Program

Please find the program of the Finnish Plant Science Days 2025 below.

The poster sessions can be found at the bottom the page.
Tuesday, 27 May 2025

09:00-09:45    Coffee & snack, registration/check in and poster hanging

09:45-10:00    Opening words 

10:00-12:00    Theme 1: Biodiversity and climate change

Session chair: Péter Poczai, Finnish Museum of Natural History (LUOMUS) 

10:00-10:30    Elina Oksanen, University of Eastern Finland
                        Bending the curve for biodiversity loss - approaches from plant biology
10:30-10:50    Risto Virtanen, University of Oulu
                        Plant biodiversity and climate change: observations, processes, and predictions
10:50-11:05    Tiina Törmänen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        Soil properties are drivers of broad-scale forest vegetation variation
11:05-11:20    Gregory Andreou, University of Helsinki
                        Spliceosomal factor SmF modulates flower size plasticity to temperature and light in Arabidopsis thaliana
11:20-11:35    Mykyta Peregrym, University of Oulu
                        How to make a botanic discovery?
11:35-11:50    Steffen Grebe, University of Helsinki
                        Chlorophyll-a fluorescence and reflectance responses to freezing temperatures in Pinus sylvestris

12:00-13:00    Lunch break 

13:00-15:00    Theme 2: Plant stress acclimation and biotic interactions

Session chair: Esa Tyystjärvi, University of Turku

13:00-13:30    Paula Mulo, University of Turku
                        Plant, light and photosynthesis: How to acclimate?
13:30-13:50    Janne Ihalainen, University of Jyväskylä
                        Plant associated photoheterotrophs and their multifaceted photoreceptor compositions
13:50-14:05    Mikael Brosché, University of Helsinki
                        How do plants defend themselves?
14:05-14:20    Yuwen Zhang, University of Helsinki
                        Does physiology alone explain Betula pendula recovery from drought?
14:20-14:35    Moona Rahikainen, University of Helsinki
                        Arabidopsis ACONITASE 3 in plant development and stress tolerance
14:35-14:50    Richard Gossens, University of Helsinki
                        Transcriptional co-regulator RCD1 influences RNA splicing through interaction with the pre-spliceosome

15:00-17:00    Poster session 1 (with refreshments) 

18:00-18:40    Welcome reception at the University of Helsinki Kaisaniemi Botanic Gardens 

19.30               Conference dinner at the Natural History Museum

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

08:30-09:00    Coffee

09:00-11:00    Theme 3: Primary production in the genomic era

Session chair: Ari Pekka Mähönen, University of Helsinki

09:00-09:30    Teemu Teeri, University of Helsinki
                        Gerbera bitter polyketides
09:30-09:50    Pauli Kallio, University of Turku 
                        Photosynthesis as a driver for next-generation biotechnology applications
09:50-10:05    Linping Wang, University of Helsinki 
                        Developing potyvirus resistance in tomato and potato by targeting susceptibility factors with CRISPR-Cas9
10:05-10:20    Anna Happonen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        Molecular architecture of developing xylem cell walls in Norway spruce
10:20-10:35    Jennifer Lopez Ortiz, University of Helsinki
                        Changing the armour: from endodermis to cork
10:35-10:50    Janne Artell, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        New genomic techniques: Role of information in attitudes, beliefs and willingness to use across farmers and consumers

11:00-13:00    Poster session 2 (with refreshments) 

13:00-14:00    Lunch break 

14:00-16:00    Theme 4: Green transition in plant breeding and production

Session chair: Titta Kotilainen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

14:00-14:30    Alan Schulman, University of Helsinki & Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        Many by Big: How multiple large genomes of a minor crop generate major improvements for future agriculture
14:30-14:50    Saila Karhu, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        Greening up horticultural production
14:50-15:05    Françoise Martz, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
                        Germination characteristics and priming of nettle (Urtica dioica) seeds
15:05-15:20    Pauliina Palonen, Univeresity of Helsinki 
                        Introducing a novel berry crop in the Nordic countries - Sustainable production of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in a high tunnel soilless cultivation system
15:20-15:35    Sergei Lembinen, University of Helsinki
                        Temperature dynamically regulates meristem maturation and reproductive development in woodland strawberry
15:35-15:50    Sylvain Poque, University of Helsinki
                        Structured data in phenomics: A case study on developmental drought response in potatoes

16:00 -16:10   Closing remarks 

Poster session 1

Samuel Amoah, University of Helsinki
Effects of differently activated biochar on yield formation of barley in boreal conditions

Abiodun Azeez, University of Helsinki
In vitro inhibitory effects of the endophytic fungus Simplicillium lamellicola on phytopathogenic fungi

Kiflemariam Yehuala Belachew, University of Helsinki
Phenotyping revealed tolerance traits and genotypes for acidity and aluminum toxicity in European Vicia faba L.

