Plant Mechanobiology

9am to 12:30pm, Wednesday 15 July

The Plant Mechanobiology satellite session examines how mechanical forces, material properties, and biomechanical feedbacks regulate plant cells, tissues, and whole‑organ development across spatial and temporal scales. Mechanical cues—including turgor pressure, cell‑wall elasticity, and external forces such as touch or wind—shape tissue patterning, growth dynamics, and signalling pathways. Their perturbation is increasingly recognised as a driver of plant morphogenesis, stress responses, and altered physiological states.

This session showcases emerging quantitative approaches—ranging from live imaging, indentation assays, and AFM to multiscale mechanical modelling—that capture the mechanical signatures underlying plant morphogenesis. By integrating experimental datasets with physics‑based and data‑driven frameworks, the event provides deeper mechanistic insight into complex plant behaviors.