We are excited to bring you the latest updates from the world of plant science. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who might find it helpful. Click here to subscribe!
1) PlantLink in 2025
In 2025, PlantLink will continue as an active network with a strong vision for the future!
Our website will continue to serve as a platform for sharing plant science news; if you have updates to highlight, please reach out to us! We will also keep running the Researcher in the Spotlight series, with some potential Stories of Success additions. The newsletter will now be sent out four times a year, and our Steering Committee will continue to meet regularly. We also plan to run another PlantLink Day later this year!
In addition, we have contributed to covering the costs of key memberships, including EPSO – Europen Plant Science Organisation, PBN – Plant Biologicals Network, SPPS – Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society, and NBPPN – Nordic-Baltic Plant Phenotyping Network, ensuring continued access to valuable networks and resources.
At the same time, we are actively exploring funding opportunities. If you have ideas or potential collaborations to discuss, we would love to hear from you!
Please contact PlantLink’s director, Olivier Van Aken, or coordinator, Anna Maňourová.
2) Lene Krøl Andersen is the new director of NordGen
After 8 years, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is getting a new director. Lene Krøl Andersen will take office on March 15. The new director, who has a strong management profile in the world of science, has a vision of strengthening NordGen as a leading centre for genetic diversity in agriculture, forestry and livestock. Her role involves building upon NordGen’s already strong position as a genebank and knowledge centre for genetic resources.
PlantLink extends gratitude to Lise Lykke Steffensen’s invaluable collaboration and significant contributions to NordGen’s progress over the past eight years!
Read more: in English, in Swedish
3) EPSO Plant Factories Working Group has been relaunched
The European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) has announced the re-launch of the original “Molecular Farming” Working Group with a larger scope now as the Plant Factories Working Group.
The goal of this working group is to promote research, development and innovation in the field of Molecular Farming – particularly translational research to increase the impact of molecular farming and plant-derived recombinant proteins and chemicals in economic applications by encouraging industry participation in plant-based manufacturing.
EPSO member organisations are invited to confirm 1-3 experts for this WG.
Learn more
4) Join EPSO virtual seminar: The role of sugar and nitrogen in plant signalling – 20 February
On 20 February at 15:00 (CET), EPSO will present three talks exploring “The role of sugar and N in plant signalling”. Speakers: Assoc. Prof. Elena Baena-González, University of Oxford, UK; Prof Geert De Jaeger, University of Gent / VIB, Belgium; Gabriella Vinci, University of Udine, Italy
More information and registration
TTT: The EPSO seminars are held online each third Thursday of the month at three. What is next?
March: “A barley pantranscriptome”; speakers Miriam Schreiber (Hutton, UK), Morten Egevang Jørgensen (Carlsberg, Denmark), Vanda Marosi (Helmhoz Munich)
April: “Alignment of plant science with Soil Missions”
We will keep you updated!
5) SLU Breeding Network Meeting – 6-7 May, Ultuna
The SLU Breeding Network Meeting will take place at SLU Ultuna on 6–7 May. This lunch-to-lunch event will bring together researchers from across SLU to connect exchange and foster collaboration!
The meeting is open to anyone at SLU interested in animal, plant, or tree breeding. Young researchers, PhD students, and postdocs are encouraged to apply for a poster session or flash talk! To participate, please register and submit a 250-word abstract by 28 March to anna.manourova@slu.se.
The preliminary programme will be published by the end of February.
More information and registration
6) Searching for researchers to mentor a summer scholar!
Forskningsnätet Skåne has been offering summer scholarships since 2012, and PlantLink and SLU were among the first to participate! This initiative provides second-year upper secondary school students (from the Natural Science program, NV) with hands-on research experience!
As a researcher, you have the opportunity to mentor a student who will actively participate in your daily work – in the lab, field, data collection, etc. Each student is awarded a two-week (ten working days) research placement, typically in consecutive weeks, though some flexibility is possible. It is also fine for two researchers to co-supervise a single student!
Deadline to sign up: 24 February
Scholarship period: Approximately June 10 – August 15
More details: Forskningsnätet Skåne Summer Scholarships
If you are interested or would like to learn more, please contact anna.manourova@slu.se.
7) 14th Conference of the European Foundation for Plant Pathology – 3-5 June, Uppsala
The European Foundation for Plant Pathology is inviting you to the 14th Conference of Plant Pathology.
Keynote speakers: Daniel Croll, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland; Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón, Professor of Computer Languages and Systems at the University of La Rioja, Spain; Armin Djamei, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Bonn, Germany; Malin Elfstrand, Professor in Forest Pathology at SLU, Sweden; Sarah Gurr, Chair in Food Security at Exeter University, UK; Monica Höfte, Professor of Plant Pathology at Ghent University, Belgium; Thorsten Langner, ERC Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, Germany; Tatsuya Nobori, Group Leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), UK; Samuel Soubeyrand, Senior researcher at INRAE’s Biostatistics and Spatial Processes (BioSP) unit, France.
The abstract submission has been extended to 21 February! Apply here
More information on the conference
8) Register for the International Conference on Arabidopsis Research – 16-20 June, Gent, Belgium
The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) is an annual gathering of up to 1000 scientists whose primary research organism is the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This meeting embraces the remarkable contribution that Arabidopsis has made to our understanding of plant science.
Keynote speakers: Professor Jane Parker, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Germany; Professor Jiří Friml, Institute of Science and Technology Austria; Dr Paula Casati, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Argentina
More information and registration
9) Join Biology in Lund Meeting – 10-11 April
The Biology in Lund Annual Meeting, BLAM, is an annual meeting organised by PhD students, with exciting plenary talks, workshops and presentations. It brings together the entire Department of Biology for a two-day conference.
