Scientists at VIB and Ghent University have produced the first high-resolution, cell-by-cell map of how tomato roots respond to colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These ancient fungal partners help plants absorb nutrients from the soil. The study, published in Current Biology, reveals the precise molecular programs that unfold as the symbiosis progresses through different stages, and identifies promising new genetic regulators that could one day be used to engineer more efficient, sustainable crops.

The European Parliament today approved the new regulations on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). “An important milestone for innovation in agriculture and plant science in Europe,” says Jérôme Van Biervliet, Managing Director of VIB. “This confirms that Europe is opting for a future in which science and innovation will effectively contribute to sustainability and food security.” VIB actively contributed for years to the development of the new European rules.

Plants are at the heart of many of today’s scientific and societal challenges, from sustainable food production to climate resilience. For Plant Fascination Day, we want to highlight several outreach initiatives from colleagues at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology who are helping bring plant science closer to the public.

Plants rely on millions of tiny hairs on their roots to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Now, a research team at VIB and UGent led by Prof. Moritz Nowack, has discovered that the lifespan of these root hairs is governed by a surprisingly precise molecular balancing act between recycling and cell death. The findings, published in Nature Plants, open new avenues for engineering crops that are better at extracting resources from the soil.

When an asteroid as big as Mount Everest struck Earth 66 million years ago, it wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs and roughly a third of life on the planet. But many plants survived the devastation. In a new study in Cell, researchers from VIB and Ghent University reveal that the accidental duplications of genomes might have helped many flowering plants survive some of the most extreme environmental upheavals in Earth’s history. This strategy could help plants adapt to the rapid climate changes unfolding today.