AFB-Aux/IAA) nuclear signaling cascade, which regulates auxin-responsive genes, including AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) and SMALL AUXIN UP RNAs (SAURs). Auxin activates the H+-ATPase proton pump through TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE 1 (TMK1), acidifying the cell wall and triggering loosening enzymes including PECTIN METHYLESTERASEs (PMEs), EXPANSINs, and XYLOGLUCAN:XYLOGLUCOSYL TRANSFERASEs (EXTs). Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized by the plasma membrane-bound cellulose synthase complex (CSC), with cortical microtubules guiding the exocytosis of this complex toward expanding cell edges. Auxin coordinates the reorientation of cortical microtubules and actin filaments to regulate the trafficking of cell wall polysaccharides to ensure proper cell wall expansion and specific cell shape acquisition. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
June 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
adrienheymans.bsky.social
🌱🧩 How do plant cells get their shape? 🧪

Check out the new #open-access #review exploring the mechanochemical duet between auxin & the cell wall in shaping diverse plant cell types from @srobertgroup.bsky.social's Lab.

🔗 doi.org/10.1111/ppl....

#PlantBiology #CellShape #Auxin #Biomechanics
Epidermal cells acquire different cell shapes to enable their functions and maintain tissue integrity in plants. Meristematic cells differentiate and expand into diverse mature cell types, including jigsaw puzzle-shaped pavement cells (a), round stomatal guard cells (b), elongated epidermal cells in hypocotyls and the apical hook (c), and root epidermal cells with root hairs (d). The spatial distribution and arrangement of cell wall polysaccharides, such as cellulose microfibrils, xyloglucans, and pectins (e.g., homogalacturonan represent as HG), and the abundance of methylester groups on these components in differentiating cells regulate anisotropy during cell growth, enabling the acquisition of specific cell shapes. In addition, proteins like KATANIN and CLASP reorient dynamically the cortical microtubules. These cortical microtubules rearrangement is in response to mechanical cues, either self-generated (as in b, c) or from neighboring cells (a, c), leading to the resulting cell shape. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Auxin controls cell expansion by regulating cell wall biosynthesis and cell remodeling. Auxin promotes cell expansion by acidifying the cell wall and activating wall synthesis and loosening enzymes. Auxin efflux (PINs) and influx (AUX1) transporters establish concentration gradients in growing tissue. Auxin enters cells via influx transporters and activates the TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1/AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX PROTEINS-AUXIN/INDOLE ACETIC ACID (TIR1/AFB-Aux/IAA) nuclear signaling cascade, which regulates auxin-responsive genes, including AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs) and SMALL AUXIN UP RNAs (SAURs). Auxin activates the H+-ATPase proton pump through TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE 1 (TMK1), acidifying the cell wall and triggering loosening enzymes including PECTIN METHYLESTERASEs (PMEs), EXPANSINs, and XYLOGLUCAN:XYLOGLUCOSYL TRANSFERASEs (EXTs). Cellulose microfibrils are synthesized by the plasma membrane-bound cellulose synthase complex (CSC), with cortical microtubules guiding the exocytosis of this complex toward expanding cell edges. Auxin coordinates the reorientation of cortical microtubules and actin filaments to regulate the trafficking of cell wall polysaccharides to ensure proper cell wall expansion and specific cell shape acquisition. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
May 30, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
SLU leadership course in the south! Alnarp campus hits differently 💚💚💚💚
May 20, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
umeaplantsciencecentre.se
After a long and very successful career our plant cell wall expert Professor Ewa Mellerowicz is retiring.

Ewa mentored & inspired many young scientists and her contributions to wood biology research are invaluable.

Thank you for everything, Ewa, and all the best for the next chapter in your life!👏
A women is standing on a green field with young aspen trees.
April 24, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Spontaneous group day, swimming in the sea! Very nice day, only @siamsadoyle.bsky.social and @adrienheymans.bsky.social were missing! @sharmavinod.bsky.social @sandeep18887.bsky.social Lorinda, Hemamshu, Grégoire and Lin!
April 13, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
adrienheymans.bsky.social
🧫Does anyone know of database for 2D plant anatomical data?

I’m especially thinking of datasets from: CellSeT, Icy (.xml) or .zip ImageJ ROIs (e.g., via Celer, PaCeQuant, Cellpose, etc.)

Something like what’s being done with ggPlantMap would be amazing!

#PlantScience #OpenScience
2D plant anatomy data Pavement cells from Arabidopsis Root cross section (Pascut et al., 2021: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24913-z) root tip (https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/000114621) Embryo (https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12267) Lateral root emergence (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00206) Inflorescence stem cross section (https://academic.oup.com/plcell/article/33/2/200/6017181) ggplantmap @leonardojo.bsky.social (Leonardo and Kajala, 2024: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae043)
April 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
adrienheymans.bsky.social
New preprint from @stephanevrg.bsky.social 's lab!

🧪 Simulations + mutant tests show a shift in how we think about plant cell adhesion, challenging "textbook" view on the role of middle lamella.

📄 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Thank you Özer Erguvan and all co-authors 🔬

#PlantSci #CellBiology
FEM and TEM reveal the process by which cell separation may initiate in the outer epidermal edge filling (OEEF) and propagate to the supracellular outer epidermal wall FEM and TEM reveal the process by which cell separation may initiate in the outer epidermal edge filling (OEEF) and propagate to the supracellular outer epidermal wall (SOEW). CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.04.03.646819; this version posted April 6, 2025.
April 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
yoselin.bsky.social
It was really great to host UK Plant Biomechanics today. Big thanks to @instituteofphysics.bsky.social and Viv especially for all their help!!!
A photo from today!
March 28, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
Tonight show was insane! Just in time for our UPSC Symposium for Early Career Plant Scientists 2025

@umeaplantscicentre.bsky.social

www.upsc.se/calendar/227...
March 25, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Reposted by Vinod Kumar
srobertgroup.bsky.social
SLU makes collages of their research images to use for marketing and decoration. Our image has been featured – can you spot it? To the left of the collage you can see stomata, mesophyll and pavement cells of a leaf from one of our research images taken by @siamsadoyle.bsky.social
March 13, 2025 at 7:22 AM