01. Dec 2025 Actualia (engl.) · Conference Report

13th International Plant Sulphur Workshop in Heidelberg

Logo of the workshop and Heidelberg University with castle and old bridge over the river Neckar. Photo and (c): Heidelberg University, communications and marketing department
One of the two awards for best oral presentations this year went to Büsra Elkatmis. The awardee received the certificate from Dr. Markus Wirtz, one of the organizers of the conference. Photo: Hanting Peng
One of the two awards for the best scientific posters went to Suvajit Basu, who received the certificate from Dr. Markus Wirtz, one of the organizers of the conference. Photo: Hanting Peng
One of the two awards for the best scientific posters went to Jan-Ole Niemeyer, who received the certificate from Dr. Markus Wirtz, one of the organizers of the conference. Photo: Hanting Peng
The breaks were used to discuss the scientific findings in detail. Photo: Hanting Peng
Members of the Dept. Molecular Biology of Plants at COS Heidelberg welcomed the attendees at the registration booth. Photo: Rüdiger Hell

The International Plant Sulfur Workshop is a unique conference series, initiated in 1989 by plant sulfur enthusiasts with the aim to bring together researchers every three years from the then emerging molecular biology to agricultural and environmental sciences. Since then, this successful series operates in a bottom-up approach independently from any scientific society or funding. The organisers, Dr. Markus Wirtz and Prof. Rüdiger Hell from the Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, report about topics and awarded researchers of the meeting that brought together almost 100 colleagues from Asia, Australia, Europe and North America from 21st to 25th September at Heidelberg University. 

Following the established concept of the previous Sulfur Workshops, researchers from the areas of the molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry mingled with crop researchers, ecotoxicology and atmosphere experts. This striking comprehensiveness is a consequence of the multitude of functions of sulfur in its different oxidation and binding states in the living and non-living environment. 

Topics and thematic focuses

Important topics during the conference were the role of signaling processes including transcription factor networks and sulfur-based protein modifications, the novel metabolic link to epigenetic DNA methylation, the requirement of high-resolution analyses at cell level, emerging findings from the sulfur perspective of so far under-investigated monocot crops, biotechnological approaches and the increasing influence of changing sulfur supplies in natural and agro-ecosystems. As an emerging theme the central role of sulfur and its manifold functions in networks of nutrient and stress signaling was recognized. At the same time, the necessity of more intense research in crop model plants and interaction with the environment from microbiome to ecosystem became evident.

Awards sponsored by the German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) went to the PhD students Büsra Elkatmis (Cologne) and Susan Yee (Canberra) for the best oral presentations and Suvajit Basu (Cologne) and Jan-Ole Niemeier (Münster) for the best posters. 

The poster sessions were powered by snacks and drinks, fostering extensive career-promoting discussions between junior and senior researchers. The high share of presenting young researchers (i.e. not having a permanent position yet) emphasises the relevance and actuality of the topics and predicts a strong showing at the next Sulfur Workshop to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2028.

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In December 2025

Markus Wirtz and Rüdiger Hell, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Germany 

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