On 14 and 15 May, the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge hosted researchers from Europe, the US and Japan for the ASPIRE-GreenTE network event at St John’s College, Cambridge.
This meeting brought together two complementary international initiatives: the ASPIRE programme, which supports global research partnerships and researcher mobility, and the GreenTE network, which focuses on innovation in plant developmental biology and engineering.
The gathering was an opportunity to exchange ideas, explore emerging technologies, and develop new collaborations.
Technological frontiers and keynote insights
Sessions included informal flip-chart discussions led by principal investigators, students and postdoctoral researchers. These interactive sessions allowed participants to introduce specific research challenges, with attendees rotating between groups to identify shared interests across different laboratories.
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge, delivered a keynote lecture titled ‘Decision-making in a changing world: from shoot architecture to science policy’.
Professor Sebastian Schornack, Senior Group Leader at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU), presented on reprogramming of plant cells by effectors of beneficial and pathogenic fungi.
Dr Sarah Robinson, Research Group Leader at SLCU, gave a seminar on mechanisms of plant cell division.
The event also featured two technology spotlight sessions. One focused on single cell and spatial ‘in situ’ hybridisation, plant mass spectrometry imaging, and multi-scale and omics profiling in SPACE. The second explored expansion microscopy in plants alongside single-cell and spatial proteomics.
Additionally, delegates participated in a practical workshop on using Figma as a tool to design clear, high-quality scientific figures, focusing on design principles that can be applied directly to research communication.
Reflections from delegates
Dr Gabriel Ferreras Garrucho, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Crop Science Centre, University of Cambridge
- What were your expectations for the event? I was hoping to connect with researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, all carrying out outstanding work across plant sciences and related disciplines, to spark new collaborations, generate fresh ideas, and encourage interdisciplinary innovation.
- What was your highlight of the event? My favourite session was the technology spotlight on expansion microscopy by Sven Tuckenbrodt from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. His pioneering work on this groundbreaking technique, which dramatically enhances microscopy resolution, and his efforts to adapt expertise from animal systems to plant sciences, were particularly inspiring.
- What is your key takeaway? I received valuable suggestions on improving our protoplast isolation and transformation protocols, as well as practical ideas for troubleshooting our single-nucleus RNA sequencing work in rice from researchers in the Birnbaum, Lee, and Guillotin labs. We are excited to implement these approaches at the Crop Science Centre.
- Describe the event in one word: Inspiring.
Dr Gabriel Ferreras Garrucho, University of Cambridge
Dr João Diniz Ramos, Postdoctoral Researcher, Multiscale Mathematical Biology Group, Leiden University
- What were your expectations for the event? I was hoping to get a broader view of the topics being explored within plant biology and to generate awareness that modelling can be harnessed to tame the complexity inherent to biological systems, where simple local rules can lead to unexpected emergent behaviours. I was also looking forward to exchanging ideas and discussing challenges in modelling cell wall biophysics with Sarah Robinson from SLCU.
- What was your highlight of the event? Admittedly, I am a bit biased as Sarah Robinson’s session is close to my own topic, but I must say the perspectives offered by Ottoline Leyser won me over. It was an engaging session from beginning to end, covering everything from the biological to the societal.
- What is your key takeaway? Figma seems to offer the right balance between simplicity and control that I have been looking for in a free drawing tool. I will certainly give it a shot.
- Describe the event in one word: A seed.
Professor Keiko Sugimoto, Group Director at RIKEN and Professor at the University of Tokyo
- What were your expectations for the event? I was looking forward to plenty of discussion on our ongoing and new collaborations.
- What was your highlight of the event? Everything! The event was full of discussions among the ASPIRE-GreenTE members, with exciting input on cutting-edge technologies from Cambridge and mainland Europe-based scientists. We also loved the flip-chart sessions – a great way to talk to everybody and make new connections over the two days. The dinner at St John’s was another highlight of this meeting and our five-year programme.
- What is your key takeaway? Several new collaborations will start based on our discussions. We will also implement this organising style in our future ASPIRE meetings. It was a very effective way to bring people together and help them think collectively.
- Describe the event in one word: Fabulous!
Professor Ken Birnbaum, Head of the Birnbaum Lab, New York University
- What were your expectations for the event? I was hoping to solidify connections among regeneration groups and foster new ones with the GreenTE community.
- What was your highlight of the event? The aspects of the event that exposed me to new lines of research and potential applications to regeneration problems were most valuable. There were many great talks, and the presentation by Adrivit Mukherjee was particularly eye-opening.
- What is your key takeaway? I learned new ways to apply mechanics to problems in regeneration.
- Describe the event in one word: Expansive.
Dr Laura Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- What were your expectations for the event? I was hoping to continue strengthening my relationships with plant biology colleagues and learn about the newest work in the ASPIRE and GreenTE communities.
- What was your highlight of the event? I really loved the dynamics the flip-chart sessions created. It was a great way to have in-depth discussions with other attendees, particularly those I had not met before.
- What is your key takeaway? I was very excited to learn about the most recent advances in spatial metabolomics in plants. It is great to know what is now possible in that field.
- Describe the event in one word: Enriching.
About the networks
The ASPIRE (Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem) programme is a Japanese government initiative managed by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). It funds collaborations between Japan-based researchers and international partners to accelerate pioneering R&D.
GreenTE (Green Tissue Engineering) is a multidisciplinary Dutch research consortium involving seven universities. The group focuses on plant mechanobiology, investigating how cells respond to physical forces and pathogens to develop engineering solutions for crop propagation and disease immunity.
We also wish to give a special thank you to Christian Rogers and Aga Alexander for hosting and organising this event, and to Professor Uta Paszkowski who leads the ASPIRE network connection for Cambridge University.
Image: ASPIRE-GreenTE network event delegates outside St John’s College, Cambridge. Credit: Aga Alexander.
