What if plasmodesmata were more than just channels?
​What if they were membrane contact sites enabling plant cells to communicate

Long thought of as 'simple' pores, our recent research reveals that plasmodesmata function more like membrane contact sites—structures known in other eukaryotes for coordinating molecular exchange between internal organelles. In plants, however, we show that these conserved eukaryotic structures can operate between cells.We found that within plasmodesmata, the interface between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM) is shaped and regulated by a protein–lipid complex. While this mechanism is reminiscent of other membrane contact sites, it serves here a new function: the control of intercellular communication. This work introduces a new regulatory framework for cell-to-cell exchange, challenging textbook models that place external wall-derived callose as the central regulator.
We are now exploring how plants—rooted in place—rapidly coordinate responses to their environment through this internal, ER-driven mechanism.

Our collaborators
Yvon Jaillais (Lyon) – Lipid regulation
Antoine Taly (Paris) – Molecular dynamics and theoretical chemistry
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References
Brault†, Petit​† et al. 2019 EMBO rep
Perez-Sancho†, Smokvarska†, Dubois† et al., 2025, Cell
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How do plant cells "fail" division to build their communication network?

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​We showed that plasmodesmata form during cell division through a controlled failure of abscission (incomplete cytokinesis), orchestrated by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Instead of being passive remnants, ER membranes actively prevent complete separation of daughter cells, creating stable intercellular bridges that lay the foundation for cell-to-cell communication.

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​Our collaborators
Felix Campelo (Barcelona) - Theoretical biophysics & membrane modeling 
Marie-Cécile Caillaud (Lyon) - Cell division

References
Li†, Moreau​† et al. 2024 Science 
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Studying cell–cell communication through a computational lens
  Bringing molecular biology to life in 3D

Cellular processes rely on complex and dynamic molecular interactions between protein, lipid ions, that unfold within ever-changing environments. Understanding how these systems work is crucial for biology and health but their nanoscopic size and rapid motion make them extremely difficult to study with experiments alone.
Thanks to recent advances in AI-driven 3D protein structure prediction and increased computing power, we can now simulate the behavior of complex molecular assemblies in real time using molecular dynamics. In this project, we want combine biology, physics, and computer science to bring plasmodesmata to life atom by atom—simulating how they respond to stress and adapt cell-to-cell communication. Our goal is to go beyond static, schematic models and generate detailed 3D simulations that capture molecular movement, interactions, and conformational changes over time. These simulations are not just visualizations—they are research tools to test hypotheses, uncover mechanisms that experiments cannot yet resolve, and guide future discoveries.

Building an Interactive Tool for Biologist: In collaboration with Antoine Taly, we aim to develop Moléculaire360, a user-friendly, interactive, and immersive platform for life scientists. This tool will allow researchers to explore complex biological processes with atomic-level detail and dynamic visualization. Using virtual reality, Moléculaire360 will offer an immersive experience—letting users “dive” inside a cell to observe and interact with its inner workings.

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Our collaborators
​Antoine Taly (Paris) – Molecular dynamics and theoretical chemistry
Fabio Sterpone (Université Paris, France) – Physics of biomolecules mouvement

The OS of Trees – Information Processing

Organisms rely on environmental signals to time key life-cycle transitions. Variability in these signals makes accurate organ level decision making challenging. Many life forms, including plants, achieve robust responses without centralized information-processing systems like neurons. This interdisciplinary project addresses an open question: how do organisms without a central decision-making system process information so reliably?
Using a synergistic combination biological experiments with modelling approaches grounded in information theory and cellular automata, we aim to uncover the modes and scales at which temperature cues are processed in dormant buds.

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Our collaborators
Sara Walker (School of Earth and Space Exploration / Arizona State University) – physicist - network theory
​Rishi Bhalerao (Umea Sweden)– Tree molecular biology-dormancy
​George Bassel (Warwick, U.K.) - Computational biologist - Cellular automata models - dynamic Boolean network model

Tracking cell-cell molecular journeys with carbon nanotubes

How molecules travel through plasmodesmata remains a mystery. Traditional methods only capture an average signal from hundreds of channels at once, masking the diversity and dynamics of individual connections.
In this project, we collaborate with Laurent Cognet’s team at the Photonics, Numerical and Nanosciences Laboratory, whose expertise combines atomic- and optical-physics foundations with cutting-edge chemistry-driven nanotube engineering to enable single-molecule scale imaging and diffusion studies in biological systems. We aim to adapt this technology to track individual particles over unprecedented timescales in plants and visualize, for the first time, the journey of single molecules through individual plasmodesmata.
To meet this challenge, we are also developing a custom 3D microscope tailored to infrared plant imaging. This highly interdisciplinary project bridges plant biology, nanotechnology, and advanced optics to reveal how cell-to-cell communication is organized at the molecular level.

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Our collaborators
Laurent Cognet & Nathan Ronceray (Photonics, Numerical and Nanosciences Laboratory; Bordeaux):
​ Carbon nanotube photophysics &Single-molecule optics

Expanding plant tissues for nanoscale imaging

Expansion microscopy (ExM) physically enlarges biological samples, allowing nanoscale details to be imaged with standard microscopes. We have adapted this technique to plant roots with ROOT-ExM, an approach designed for the stiffness and complexity of plant root. ROOT-ExM provides a four-fold resolution increase, preserves native fluorescence, and works with a wide range of labeling strategies, from immunostaining to ultrastructural dyes.This approach offers a cost-effective path to super-resolution imaging in plant biology and opens new perspectives on plant cell architecture.

​Our collaborators
Mónica Fernández Monreal & Guillaume Maucort (Bordeaux Imaging Center)
Projet co-leader 
Magali Grison (research engineer specialised in the development of  super-resolution)