Pint26: Day 1 [BIO] Behind the Growth

Our most precious cells, those used to create children, are called the germ line. Among organisms, a separate germ line is thought to be unique to animals, including humans. Recently, me and my colleagues uncovered another case where the germ line is separate: in a mushroom that grows in fairy rings. During this talk I will present how we came across this unlikely discovery.

Fundamental research often takes unexpected turns: sorting out how light-producing proteins function in marine organisms now allows us to shine a light on the molecular clockwork of other cells. In our group, we use these nature's lanterns to watch how plants recycle their internal resources to cope with stress — and explore what we might tune to grow smarter, more sustainable crops.