Online lecture “Plant Science 2025: A Year of Deception, Heat, and Botanical Engineering”

In this lecture, we will explore seven memorable studies from 2025 — spanning ecology and physiology, as well as morphology, anatomy, and evolution. We will discuss how plants survive (and even thrive) under extreme heat; how emergency scenarios are organized within water transport systems; why leaf vein patterns represent a compromise between transport efficiency and mechanical stability; what new cellular and spatial developmental atlases reveal; how parasitic plants radically dismantle their organelles and alter reproductive strategies; and why pollination may rely not only on color and scent, but even on infrared heat.

The lecture is intended for a broad audience; no special background knowledge is required.