At the forefront of plant research (4th edition)
17-18 September 2026 - Ghent, Belgium
Preceded by a dedicated ECR day on 16 September 2026
Registration deadline: 3 September 2026
At the forefront of plant research (4th edition)
At the forefront of plant research (4th edition)
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François Chaumont
Barbara De Coninck
Bert De Rybel
Ive De Smet
Petra Marhava
Hilde Nelissen
Jenny Russinova
Julia Santiago Cuellar
Daniël Van Damme
Klaas Vandepoele
Evy Vierstraete
Conference: 17-18 September
Understanding and harnessing plant life is essential to human civilization. Plants not only feed a growing global population and support our quality of life, but also provide key renewable resources and energy. Plant research is therefore crucial for developing sustainable solutions that boost crop productivity and quality while supporting environmentally responsible agriculture.
This fourth edition of the conference, which is a joint initiative between VIB in Belgium and the CRAG in Barcelona, Spain, builds on three successful previous editions: the first meeting, hosted by VIB in Ghent in 2017, was followed by two editions that were hosted by the CRAG in Barcelona in 2019 and 2023. The meeting brings together leading experts from diverse cutting-edge fields to explore and share insights on the future directions of plant life science. The program will cover various topics, including advances in AI- and machine-learning-powered discoveries, genome engineering, single-cell and omics technologies, evolution and development in non-model species, cell signaling, and cellular and structural biology.
ECR Day: 16 September
The conference is preceded by a dedicated Early Career Researcher (ECR) Day on 16 September, offering registered early-career scientists the opportunity to present their work, meet PIs, and join a guided tour of the VIB–UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology.
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PLAZA platform training: 15 September
On 15 September 2026, we will organize a one-day hands-on training session that introduces participants to functional plant data analysis using the PLAZA platform, perfect for those looking to sharpen their skills before the conference.
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Confirmed speakers
Marcel Dickmanns
Marcel Dickmanns
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry & Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, DE
Holger Puchta
Holger Puchta
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) & Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, DE
Jia-Wei Wang
Jia-Wei Wang
CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN
Program
Conference Day 1 - Thursday, 17 September, 2026
08:20
08:50
Registration & welcome coffee
08:50
09:00
Welcome
09:00
12:30
Session 1: Cell & Structural Biology
09:00
09:30
Getting in phase: Structural studies of ELF3 phase separation and its role in temperature sensing in plants
Chloe Zubieta
University of Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, FR
09:30
10:00
Exploring the molecular landscape within plant cells by cryo-electron tomography
Marcel Dickmanns
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry & Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, DE
10:00
10:30
Mechanisms of Plant Hormone Transport
Bjørn Panyella Pedersen
Aarhus University, DK
10:30
10:45
Trimeric assembly suppresses the activity of plant callose synthases
Roman Pleskot
Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
11:45
Understanding plant-environment interactions via biomolecular condensation
Xiaofeng Fang
Tsinghua University, CN
11:45
12:15
How and why plant cells communicate
Emmanuelle Bayer
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, FR
12:15
12:30
Trehalose 6-phosphate-sensing proteins couple sucrose availability to plant growth
Thomas Smorscek
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE; Universiteit Gent, BE
Selected from abstracts
12:30
13:30
Lunch
13:30
14:30
Poster session 1
14:30
16:15
Session 2: Evolution & development
14:30
15:00
Evolution of molecular plant-microbe interactions mediated by receptor kinases
Isabel Monte
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, DE
15:00
15:30
The evolutionary roots of the streptophyte environmental response network
Jan De Vries
University of Goettingen, DE
15:30
16:00
What grass flowers can teach us about the evolution of morphological diversity
Madelaine Bartlett
Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, UK
16:00
16:15
Using super-resolution microscopy and biomechanical approaches to uncover early mechanisms in hormone-controlled elongation growth in Arabidopsis thaliana
Luiselotte Rausch
Center for Plant Molecular Biology, University of Tübingen, DE
Selected from abstracts
16:15
16:45
Coffee break
16:45
18:00
Session 3: Genome engineering
16:45
17:00
Owning Innovation in Plants: Patents, Breeders’ Rights and the Impact of NGT Regulation
Jan Demolder
VIB, BE
17:00
17:30
Decoding the regulatory control of meristem transitions for crop engineering
Sebastian Soyk
University of Lausanne, CH
17:30
18:00
Applying CRISPR/Cas to plants: from gene editing to genome restructuring
Holger Puchta
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) & Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, DE
18:00
19:00
Reception
19:30
22:30
Conference dinner at Monasterium PoortAckere
Additional fee
Conference Day 2 - Friday, 18 September, 2026
08:30
09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00
12:30
Session 4: Inter & intracellular signalling
09:00
09:30
Plant drought tolerance: from intrinsic regulatory networks to modulation by microbes
Salma Balazadeh
The University of Göttingen, DE
09:30
10:00
The mechanisms of rapid auxin response in Arabidopsis roots
Matyáš Fendrych
Charles University, CZ
10:00
10:30
The plant-specific ACTL domain determines bHLH transcription factor heterodimeric partner selectivity driving stomatal development
Keiko Torii
The University of Texas at Austin, US
10:30
10:45
Stress Granules: Spatial Control of Stress Responses In Plants
Monika Chodasiewicz
KAUST, SA
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:15
Coffee break
11:15
11:45
Extracellular auxin signaling transduction from cell surface to nucleus.
