Michela Osnato - Botany One

Ecosystems

WORLD FLORA: Botanical Wonderland of the Canary archipelago

The Canary Islands are renowned for their breathtaking landscapes and unique endemic flora. From the ancient laurel forests to striking succulents and vibrant wildflowers, this archipelago hosts extraordinary plant species, each adapted to the region’s diverse climates and volcanic habitats.

Michela Osnato

02 Mar 2025

featured

Teaching Botany: a deep dive into plant pigments in crops

Struggling to make a smelly onion or an unripe pepper exciting for your biology students? Grab a simple optical microscope and transform boredom into curiosity! You will discover the vibrant colour palette of plant pigments hidden in food crops we eat every day.

Michela Osnato

13 Jan 2025

Plants & People

The Scary Side of Botany: “bleeding” plants

Alongside grinning pumpkins and creepy skeletons, the botanical world brings its own spine-tingling magic to Halloween. Let’s uncover the secrets of some fascinating plants with hidden surprises—like those that produce blood-red juices.

Michela Osnato

31 Oct 2024

Plants & People

Teaching Botany: the Taylor Swift method applied to plants

Are you looking for a strategy to teach botany in a more captivating way? In this post, we interview Glaucia Silva, a young Brazilian botanist who got inspiration from botanical references found in Taylor Swift’s songs and made up a brilliant method to grab the attention of tired and bored biology s

Michela Osnato

07 Sep 2024

Plants & People

IBC2024: Delving into South African medicinal plant treasures

Since ancient times, humans all around the globe have used herbal remedies in traditional practices to maintain good health and treat pathological conditions. At IBC2024, Professor Nokwanda P. Makunga brought us through a journey to discover the richness of the native flora used by local people in S

Michela Osnato

30 Aug 2024

Plants & People

PRESERVING PLANT DIVERSITY ACROSS BORDERS: San Diego Natural History Museum collaborates binationally.

All around the globe, several institutions are striving to protect plant biodiversity – threatened by climate change, pollution, and resource exploitation. Botany One met with experts of the San Diego Natural History Museum to know more about their plant preservation initiative across the US-Mexico

Michela Osnato

02 Aug 2024

Plants & People

#IBC2024: Why Botany? Why now?

The XX International Botanical Congress officially started with an inspirational talk by Sandra Knapp – distinguished researcher at the Department of Life Sciences of the Natural history Museum of London (UK) – who reaffirmed the key role of plants as Nature’s heartbeat in terrestrial ecosystems.

Michela Osnato

23 Jul 2024

Botanical Pills

The Power of the Flower: Shape, Colour, Scent … and SEX!

Since ancestral times, humans had shown deep emotional and cultural connection with beautiful, colourful, and fragrant floral structures. But … What makes a flower? This Botanical Pill addresses this fascinating question by briefly introducing the ABC of flower development and presenting recent insi

Michela Osnato

20 Jul 2024

Botanical Pills

The Leaf: Birth, Life & Death of a Photosynthetic Organ

Changing colours of leaves mark seasonal progression in temperate regions: while bright green baby leaves announce springtime, the gorgeous yellow to red palette of falling leaves anticipate wintertime. In this Botanical Pill, we will explore the microscopic life of a leaf, from its birth at the sho

Michela Osnato

16 Jun 2024

Plants & People

Women in Science: 6 Pioneers in Plant Photobiology

To celebrate the “International Day of Girls and Women in Science”, Botany One highlights six exceptional female researchers who greatly contributed to shed new light on Plant Photobiology – a scientific discipline that studies the effects of light on biological processes in green organisms.

Michela Osnato

11 Feb 2024