Premise

Since almost 20 years (s)elected PhD students from either IPB or IPK organize the annual PSSC. The goal of PSSC is to provide a platform for students to practice presenting themselves and their research in front of their scientific peer. To achieve this, they participate in scientific talk sessions or prepare a poster. Furthermore, students can learn from already established scientists through attending their talks or socializing with them during coffee breaks. In addition, a set of different workshops were organized, which focused on developing certain core competences that young researchers need. And finally, to provide sufficient time for networking, we dedicated a full day of activities to socializing and interaction between students.

Science in the 3 keynotes

The scientific journey of the PSSC 2024 started with Prof. Schaaf, who presented a unique mechanism how cellular levels of phosphate are monitored in plants and how plants adjust their metabolism accordingly. Dr. Barberon introduced different pathways of radial nutrient transport in roots and pointed towards the relevance of the Casparian strip and suberin for vascular transport and plant defense. Having reached the shoot, Prof. Ranf-Zipproth guided us through the intricate field of pathogen-plant interaction and the plethora of different receptors possibly involved.

Scientific results and discussions by plant science students

However, not only the keynotes, but also the students contributed greatly to our scientific program. Their research ranged from genetic analyses over biochemical studies towards metabolomic investigations focusing on Arabidopsis thaliana as well as on a variety of crop plants and fungi.

Specific projects focused on the comparison of plant ecotypes to elucidate key parameters of their research question. Nagarjun Devabhakthini (IPK) phenotyped approximately 200 accessions of Medicago to identify genetic factors influencing the phosphorus utilization efficiency of his plants. Natalie Leutert (IPB) is characterizing LPR1, a protein involved in phosphate sensing, through the investigation of LPR1 proteoforms from different Arabidopsis cultivars. Giwhan Kim (IPK) - awarded best poster - and Taoran Liu (IPK) introduced the audience to the concept of B chromosomes - remnants of incorrect nuclear division, which have been shown to occur in over 1000 plant species. Both are working to understand the molecular basis of B chromosome origin and the ways of their elimination. Many other projects were dedicated to gene regulatory networks. Kexin Liu (IPK) displayed her work about the impact of the HvNAC6 transcription factor on yield and abiotic stress tolerances. In accordance, Keerthana Nagesh presented the Brassinosteroid dependent transcription factor BZR1 and her efforts to assess its impact on gene regulation in maize. Sandra Schüler (MLU) shared her interest in post-transcriptional regulation and the identification of upstream regulatory elements, which would determine the mRNA half-life in A. thaliana. David Görg (IPB) investigates the ER stress-dependent autophagy-mediated proteostasis in plants and the involvement of the protein Can1. Simranjit Kaur (IPB) and Rajalakshmi Reghunath (IPB) introduced ADP-ribosylation as a post-translational modification involved in the recognition of pathogen associated molecular patterns. They are working on the characterization of the up- and downstream molecular processes of this poorly understood modification. Many other projects were investigating the metabolome of different fungi. Alejandro Instroza Muños (IPB) for example gave insights into his project, where he isolated and characterized potential anti-phytopathogenic compounds from Chilean fungal strains and was awarded best presentation by the audience.

Interactive Workshops for Presentation Skills and Field Expert Lecture about Light

Besides interesting scientific keynote lectures, talks and poster sessions, two workshops were offered at the PSSC: Dr. Lars-Ole Haag, an acting instructor from Berlin, gave an introduction about presenting oneself on stage. He gave many valuable suggestions for voice modulation, correct breathing and stage freight. The second workshop was held by Dr. Peter Paul Heym, an IPB alumni, who talked about developing a scientific story and taught techniques to captivate the audience. On the last day, Dr. Krysztof Dobrynin from Bilberry Ltd. gave his expertise about the impact of photobiology on plants and described the challenges and opportunities of the design of greenhouse and phytochamber lighting.

Networking on the “social day”

Despite ongoing summer rain, we acquainted our guests and ourselves with the attractions of Halle, joining guided tours through the city and attending the museum of the Halloren factory - the oldest chocolate factory in Germany. The students could prove their ingenuity in designing their own pralines or they could marvel at the skyline of Halle from the Hausmannstürme at the marketplace. The day was rounded off in the Peißnitz house, surrounded by trees and near the Saale river, with BBQ and music.

Conclusion

The PSSC2024 ended with the hosts giving their final remarks. Cheerful and lively discussions, not only after presentations, but also during coffee breaks, joint dinners and time spent together, created a warm and welcoming atmosphere, woven in with laughter and smiles. Through the organizers tireless work, the relentless zeal of many helpers, the positive attitude of the participants and the generous financial contributions of our supporters, as for example the German Society of Plant Sciences (DBG), the PSSC2024 was brought to a successful end, leaving everyone in anticipation of next year’s PSSC in Gatersleben.

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Max Jonas Paulmann, Lilly Eger and Jolina Marx (IPB), https://www.ipb-halle.de/