Stefanie Rosa

Water is essential for life, but some organisms can survive extreme dehydration, a phenomenon called anhydrobiosis. Orthodox plant seeds are remarkable examples, capable of enduring desiccation and surviving harsh conditions for years, even millennia. This ability allows seeds to remain dormant until favorable conditions arise. However, desiccation poses challenges, including oxidative stress and molecular damage, particularly to DNA. Damaged DNA can prevent germination and hinder development after rehydration, yet the mechanisms protecting DNA during these processes remain largely unknown. In this project, I aim to uncover the mechanisms that safeguard genome integrity in desiccated seeds and enable successful germination. By addressing this knowledge gap, we hope to improve seed vigor, longevity, and resilience in crops, contributing to agricultural productivity and global food security.

Paavo Penttilä

The FibForm project studies how plants can control the nanostructure of their cell walls, so that they obtain the desired strength and other properties. The idea behind my research is that the specific structure of hemicellulose polymers, a main component of plant cell walls, guides the building of cellulosic fibrillar structures. I plan to confirm this hypothesis by studying different kinds of plants and model systems, in which differences in the hemicelluloses result in different fibril morphologies. By better understanding the relationships between the chemical structure of the hemicelluloses and the resulting properties of the plant cell walls, we can develop plants for more sustainable agriculture.

Tanvi Taparia

Bioinoculants are teams of helpful microbes that protect plants and keep them healthy, even under stress. Yet, these microbial helpers often fail to work when moved from the predictable environment of a research lab to the complex conditions of a farmer’s field. Project Lab2Field explores the social lives of these helpful microbes—how they interact with plants, soils, and other local microbes, in real-world conditions. By uncovering the secrets to their social behaviour, we can create manuals for making these tiny helpers thrive. This will help create reliable and eco-friendly solutions for farmers to use bioinoculants in their fields with success. This research could reduce the need for chemicals like pesticides, promote organic farming practises, help crops adapt to climate change, and support more sustainable food production.

Nelly S. Raymond

Bio-based fertilisers (BBF) offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers, but their adoption is limited by a lack of understanding of their behaviour in soil. This is particularly crucial for phosphorus (P), a finite resource limiting crop productivity in 67% of soils. BBF adds significant carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to soil, influencing nutrient cycling by microorganisms, key drivers of the P cycle. Their activity is often limited by C and N availability. Plant roots also supply labile C. PRIME-P aims to understand soil P cycling mediated by microorganisms in relation to C and N from BBF and plant roots. Using experimental and modelling approaches, PRIME-P will evaluate BBF and root exudates’ interaction on microbial P mobilisation. The project addresses critical soil-plant-microorganism interactions, paving the way for scalable, bio-based solutions to sustainable soil fertility and beyond.