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.

🔬 The expression pattern of the epidermis marker gene HvOCL7a in a barley shoot apex was visualized by Dr. Thirulogachandar Venkatasubbu from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. 💡 The shoot epidermis protects plants from dehydration and pathogens and maintains shoot stem cells.

🔎 Our PI Frank Hochholdinger from @unibonn.bsky.social received the 2025 maize genetics cooperator award 🏆 at the 67th maize genetics conference together with Caroline Marcon for their work on BonnMu a public transposon-tagged maize population designed for genetics studies in maize.🎉 #MGM2025

The DFG Research Unit Cereal Stem Cell Systems invites you to the INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CEREAL MERISTEMS AND STEM CELL SYSTEMS Sun. 28th Sept. 2025 – Wed. 1st Oct. 2025 University of Regensburg, Germany For more detailed information and registration please visit our website www.cscs2025.de

Excellent talk by Yaping Zhou of @unibonn.bsky.social and @cerealcell.bsky.social at the development and cell biology workshop prior to the 2025 maize genetics meeting in St. Louis. #MGM2025.

🔬 This cell arrangement of a barley root apical meristem (RAM) was visualized by Anika Dolata from Goethe University Frankfurt using Renaissance blue staining. 💡. The stem cell niche in the RAM provides a pool of undifferentiated cells that can be activated when needed for root growth.

🔬 The photo taken by Dr. Yaping Zhou from the University of Bonn shows the maize root morphology after 7 days of germination. 💡 The root system of maize🌽 develops from a primary radicle, followed by 3-5 seed-borne seminal roots. Lateral roots are essential for efficient water and nutrient uptake.💦

🔎 Our PI PD Dr. Karina van der Linde from the university of Regensburg has presented her work on “Cell division in freshwater algae and land plants 🌱 governed by a novel, conserved plant peptide hormone” in a great talk at the #MBP2025 Conference in Hennef, Germany. 👍 @molplantsci.bsky.social

👏Many thanks to our PI Prof. Dr Rüdiger Simon for sharing the importance of our research on plant meristems 🌱🌽🌾with a broad audience during his great keynote lecture 👌 at the Molecular Biology of Plants Conference of the DBG (@plantsciencedbg.bsky.social) in Hennef, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

🔬This beautiful picture of a 7-day-old vegetative shoot apical meristem (SAM) of maize 🌽 was taken by Dr. Cecilia Lara Mondragon from the University of Tübingen. 💡 SAMs harbour a population of pluripotent stem cells which give rise to all organs above-ground.

📢With regular posts of pictures 📷 🔬from our current cereal stem cell research, we want to whet our followers' appetite for plant research. 🌾🌽 🎉Many thanks to all our PhD students and PostDocs for these beautiful contributions that show the unique aesthetics of plant research!🌱

🎉Our junior research group leader Dr Karina van der Linde successfully defended her habilitation on 15 January 2025. 🥂 We would like to congratulate her and wish her the best of luck 🍀 and success for her future career!

Our 3rd annual CSCS meeting, which took place in December 2024 in Bern, provided a unique opportunity for the entire RU to discuss our research in the beautiful Swiss mountain landscape. Many thanks to you all for 3 days of fantastic scientific presentations 👏 great discussions and inputs ❤️!!!

Follow our research unit CSCS (Cereal Stem Cell Systems) on Insta and Bluesky! We're 10 research groups in Germany and Switzerland dedicated to plant meristems.