​Our lab attended the 8th International Conference on Plant Cell Wall Biology held at the Casona de las Condes campus of Andrés Bello University in Santiago, Chile. Lukas presented our work on the cell symmetry breaking project and discussed how our approach helps probe cell wall behavior. The event brought together researchers from around the … More International Conference on Plant Cell Wall Biology 2024 in Santiago

Arnaud Didier is a master’s student at the University of Montpellier. He will conduct his master’s project in The Mechanobiology Lab working on the anisotropic growth and mechanical properties of Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyls in the context of thermomorphogenesis.

Today, marked the end of Alice’s apprenticeship in The mechanobiology Laboratory. Alice successfully generated new CRISPR lines to study the role of cell wall modifiers in cell wall expansion. We wish her all the best for her future career!

Andrea Meraviglia graduated with a degree in quantitative biology from the University of Milan. He completed his master’s thesis in the laboratory of Professor Alex Costa, where he focused on genetically encoded calcium biosensors. He then carried out an internship in the group of Dr Elke Barbez at the Chair of Molecular Plant Physiology at … More Welcome Andrea to The Mechanobiology Lab!

Sebastian Poirier studies biology at the University of Lausanne. He is interning in the lab to gain practical experience in molecular biology. He joined The Mechanobiology Lab in October 2023 and will conduct genetic screens in the lab.

The cells in the shoot epidermis of many plants, resembling pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, feature intriguingly complex shapes. In our recent collaborative study led by Nicola Trozzi, we analyzed a broad range of over 300 living and ancient plant species. We found that the capacity to form these puzzle-like cells is universal among plants; … More Interplay of growth with mechanical constraints forms puzzle cells

Our lab attended the European Plant Science Retreat held in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Yixuan presented our recent work on how cell wall and cell geometry affect tissue mechanics. The event brought together PhD students from across Europe to discuss ongoing projects and exchange ideas. The program included invited speakers, hands on workshops, a tour of … More European Plant Science Retreat 2023 in Wageningen

Lukas Hoermayer completed his graduate studies from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland, and the University of Vienna, Austria. In 2016, he joined Professor Jiří Friml’s lab at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, where he worked on wound healing mechanisms in plant roots and received his PhD in 2021. Lukas joined The Mechanobiology … More Welcome Lukas to The Mechanobiology Lab!

Aurore Chetelat joined the Department of Plant Molecular Biology in 1997 to work with the group of Prof. Edward (Ted) Farmer. For more than twenty years she worked on plant defense and supported the team as a lab technician. During this time she collaborated with scientists from many countries and developed strong expertise in molecular … More Welcome Aurore to The Mechanobiology Lab!

Today marked the end of Audran Feuvrier’s internship in The Mechanobiology Laboratory. Audran studied biology at the University of Lausanne and joined our lab in December 2022 to gain practical laboratory experience, staying with us until August 2023. During his time here he carried out a reverse genetic screen and identified new factors that influence … More Farewell to Audran