Legumes establish symbiotic interactions with soil-dwelling rhizobial bacteria, leading to the formation of nitrogen-fixing root nodules. This process requires extensive transcriptional reprogramming, which is associated with dynamic changes in DNA methylation and histone modifications. However, the role of three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture in symbiosis remains largely unexplored. In a new collaborative study published in Plant Communications between the teams of Florian Frugier (SILEG) and Moussa Benhamed (ChromD) at IPS2, we revealed using High-throughput Chromosome Conformation Capture (Hi-C), that the 3D chromatin landscape undergoes major reorganizations in nitrogen-fixing symbiotic nodules compared with non-symbiotic roots and non-nitrogen-fixing nodules. These changes involve alterations in A / B compartmentalization and the establishment of enhancer-promoter loops linked to the symbiotic program. Strikingly, we identified a long-range chromatin loop bridging a 15 kb distal enhancer to the proximal promoter of the NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) gene, a master regulator of nodulation. This enhancer region contains multiple putative cytokinin (CK) response elements, and the CK-dependent induction of NIN in roots is associated with this enhancer-promoter interaction. Moreover, we demonstrated that the CK signaling transcription factor RESPONSE REGULATOR B3 (RRB3) binds specifically to this distal enhancer region and participates in forming enhancer-promoter looping. Altogether, these results uncovered a critical role for 3D chromatin reorganization in regulating gene expression during the legume-rhizobium symbiosis, highlighting a regulatory mechanism through which hormonal signaling shapes genome architecture and modulates NIN activation via long-range chromatin looping.   Contact : camille.fonouni-farde@universite-paris-saclay.fr

A very large proportion of false specific DEG when using few replicates and Venn Diagramms.   Omics analyses represent a crucial step in the search for condition-specific events and often rely on Venn diagrams. In stress experiments for example, the presence of differentially expressed genes exclusively under combined stress conditions is frequently interpreted as evidence of non-additive effects: the effect of combined stresses would differ from the sum of the effects of individual stresses.   In an article published in Nature Plants (Ferraro et al. 2026), to test the relevance of this line of reasoning, the Gnet team and the OGE team with several collaborators at IPS2, and the POPS, PAPPSO and Phenoscope platforms, generated a transcriptomic and proteomic dataset under a control condition, two single stresses, and the combination of both stresses, with 22 biological replicates.   Analysing this dataset, Ferraro et al. demonstrate that identifying specific responses using Venn diagrams generates many false positives. This is explained by the low statistical power inherent in most omics studies that use  too few replicates (typically around 3).   Ferraro et al. 2026 thus highlights the need to interpret any claims about the specificity of such omics datasets with caution, and advocate for improvements in statistical modeling to avoid misleading biological interpretations.   Contact : guillem.rigaill@universite-paris-saclay.fr   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-026-02303-x     Figure: Evolution of the number of true and false specific DEGs as a function of the number of replicates. (Left) Venn diagram of DEGs under single and combined stress conditions; (Right) Number of genes correctly identified as specific (blue), falsely identified as specific (red), and falsely identified as differentially expressed (gray) as a function of the number of replicates.

Parliament has adopted new rules facilitating access to new plants that are climate and pest resistant, give higher yields and require fewer pesticides.

To defend against pathogens (bacteria, fungi, etc.), plants have a complex immune system composed of two main lines of defense: Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI) triggered by the recognition of Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) at the plasma membrane, and Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI) triggered by the detection of microbial effectors within plant cells. Long considered independent, recent studies show that PTI and ETI interacts closely. For instance, the PAMP-induced Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases 3 and 6 (MPK3/6) are involved in the induction of certain immune genes, such as the SNC1 gene, coding for receptors of effectors. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown.   In a research article published in Scientific Reports, researchers from the STRESS team at IPS2 have shown through genetic approaches that the chromatin remodeling factor 5 (CHR5) acts downstream of MPK3/6 to promote the expression of SNC1. The authors also showed that, while CHR5 does not regulate the abundance or activity of MPK3/6, the combination of autoimmune gain-of-function mutants for MPK3 and SNC1 leads to a strong synergistic effect. Overall, the results obtained identify a new MPK3/6-CHR5-SNC1 signaling module and thus contribute to a better understanding of the links between PTI and ETI.   Contact:  julien.lang@universite-paris-saclay.fr

The 2025-2026 academic year marked the anniversaries of the two tracks of the Master’s 2 in Plant Sciences: the Research track celebrated its 10th anniversary, and the Professional track celebrated its 25th anniversary.

On May 21st, nearly 60 high school students had the opportunity to participate in a special day organized by SPS in the framework of the Fascination of Plant Day 2026

The Graduate School Network France, of which SPS is part, has launched its official website, where you can discover the research, mobility and collaboration activities, and the master training programs. Link: https://graduate-schools-network.fr/

Meet our Master's students - Karel Turquier, a French student of the  M1 in Integrative Biology and Physiology – Plant Sciences, who was awarded with an SPS scholarship. 

