Research

The aim of our research is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of plant morphogenesis via understanding the process of cell shape acquisition and its associated signaling pathways. We are particularly focusing our studies on auxin transport and signaling and cell wall function in cell shape acquisition. Most of our work is established on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana but we also work on poplar and lupin. Have also a look on our external group homepage: https://srobertgroup.com
Understanding how various cell types precisely emerge in optimal forms at the right time and location is one of the most importamt questions in developmental biology. This process serves as the foundation of morphogenesis in multicellular organisms. Plants, in particular, exhibit remarkable adaptability, enabling them to adjust their developmental patterns to swiftly changing environments. This adaptability is facilitated by a series of morphological modifications governing the growth of organs like leaves, roots, and stems. Achieving proper morphogenesis is based on the synchronised orchestration of cell expansion, shape acquisition, and fate determination within individual cells.
Using cell biology, classical genetics and chemical genomics approaches we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of plant morphogenesis via understanding the process of cell shape acquisition and its associated signaling pathways. We are particularly focusing our studies on auxin transport and signaling, endomembrane trafficking and cell wall/cuticle function in cell shape acquisition.

Our work is funded by generous support from:
Team
- 2015: Docent, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- 2005: PhD Plant Science, Paris XI University-Orsay, France
- 2001: MSc Institut national agronomique Paris Grignon, France
- 2021: Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- 2016: Associate Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- 2010: Assistant Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- 2007-2010: Post doc, PSB/VIB University of Ghent, Belgium
- 2005-2007: Post doc, University of California, Riverside, USA
- 2019: The Sven and Ebba-Christina Hagberg foundation award
- 2012: SLU early career grant
- Folkbladet Newspaper, edition August 21st 2017, page 6-7
- Invited lecture at the SLU doctoral award ceremony 2023 (Uppsala). The professor giving the lecture is chosen by the SLU Vice-Chancellor, one every year. The lecture is targeted towards a public audience.
- 2025 FASEB Mechanisms in Plant Development Conference, Vermont, USA, August 2025
- The International Plant Molecular Biology (IPMB) Congress, Cairns, Australia, June 2024
- Lunch pitch Ice lab, Umeå 2023
- Invited speaker and chair at the International Plant Growth Substances Association (IPGSA), Gyeongju, Korea 2023
- Invited speaker at the Auxin meeting, Cavtat, Croatia, 2022
- Invited speaker and chair at the IUBMB-FEBS-PABMB symposium, Lisbon, Portugal 2022
- Invited speaker at Small Molecules In Plant Research: Chemistry and Biology come together, Valencia, Spain 2019
- Invited plenary speaker at the International Plant Growth Substances Association (IPGSA), Paris, France 2019
- Invited speaker at Auxin 2016, Haitang Bay (Sanya), China, 2016
- Invited speaker at the UPSC days 2016, May 30-31st 2016, Umeå, Sweden
- Invited Speaker at the International Plant Growth Substances Association (IPGSA), Toronto, Canada, 2016
- Keynote speaker at Plant Development and Signaling meeting, Wageningen, Netherland, 2016
- Invited speaker at the CEPCEB Award Symposium, Riverside, California, USA, 2015
- Invited speaker at the INUPRAG Meeting, Nancy France, 2015
- Invited speaker at the workshop Cell Wall and Signaling, Arabidopsis Conference 2015, Paris, France 2015
- Keynote speaker at the Second international Congress on Biostimulants in Agriculture, Florence, Italy 2015
- Selected speaker at the International Symposium on Auxins and Cytokinins in Plant Development, Prague, Czech Republic, 2014
- Invited speaker at Trends in natural products research, Olomouc, Czech Republic, 2014
- Invited speaker at Plant Network meeting, Uppsala, Sweden, 2013
- Invited speaker at WoW meeting, Umeå, Sweden, 2013
- Speaker at the 2nd International Meeting on Early Auxin research, Leiden, Netherland, 2013
- Invited speaker at USPA meeting, Nottingham, England, 2013
- Invited speaker at Society for Experimental Biology annual meeting, Salzburg, Austria, 2012
- Invited speaker at 5th conference of Polish Society of Plant Biology, Wroclaw, Poland, 2011
- Invited speaker at Modelling Cell Elongation Workshop, Nottingham, UK, 2011
- Speaker at the Endomembrane meeting, Marienburg, Germany, 2010
- Speaker at the Endomembrane meeting, Montpellier, France, 2009
- Speaker at the Endomembrane meeting, Lecce, Italy, 2008
- Speaker at the Endomembrane meeting, Oxford, UK. 2007
- Speaker at the Xème International Cell Wall Meeting, Sorrento-Italy, 2004
- Cellulose and cell elongation. Invited speaker in the Cell Biology session of 15th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, July 11-14, Berlin-Germany, 2004
- Christmas lecture speaker, UPSC, December 13th 2024
- Invitation for a seminar at the University of Lausanne, Swizerland, October 24th 2024
- Invitation for a seminar at the University of Geneva, Swizerland, October 23rd 2024
- Invitation for a seminar at The Viikki Plant Science Centre (ViPS) Helsinki November 15th 2023
- Invitation for a seminar at the Saclay Plant Science center, France, February 8th 2022
- Invitation for a seminar at SupAgro Montpellier, France, December 15th 2021
- Invitation for a seminar at the Sainsbury lab Cambridge, UK, April 28th, 2021
- Invitation for a seminar at the IJPB, Versailles, France, April 25th, 2019
- Invitation for a seminar at the CEITEC, Brno, Czech Republic, March 12th, 2019
- Invitation for a seminar at the University of California, San Diego, USA, December 10th, 2018
- Invitation for a seminar at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint-Louis, USA November 28th, 2018
- Invitation for a seminar at the Washington University, Saint-Louis, USA, November 27th, 2018
- Invitation for a seminar at the University of Leiden, Netherland, January 16th, 2016
- Invitation for a seminar at University of California Davis, USA, January 4th 2016
- Invitation for a seminar at University of Amiens, Amiens, France, October 12th 2015
- Invitation for a seminar at ENS, Lyon, France, October, 2015
- Invitation for a seminar at TUM, Munich, Germany, April 23rd, 2015
- Invitation for a seminar at TLL, Singapore, January 23rd, 2014
- Invitation for a seminar at Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic, September 25th 2013
- Invitation for a seminar at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, September 23th 2013
- Invitation for a seminar at BOKU University, Vienna, September 20th 2013, Austria
- Invitation for a seminar at ISV, Gif-sur-Yvette, France, June 13th 2013,
- Invitation for a seminar at Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Germany, January 25th 2013