Research by NITMB Affiliate Member Alexandria Volkening awarded Outstanding Paper Prize for 2025 by The Company of Biologists
- NITMB
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Research co-authored by NITMB Affiliate Member Alexandria Volkening (assistant professor of mathematics and (by courtesty) biomedical engineering at Purdue University) was recently awarded the Outstanding Paper Prize for 2025 by The Company of Biologists. Over 200 papers published in Development were eligible for the Outstanding Paper Prize. Papers that win the Outstanding Paper Prize showcase the best in contemporary developmental biology by revealing interesting insights and concepts or advancing new technologies.
Congratulations to Professor Volkening and colleagues! More information on the winning paper, and a link to Volkening's interview with The Company of Biologists, is available below:
Paper Title: Single cell-derived multicellular meristem: insights into male-to-hermaphrodite conversion and de novo meristem formation in Ceratopteris
Abstract: Land plants alternate between asexual sporophytes and sexual gametophytes. Unlike seed plants, ferns develop free-living gametophytes. Gametophytes of the model fern Ceratopteris exhibit two sex types: hermaphrodites with pluripotent meristems and males lacking meristems. In the absence of the pheromone antheridiogen, males convert to hermaphrodites by forming de novo meristems, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Using long-term time-lapse imaging and computational analyses, we captured male-to-hermaphrodite conversion at single-cell resolution and reconstructed the lineage and division atlas of newly formed meristems. Lineage tracing revealed that the de novo-formed meristem originates from a single non-antheridium cell: the meristem progenitor cell (MPC). During conversion, the MPC lineage showed increased mitotic activity, with marginal cells proliferating faster than inner cells. A mathematical model suggested that stochastic variation in cell division, combined with strong inhibitory signals from dividing marginal cells, is sufficient to explain gametophyte dynamics. Experimental disruption of division timing agreed with the model, showing that precise cell cycle progression is essential for MPC establishment and sex-type conversion. These findings reveal cellular mechanisms governing sex conversion and de novo meristem formation in land plants.