From Argentina to Saclay : Rodigo Fernandez’s mobility experience "Rodrigo Fernandez and his supervisor at I2BC, Pablo Calzadilla, look back at Rodrigo’s visit to Saclay, co-funded by SPS under the call Mobility for student"

"Seeds evolved when plants retained the female spores inside the parent tissue. The growth of the spores was accommodated by removing part of the nucellus, the maternal tissue responsible for female meiosis. Here, we demonstrate that modification of galacturonic acid polymers in the cell wall leads to nucellus cell death and eventual elimination. This work highlights the crucial contribution of extracellular polysaccharides to the development of multicellular organisms."

Meet our Master's students - Léa Dehedin, a French student of the  M1 in Integrative Biology and Physiology – Plant Sciences, who was awarded with an SPS scholarship. 

Find here the publications citing SPS appeared in the last month. Congrats to all the authors! 

Un collectif de généticiens, d’agronomes et de biologistes alerte, dans une tribune au « Monde », sur le risque d’une monopolisation accrue des semences par quelques multinationales, ce qui serait contraire à l’objectif affiché d’une agriculture durable.

Meet our Master's students - Mamour GUEYE, a Senegalese student with a Bachelor's degree in Plant Biology from the University of Angers and recipient of a Saclay Plant Sciences (S PS) scholarship, is enrolled in the M1 Integrative Biology and Physiology - Plant Sciences at the Paris-Saclay University.

Dong Xie shares his experience as a laureate of the SPS Junior’Innov Open call. He works at I2BC in the Protein maturation, cell fate and therapeutics team. Under the supervision of Thierry Meinnel, he develops a project which aims at enhancing the performances of the enzyme Rubisco using synthetic biology approaches

Paul Schouvelier shares his mobility experience in Melbourne, which was co-financed by SPS as part of the AAP Training – Mobility / Educational Event

Registration is now open for the International SPS Symposium 2026 “Today’s research, plants of tomorrow”, taking place from October 14 to October16, 2026.

Lucy Burgess, an Irish student supported by an SPS scholarship, is enrolled in the M2 Bioceb "European Master in Biological and Chemical Engineering for a Sustainable Bioeconomy" at AgroParisTech for the 2025–2026 academic year.   “ I chose to pursue the Bioceb Master’s because the courses proposed make a link between my chemistry and process engineering background and the bioprocessing industry. This Master’s has helped me build strong interdisciplinary expertise in biomass resources and valorization, fermentation and downstream processing, as well as life cycle analysis (LCA). Moreover, this path is in line with my objective of building a career at the interface of engineering, sustainability, and environmental protection. I really enjoy group projects where we are given more autonomy. This forces us to think outside the box and develop our own ideas to drive for sustainable solutions. I will do my M2 internship at the Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology (INRAE Occitanie-Montpellier), in Narbonne. Working with Erika Sinisgalli and Dominique Patureau, I will study the fate of organic matter and nutrients in innovative sludge fertilizers. I chose this internship topic because it allows me to combine my background in process engineering and data analysis skills with hands-on laboratory work on sludge treatment systems. My experience as an international student has been great! I’ve found it especially enriching to hang out in international groups and make friends from different cultures.”

Today’s research, plants of tomorrow This international symposium is organized by the Saclay Plant Sciences (SPS) network, one of the largest plant science communities in Europe.   In the face of rapid and significant climate change, advancing our knowledge in plant sciences has never been more crucial. The research being conducted in our laboratories today will make it possible to develop tools, cultivars, and agricultural practices that will help adapt our lifestyles and production systems to these environmental challenges in the near future.   The International SPS Symposium will gather international researchers from various areas of plant sciences to show the diversity of plant research, share new insights and promote collaborations. The sessions will focus on the following topics: 1) Nutrition and metabolism, 2) Environmental interactions, 3) Developmental and cell biology, 4) Genome wide analysis and 5) Agronomic traits and breeding tools.   Renowned international and SPS speakers will present their latest findings. Additionally, approximately twenty talks will be selected based on submitted abstracts. Two poster sessions (featuring flash-talks) will also provide attendees with the opportunity to present their work and foster new collaborations.

