Science Shared
Science Shared: May 30
This week: selective autophagy, maize flowering, water-potential sensing, and much more.
Growth & Development
How Temperature Helps Palm Seeds Break Free
New research shows that the seeds of Butia capitata use seasonal temperature cues to weaken their protective barriers, ensuring germination happens when the rainy season gives seedlings the best chance to survive.
Meeting Plant Scientists
David Pires: Using Fungi to Fight Microscopic Plant Pests
Botany One interviews David Pires, a PhD candidate studying plant-parasitic nematodes and nature-based solutions for healthier crops and forests.
The Week in Botany
The Week in Botany May 25, 2026
This week: Flower economics, the Columbian Exchange, an interview with Dr Damilola Olanipon and more.
Growth & Development
The Hidden Economics of Flowers
By comparing flowers and leaves across 245 species, researchers reveal that flowers follow hidden water-use strategies shaped by the same environmental pressures as the rest of the plant.
Meeting Plant Scientists
Damilola Olanipon: "Making the Invisible Visible"
Botany One interviews Dr Damilola Olanipon, a plant and microbial ecologist investigating the hidden fungal networks that connect plants, support forests, and help regulate Earth’s climate.
Meeting Plant Scientists
Diego Paredes-Burneo: From Geranium Seeds to Genomic Histories
Botany One interviews Dr Diego Paredes-Burneo, a Peruvian botanist investigating how the extraordinary biodiversity of the Tropical Andes emerged through rapid and complex evolutionary processes.
Growth & Development
Open Sesame! The Tiny Doorway That Wakes a Seed
New research shows that Dodonaea viscosa seeds rely on a tiny slit to let water in, and understanding how it opens could help germinate them.
Ecosystems
Fire Signals and Dry Soils: How Cerrado Seeds Time Their Germination
By testing how seeds respond to drought and smoke together, scientists uncover how plants in Brazil’s Cerrado survive the harsh mix of fire, dry spells and unpredictable rain.
Meeting Plant Scientists
Pedro F. Cruz-Júnior: Finding Life After Fire and Drought
Botany One interviews Pedro Firme da Cruz-Júnior, a PhD student who aims to understand how smoke and water stress shape seed germination and early plant development in one of the world’s most diverse savannas.
Ecosystems
The Cerrado’s Secret Carbon Stores at Risk
Newly revealed peatlands in the Cerrado hold millennia of carbon, but shifting water and climate regimes could turn them from allies into threats.
Taxonomy & Evolution
What Tiny Orchid Seeds Reveal About Their Evolution
New research on Central African orchids reveals that even the smallest seeds can preserve clues about how plants evolved and adapted over time.