Tongda Xu
Fujian Agriculture and Forest University, CN
11:45
12:15
Regulation of Brassinosteroid Homeostasis in the Arabidopsis Root Meristem
Jenny Russinova
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
12:15
12:30
A plasmodesmata-localised HMA protein, HIPP6, mediates ROS-regulated cell-to-cell connectivity in plants
Barkha Ravi
John Innes Centre, GB
Selected from abstracts
12:30
13:30
Lunch
13:30
14:30
Poster session 2
14:30
16:15
Session 5: Single cell & omics
14:30
15:00
Getting to the Root of Cell Fate Decisions
Rachel Shahan
University of California, Los Angeles, US
15:00
15:30
A rational chemical optimization framework to enhance shoot regeneration capacity in plants
Jia-Wei Wang
CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN
15:30
16:00
Mechanisms of cellular reprogramming in plant regeneration
Keiko Sugimoto
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, JP
16:00
16:15
Mapping the transcriptional changes during the root meristem phase change
Veronika Jirásková
Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, BE; VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:15
16:45
Coffee break
16:45
18:00
Session 6: AI & Machine learning
16:45
17:00
Beyond Protoplasting Stress: A High-Resolution 390k-Cell Meta-Atlas of the Arabidopsis Root Tip
Valentin Bourdin
Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay (IPS2), FR
Selected from abstracts
17:00
17:30
Connecting genotype to phenotype with machine learning and explainable AI
Shin-Han Shiu
Michigan State University, US
17:30
18:00
From gene expression prediction to crop phenotype and yield prediction using shallow and deep learning
Jan Zrimec
National Institute of Biology, SI
18:00
18:15
Closing
Associated event: ECR Day - Wednesday, 16 September, 2026
Tickets for this event can only be purchased in combination with a conference ticket.
Join the ECR community
Start your conference experience one day early by connecting with peers, presenting your work and gaining insights into academic research careers in the inspiring setting of the VIB-UGent Center of Plant Systems Biology.
