Visitors

Przemyslaw Kopec (Scientist)

Przemysław is a scientist at the Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where he works in the Department of Cell Biology. His research focuses on crop physiology and plant responses to environmental stress, including drought, cold acclimation and de-acclimation. He studies proteome shifts, the activity of key metabolic enzymes and antioxidant function in species such as barley, wheat, triticale, buckwheat and lupine. He visited The Mechanobiology Lab in July 2025, and we hope to continue collaborating on questions that link stress physiology with biophysical approaches.

Nicola Trozzi (PhD student)

Nicola was a PhD student at the John Innes Centre in the UK, where he applied computational morphodynamics to study the cellular mechanisms underlying organ diversification in plants. He established the computer systems and software used for image processing, mechanical measurements and modeling in the lab. He joined The Mechanobiology Lab in February 2023 and worked in the group until May 2025. He earned his PhD in 2025 and now continues to enjoy developing research tools in the private sector.

Katarzyna Szajko (Scientist)

Katarzyna is a scientist at the Inistitute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization, National Research Institute in Poland, where she works in the Department of Potato Genetics and Parental Lines. Her research focuses on molecular biology in potato, including studies on gene dosage, stress responses and pathogen resistance. She visited The Mechanobiology Lab in April 2024, and we continue to collaborate and exchange ideas on biophysical approaches in plant biology.

Marieke Dubois (Postdoc)

Marieke is a postdoctoral scientist in the group of Prof. Lieven De Veylder at the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and Ghent University in Belgium. Her research focuses on molecular and cell cycle mechanisms in plants. Recent work includes identifying the cell cycle inhibitor SIAMESE RELATED1 (SMR1) as a regulator of epidermal cell differentiation in leaves. She and Prof. De Veylder collaborate with our group on a project that connects plant biomechanics with cell cycle control. Marieke visited The Mechanobiology Lab in December 2023 and we continue to exchange ideas within this collaboration.

Erin Cullen (Postdoc)

Erin was a DFG Walter Benjamin postdoctoral fellow in the group of Dr Angela Hey in the Department of Comparative Development and Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Germany. Her research focuses on the genetics of explosive seed launch, a rapid dispersal strategy that depends on precise mechanical and developmental control. She investigated how genetic factors shape tissue tension and trigger this fast release process. Erin visited The Mechanobiology Lab in December 2023 and we have continued to exchange ideas through our shared interest in plant mechanics and developmental regulation.