Goldy C, Moulin S, Shimizu Y, Cerutti G, Bayle V, Grison M, Jaillais Y, Bouchez D, Boutté Y, Pastuglia M, Andrey P, Caillaud M. The actin cytoskeleton is required to maintain plant cell division orientation against cellular geometry. Science Advances. 2026; 12(8). doi:10.1126/sciadv.aeb8498   López‐Malvar A, Santiago R, Butrón A, Malvar RA, Gesteiro N. Optimizing genomic predictions in maize using a diversity panel and a multiparental population. The Plant Genome. 2026; 19(1). doi: 10.1002/tpg2.70206   Rabeau C, Wagner A, Lapalu N, Jiquel A, Faure S, Fudal I. Conserved ‘Late’ Effector Genes From Leptosphaeria maculans Inducing Gene‐For‐Gene Quantitative Resistance in Brassica napus Semi‐Winter Genotypes. Molecular Plant Pathology. 2026; 27(3). doi: 10.1111/mpp.70224   Sil P, Martin OC, Samal A. A systematic evaluation of simple threshold-based Boolean rules for modeling gene regulatory networks. Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment. 2026. doi: 10.1088/1742-5468/ae4588   Wojcik A, Belcram H, Rousselet A, Bouët M, Brault M, Serin P, Desprez A, Rincent R, Peil A, Henry K, Marchal C, Lacombe T, Glémin S, Alix K, Gérard PR, Manicacci D, Vigouroux Y, Dogimont C, Tenaillon MI. Evolution of crop phenotypic spaces through domestication. New Phytologist. 2026. doi: 10.1111/nph.71031

Innovation Agri-agro Bioéconomie Collaboration Partenariat Entreprise Recherche Start-up

Starting next academic year, the M2 in Plant Sciences @Paris-Saclay, will introduce a new, innovative teaching unit for its Research track: the “Laboratory Rotations”.   This teaching unit includes two two-week internships conducted within research teams, including those of the SPS network. These internships allow students to become familiar with the design and execution of experiments, refine their technical skills, discover new research topics, and expand their scientific network. The “Laboratory rotations” embody the “training in and through research” approach, an innovative pedagogical method that teachers are gradually integrating into all SPS master’s programs, and which SPS strongly supports.   This teaching unit has already proven successful in another SPS master’s program, the international M1 in Plant and Microbial Molecular Biology (PMB), established in 2023. This master, which has served as an excellent testing ground for pedagogical innovation, will merge with the M1 in Plant Sciences from the 2026-2027 academic year.   We  interviewed Hoc Nguyen and Jacob Van Buskirk, international students in the M1 PMB program, who recently completed their lab rotations: Hoc Nguyen “The lab rotations were fun, exciting, and intellectually satisfying, playing an important role in my academic development by allowing me to observe how scientists think, solve problems, and conduct independent research. I had the chance to meet many kind and interesting people while experiencing different working environments, which increased my exposure to diverse teams and created opportunities for networking and potential future positions. What I enjoyed most was analyzing results and interpret them. I find the process of making sense of the data both rewarding and stimulating. The most exciting part was discussing these interpretations with my supervisors, as their perspectives often revealed blind spots or flaws in my reasoning, helping me sharpen my critical thinking skills.” Jacob Van Buskirk “The lab rotations offered me an enriching introduction to the research environment, particularly suiting my hands-on learning style. My rotation at IPS2, focused on dry lab work, was extraordinarily helpful; I gained invaluable skills by processing the full pipeline of ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, and Hi-C data, a resource I will rely on well into the future. Equally impactful was my time at IJPB, where I made strong connections and felt deeply involved with the institution. Receiving such guidance from both teams was illuminating, reminding me why I chose this career path.” See also Master in Plant Sciences Program of the M2 in Plant Sciences - Research track Teaching Unit « Laboratory rotations »  International M1 Plant and Microbial Molecular Biology (PMB)  Research in SPS Research teams in the SPS perimeter

Le 12 mars dernier a eu lieu la journée Saclay Plant’ Innov’, consacrée au thème « Diversification des productions végétales et nouveaux défis pour l’alimentation ». Organisé par le réseau Saclay Plant Sciences (SPS), l’UMR SayFood - Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering et l’UMR Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire (PNCA) et bénéficiant d’un partenariat avec les Carnot Plant2Pro, 3BCar et Qualiment, cet événement a réuni environ 65 chercheur.euse.s (y compris quelques doctorant.e.s) et représentant.e.s d’entreprises privées. Son objectif était de favoriser les échanges et faire émerger de nouvelles collaborations.

Imprimer Partager Le 12 mars dernier a eu lieu la journée Saclay Plant’ Innov’, consacrée au thème « Diversification des productions végétales et nouveaux défis pour l’alimentation ». Organisé par le réseau Saclay Plant Sciences (SPS), l’UMR SayFood - Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering et l’UMR Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire (PNCA) et bénéficiant d’un partenariat avec les Carnot Plant2Pro, 3BCar et Qualiment, cet événement a réuni environ 65 chercheur.euse.s (y compris quelques doctorant.e.s) et représentant.e.s d’entreprises privées. Son objectif était de favoriser les échanges et faire émerger de nouvelles collaborations.

Appel à candidature Prix de thèse SFBV-AAF 2026   La Société Française de Biologie Végétale et l’Académie d’Agriculture de France décernent chaque année conjointement un prix pour récompenser une thèse excellente dans le domaine de la biologie végétale.... Read More