09:30
10:00
Coffee + welcome
10:00
10:30
Introducing PSB
Hilde Nelissen
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Workshop speaker
10:30
11:45
5 selected EC short talks
10:30
10:45
Unveiling Molecular Regulators of Synergid Cell Death Through Cell-Specific Transcriptomics
Manuel Buendia Monreal
University of Milan, IT
Selected from abstracts
10:45
11:00
Control of stomatal and leaf plasticity across leaf layers in changing CO2 conditions
Sara Forlani
University of Helsinki, FI
Selected from abstracts
11:00
11:15
‘’GPS Network Error’’- How disrupting cellular polarity helps to understand Plant Planar Polarity establishment
Eli Edita Lileikyte
Biology Centre CAS, CZ
Selected from abstracts
11:15
11:30
Mechanisms of root turning toward Zn source in soil
Magdalena Pypka
University of Warsaw, PL
Selected from abstracts
11:30
11:45
The role of FLA7 (Bradi3g39740) in salt stress response and plant development in Brachypodium distachyon
Hilke Wittocx
Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, PL
Selected from abstracts
11:45
12:00
My journey as a PI at PSB
Polina Novikova
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Workshop speaker
12:00
13:30
Meet the PI @ lunch
13:30
14:45
5 selected EC short talks
13:30
13:45
Lettuce breeding for delayed bolting decelerated the circadian clock and opened new opportunities to apply circadian resonance
Cèlia Anton-Sales
Plant Breeding, Wageningen Univeristy, NL
Selected from abstracts
13:45
14:00
ARABIDOPSIS Bsister and SEEDSTICK MADS-box transcription factors modulate maternal nutrient flow for seed development in Arabidopsis
Nicola Babolin
Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, IT
Selected from abstracts
14:00
14:15
Temporal genomic imprinting regulates seed filling in barley
Martin Kovacik
Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Acad Sci, CZ
Selected from abstracts
14:15
14:30
Chromosomal Clustering of Co-expressed Genes During Tapetum Development in Brassica oleracea
Laxmi Mishra
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE; John Innes centre, GB
Selected from abstracts
14:30
14:45
Molecular and Genetic Dissection of Apomictic Reproduction in Hieracium tenuiflorum
Fabio Radi
Università degli studi di Milano, IT
Selected from abstracts
14:45
15:00
My journey as a postdoc at PSB
Elena Martin-Fontecha Elena
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Workshop speaker
15:00
15:30
Coffee break
15:30
16:45
5 selected EC short talks
15:30
15:45
Cellular shields regulating pollen’s success in a warming world
Ruby Biswas
Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ
Selected from abstracts
15:45
16:00
Insane in the membrane: how plant root mechanosensing triggers systemic resistance.
Lennard van Buren
Division of Plant Biotechnics, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, BE; Leuven Plant Institute, KU Leuven, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:00
16:15
Free versus esterified jasmonates: distinct functions in phosphorus starvation responses
Louise Vilain
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:15
16:30
MATCHMAKING: Unveiling Optimal Soybean-Rhizobia Matches in North-Western European Environments
Helen Wilkinson
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE; Ghent University, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:30
16:45
Dynamic modulation of ethylene synthesis improves root penetration of complex soils
Jian Chen
Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, BE; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Selected from abstracts
16:45
18:00
Guided tour of the labs and facilities + reception
Associated training: PLAZA - Tuesday, 15 September, 2026
Tickets for this event can be purchased separately.
More info can be found here.
09:00
09:30
Introduction PLAZA platform + first exploration (Instances, Data overview, Species page)
09:30
10:15
Genes, gene families and phylogenetics
10:15
10:45
Coffee break
10:45
11:30
Colinearity/Synteny and polyploidy
11:30
12:00
Orthologs, paralogs & integrative orthology viewer
12:00
13:00
Lunch
13:00
14:00
Gene function annotations (GO, InterPro, MapMan)
14:00
14:30
Introduction Workbench
14:30
15:00
Coffee break
15:00
16:00
Workbench (RNA-Seq DEG analysis scRNA-Seq Zma)
16:00
16:45
Workbench (Cross-species analysis root marker genes)
16:45
17:00
Concluding remarks
Organizing committee
François Chaumont
UCLouvain, BE
Barbara De Coninck
Division of Crop Biotechnics, KU Leuven, BE
Bert De Rybel
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Ive De Smet
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Petra Marhava
Umeå Plant Science Centre, SE
Hilde Nelissen
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Jenny Russinova
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Julia Santiago Cuellar
University of Lausanne, CH
Daniël Van Damme
VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Klaas Vandepoele
Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, BE & VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, BE
Evy Vierstraete
VIB Training & Conferences, BE
Abstracts
Poster information
The format for your poster should be: A0 (841 x 1189 mm / 33.1 x 46.8 in), portrait orientation. All accepted poster submissions will have a chance to win the one of the five Cell Press Poster Prizes!
The full list of abstracts will be available on 03-09-2026 until 18-12-2026
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Attendees
The full list of attendees will be available on 03-09-2026 until 18-12-2026
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
This list will only be available for registered attendees of the event.
Sponsors
Silver