Chi-Chuan Chen, University of Helsinki
Nordic Ethnobotany: the role of wild plants in traditional lifestyles

Giorgia Del Cioppo, University of Helsinki 
Blending pixels and physiology: AI-driven stress monitoring in tomato plants

Ghulam Naseer Ud Din, University of Helsinki 
Physiological responses of tomato seedlings in fluctuating light treatments

Sanna Ehonen, University of Helsinki
The role of systemic signalling in leaf gas exchange

Anna Fischer, University of Helsinki 
How to save electricity in Finnish tomato production? - The effects of fluctuating light, far-red radiation, and increased Daily Light Integral on Solanum lycopersicum 'Encore'

Juha-Pekka Hieta, University of Helsinki 
A cutting-edge mass spectrometry imaging and single-cell analysis platform for examining the near-native metabolome of plant tissues  

Kristiina Himanen, University of Helsinki 
National Plant Phenotyping Infrastructure

Jan Hoffmann, University of Helsinki
Temperature induced trait plasticity and fitness in A. thaliana

Miki Iida, University of Helsinki 
Searching for the molecular mechanisms underlying stomatal development in gymnosperms

Leila Karami, University of Helsinki
Increasing yield and fruit set of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) through pruning practices in high tunnel soilless cultivation

Jasmin Kemppinen, University of Helsinki 
Beyond stomatal immunity: how water immunity shapes plant resistance to Pseudomonas syringae

Sergey Khorobrykh, University of Turku 
Dual effect of light on photosynthesis

Jani Koivumaa, University of Helsinki 
From spirals to whorls to spirals – how phyllotactic transitions occur in flowers?

Titta Kotilainen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) 
Implementing chlorophyll fluorometry to integrate greenhouse production with energy system flexibility

Stiina Kotiranta, University of Helsinki 
The effect of light spectrum on Cannabis sativa inflorescence yield and plant specialized metabolite concentrations

Riikka Mäkilä, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology 
Identification and characterization of new factors regulating arbuscule collapse

Arttu Mäkinen, University of Helsinki 
Photosynthetic adjustments maintain lettuce growth under dynamically changing lighting in controlled indoor farming setups

Tuuli-Maaret Miettunen, University of Helsinki
A revised method to estimate the contribution of photosystem I to chlorophyll-a fluorescence

Elsa Österåker, University of Helsinki
SHEER in Vicia faba – a potential target for improved stress tolerance

Poster session 2

Laura Pietikäinen, University of Helsinki 
Thermal plasticity of seed germination traits in European flora

Maija Pollari, University of Helsinki 
Interaction between HCPRo and ARGONAUTE1 contributes to vertical and horizontal transmission of turnip mosaic virus

Matleena Punkkinen, University of Helsinki 
Mitochondrial respiration affects chloroplasts by changing the levels of molecular oxygen in tissues

Jonna Pärssinen, University of Helsinki
Effect of fertilizer and biochar on soilless grown cranberry (V. macrocarpon) yield

Marjaana Rantala, University of Turku 
Unraveling Heat Stress Impact on Photosynthesis and Chloroplast Energy Metabolism

Iida-Maria Rantanen, University of Turku 
Screening algal extracts for biostimulants using Arabidopsis thaliana: avoiding pitfalls in long-term experiments

Kristian Salo, University of Turku 
Contribution of photosystem I (PSI) fluorescence in variable fluorescence of higher plants

Amna Sarmad, University of Helsinki 
Mechanisms controlling flower size plasticity in response to temperature change

Priscille Steensma, University of Helsinki 
Postharvest physiology of lettuce in modified atmosphere packaging

Steven Taniwan, University of Helsinki 
Uncovering the last missing enzyme for pinosylvin biosynthesis in Scots pine: characterization of the cinnamic-acid utilizing 4-coumarate:CoA ligase

Otso Turunen, University of Turku 
Engineering RNA polymerase to construct biotechnological host strains of cyanobacteria

Esa Tyystjärvi, University of Turku 
Photoinhibition increases with temperature and depends only partially on the harmful singlet oxygen

Taina Tyystjärvi, University of Turku 
Inorganic carbon levels regulate growth via SigC signaling cascade in cyanobacteria

Marja Uusitalo, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)  
Restoring Ecosystems in Mine Closures

Jere Vainio, University of Helsinki 
Substrate preferences of the plant dihydroflavonol 4-reductase – control of the flow to different anthocyanins

Nerea Valdebenito Alamar, University of Helsinki 
Guard cell chloroplasts are not required for ABA, CO2, light, darkness and flg22-induced stomatal movements

Sakari Välimäki, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) 
Laukansaari Giants – spruce propagation for the genomic era

Laura Wey, University of Turku 
Biofilm photoelectrochemistry as a new tool to study photosynthetic cell physiology

Sundre Winslow, University of Helsinki 
Disentangling the Morelloid Clade: A Phylogenetic Study

George Woodward, University of Helsinki 
Investigating how manipulating the carbon sink capacity of the vascular cambium impacts secondary growth dynamics and vascular continuity along the stem axis of hybrid aspen

Brecht Wybouw, University of Helsinki 
PIN-mediated auxin transport guides xylem vessel patterning during vascular cambium development

Olena Zamora, University of Helsinki 
Large scale mutant screen to identify new regulators of guard cell signalling

Daniel Zeru Zelelew, University of Helsinki 
Molecular regulatory networks controlling inflorescence meristem patterning of the Asteraceae capitulum

Quan Zhou, University of Helsinki 
GIGANTEA ACTIVATES FT1 AND TFL1 TO REPRESS FLOWERING IN WOODLAND STRAWBERRY

Bikash Baral, University of Helsinki 
Bringing Plant Science to Life: Visualizing Gene Expression with RUBY reporters