How can two plant cells, with the same genetic blueprint, behave so differently?
This is a fundamental question in plant science and one that PhD candidate, Lucas Auroux, is committed to answering.
Lucas has recently published a chapter in ‘Guide to Plant Single-Cell Technology’, providing the first, up-to-date, detailed comparison of different approaches to studying cellular diversity in plants.
“Cellular diversity is key to understanding how plants adapt to changing environments, but until recently we haven’t had the right technology to fully understand it.”
“Think of cellular diversity like an orchestra where all musicians follow the same music sheet, yet each instrument produces its own unique sound, contributing to a complex symphony. Similarly, plant cells operate from the same genetic instructions but function in distinct ways” he explains.
“We want to understand plant cells at this detailed level, but traditional scientific methods have only given us a mixed-up view, hiding the unique diversity within.”
Lucas adds that there several challenges that come with studying plant cells.
“This includes the type of material, long-term preservation and collecting time-sensitive materials. Current methods also can’t analyse certain types of genetic material in plant cells, which limits our understanding of how plants regulate their cellular functions.”
To address this, Lucas has created a roadmap for researchers, evaluating and comparing methods for studying cellular diversity in plants.
“It is a comprehensive guide that will help plant scientists select the right tools and conduct more efficient studies.”
“We are also working on actively adapting and refining these technologies to better explore plant tissue diversity."