This year’s BLAM will take place on 10-11 April. Confirmed plenary speakers: Michael Rera, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France; Rachel Jabaily, Colorado College, USA.
The last day to register is Friday, 28th February.
Read more about the PhD students’ initiative!
10) PlantACT! Conference – 7-9 April, Madrid, Spain
PlantACT! is an interdisciplinary initiative designed to serve as a think tank for plant scientists, to address the increasingly urgent challenges posed by climate change.
The registration has been closed; however, you can find more information on the event here.
11) Join the sweet potato growing initiative for summer 2026!
Dennis Eriksson and his team at SLU and Lund University are looking for farmers interested in growing sweet potatoes in the summer of 2026! To secure a spot, early registration is recommended!
Building on the experiences from 2025, the team aims to expand the network of sweet potato growers across Sweden in 2026. They plan to select two or three of the best-performing varieties from this year’s trials and test them in different regions, from south to north, to assess their adaptability to various climates and light conditions.
Participants will receive free sweet potato cuttings (approximately 25–50 per person) along with a cultivation manual. The farmers will keep the entire harvest but will be asked to collect some basic data such as the weight of the root crop, and the number of roots of a certain size per plant. Additionally, there will be a questionnaire to be filled out about the cultivation process, taste of the root, etc.
Are you interested in joining the sweet potato initiative? Fill in this form
Learn more on Sveriges Radio: Sökes: Odlare som vill testa sötpotatis för svenskt klimat
You can also contact dennis.eriksson@slu.se
12) Discover the FARMWISE project – agricultural and water quality management through advanced technologies and AI-based solutions
The Horizon 2023 FARMWISE project, “Future Agricultural Resource Management and Water Innovations for a Sustainable Europe”, involves 18 beneficiaries and 2 associated partners from 13 countries, including researchers from Lund University.
The multi-disciplinary project brings together experts in water management, agriculture, climate, sensors, earth observation, data and AI, aiming to develop sustainable solutions to address sustainable water management and climate change challenges. The mission is to revolutionise agricultural management and water quality through advanced technologies and AI-based solutions. With a pioneering approach to informed decision-making, FARMWISE merges precise data analytics and interactive visualization to empower farmers and policy-makers.
Read more about the project
Read the interview with the project coordinator Ronny Berndtsson, LU
13) Courses
Genomic Selection in Plant Breeding, Technical University of Madrid, Spain, May 19-23
The 10th edition of this hands-on course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of modern plant breeding techniques using R. The course uniquely blends genomic selection principles with a problem-based learning approach. This year’s course will take place from May 19 to 23, 2025, at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), Spain.
Registration deadline: April 20
Capacity: Maximum of 25 participants (first come, first served)
Fee: €1050 (Regular), €650 (Student)
More information and registration
International Chemical Ecology course – Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany, June 23 to July 4
The course focuses on interactions between plants, insects, and microbes, but also delves a little into the chemical communication of vertebrates and even humans. It covers evolutionary processes, physiological and chemical methods, as well as new and upcoming applications.
The course is hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany, in cooperation with Penn State University, USA and SLU, from June 23 to July 4.
Registration deadline: May 31
Fee: €520
More information and registration
ELLS summer courses:
Introduction to ecophysiological phenotyping and fruit growth responses to environmental constraints – BOKU, Vienna, Austria, 21-23 May
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna will host a 3-day ELLS student workshop in collaboration with the NewClim project (SLU involved) for 15 MSc and PhD students on May 21-23.
The summer school is an introduction to the exploration of biodiversity within perennial fruit crops, including grapevine, to address climate change. Concepts and phenotyping techniques for evaluating plant and fruit acclimation to abiotic constraints will be covered. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to attend the OENOVITI International Meeting for one day on the theme, “Sustainability and Socioeconomic Aspects of Viticulture and Winemaking in a Changing Climate,” and to interact with academic and professional experts during planned sessions.
There is no tuition fee, however the participants must cover the travel and housing costs.
Application deadline: 21 March
More information and registration
Biocontrol of insects and mites: status quo and prospective challenges – BOKU, Vienna, Austria, 6-12 July
This summer school is a joint teaching program of the ELLS Subject Area Plant Health, which was initiated to introduce the status quo of biological control of insects and mites, and its prospective challenges in a changing world. The course is open to 25 students at the master’s or PhD level. The content of the summer school will present the pros and cons of biological control, but also the potential handling of challenges such as biodiversity, biological invasions and climate warming in relation to biocontrol.
The course is hosted by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, Austria, 6-12 July.
Tuition fee: €250 for ELLS students
Application deadline: 31 May
More information
Summer Bioeconomy School – Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czechia, 11 – 22 August
The Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague will host the ELLS Summer Bioeconomy School, on August 11–22. This program is a collaborative educational initiative within the Bioeconomy Subject Area, aimed at advancing the transition to a bio-based circular economy.
More details will be available at the beginning of March here.
14) Open positions
SLU Alnarp
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Ecology with a focus on Disease Vectors
More information
PhD Student in Plant Genetics and Breeding
More information
PhD position in biology
More information
PhD position in forest ecology with focus on C dynamics
More information
Lund University
Researcher in Landscape Genomics
More information
Project assistant for LPJ-GUESS by INES
More information
15) Researcher in the Spotlight – Ronny Berndtsson
Ronny Berndtsson is a Professor of Water Resources Engineering and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University. His research focuses on water as a key driver of collaboration and sustainable development. He currently coordinates the EU H2023 project FARMWISE – Future Agricultural Resource Management and Water Innovations for a Sustainable Europe.
Read the interview!