Agrisera News

Light-induced structural changes in thylakoid membranes, revisited in the recent publication

In the recently published article, Wójtowicz et al. (2025). Shrink or expand? Just relax! Bidirectional grana structural dynamics as early light-induced regulator of photosynthesis, an international group of researchers challenged the traditional binary model of light-induced thylakoid dynamics. They discovered and described three-phase response, using high-resolution structural approaches like: transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy with 3D modeling, and small-angle neutron scattering as well as spectroscopic and electrophoretic analyses of the photosynthetic apparatus in two model species: Arabidopsis thaliana and Ficus elastica.

Selected antibodies to proteins of Photosystem I (PSI) and Photosystem II (PSII) antennae (Lhca1, Lhcb2, Lhcb4, and Lhcb5) and core proteins (D1 and PsaB), phosphorylated variants of D1 and Lhcb2 proteins and Atpb subunit of ATP synthase were used in this study.

Agrisera antibodies used in this work were:
Lhcb1-P, Lhcb2, Lhcb2-P, Lhcb4, Lhcb5, Lhca1, PsbA, PsbA-P, AtpBeta, PsaB, acetylated lysine

Shrink or expand article

Agrisera supported 20th Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

Agrisera supported 20th Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, which took place between 13th-17th of July in Cologne, Germany.

Over the course of 5 days, the congress was attended by over 1200 attendees for cutting-edge research and networking in the field of plant-microbe interactions.

Two Agrisera Best Poster Awards were awarded and participants could collect hard copies of Agrisera Educational Posters and Agrisera catalog.

Plant Microbe Interaction Congress 2025

Interview with Prof. Ru Zhang

Prof. Ru Zhang

Dr. Rue Zhang is a Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She leads a lab focused on understanding how photosynthetic cells respond to heat stress to improve crop resilience in a warming climate. Using model plants and algae, her lab focuses on photosynthesis—one of the most heat-sensitive yet vital processes in plants.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am an Associate Member and Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. My lab studies how photosynthetic cells respond to abiotic stresses, especially high temperatures, by using both green algae (mainly Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) and land plants (mainly Setaria viridis) as models. Global warming increases the frequency, intensity, and duration of high temperatures, which impair plant growth and reduce crop yield. To engineer crops with improved thermotolerance, it is imperative to understand how photosynthetic cells sense and respond to high temperatures. Many pathways in plants can be affected by high temperatures, and we focus on photosynthesis, a key driver for plant growth and food production but one of the most heat-sensitive functions in plants.

During my PhD training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I worked with Dr. Thomas Sharkey studying the effects of high temperature on photosynthesis in leaves of Arabidopsis and tobacco plants. During my postdoctoral training with Dr. Martin Jonikas and Dr. Arthur Grossman at the Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, I continued to investigate photosynthesis by developing high-throughput genotyping and quantitative phenotyping tools in the eukaryotic, unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to identify photosynthesis-deficient algal mutants on a genome-wide scale. In October 2016, I started my own lab at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have an impact at the nexus of food security and the environment, and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, the Gates Foundation and through the support of individuals and corporations. Learn more at danforthcenter.org.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I feel very happy when I am around plants, starting at a young age. As an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Ningning Wang’s lab at Nankai University in China, I participated in the generation of transgenic micro tomatoes with improved nitrogen uptake efficiency. I loved the smell of tomatoes and all of the green colors in our plant growth room. To me, taking care of my plants was like taking care of my babies. I called the plants I grew my “tomato babies”. It was fascinating to see my transgenic micro tomato plants having improved resistance to low nitrogen. Pursuing plant science quickly became a clear path for me.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

We use Agrisera antibodies frequently, mostly proteins involved in photosynthesis or chloroplast biology.

- Any further comments?

Agrisera is not only a great company that produces high quality antibodies but also closely integrates into the plant science communities. My office has several photosynthesis-related graphs supported by Agrisera. Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund is outstanding and patient in answering many questions from us about western troubleshooting and Agrisera antibodies. Joanna also led a great online workshop about western at our institution. Thanks a lot, Joanna! Agrisera, Happy 40th Anniversary!

Links

• Prof. Ru Zhang
• Zhang lab at Danforth
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in environmental stress response
• Agrisera Photosynthesis Antibodies

What links Agrisera antibodies to photosynthetic proteins and restoring anabolism of myocardial injury

A very interesting publication by Li et al. A Photophosphorylation Nanobot for Restoring Anabolism of Myocardial Injury, was published in The Journal of the American Chemical Society, in June 2025 issue. Considering high risk of mortality worldwide and due to limited capacity for self-repair after myocardial injury, self propelled nanobots which can target the heart and improve intracellular ATP concentration which leads to restoration of cellular metabolism and repair of myocardial injury, are a promise for the future treatment.

The following Agrisera antibodies to photosynthetic proteins were used to verify this approach:

Nanobots repairing heart and Agrisera antibodies

Agrisera supported Spanish Society of Plant Biology meeting and Plant Nitric Oxide (PNO) conferences

This week, Agrisera supported the following conferences:

Iberian Plant Biology 2025, held between 1st-4th of July, in Murcia, Spain. This meeting is organized on behalf of the Spanish and Portuguese Plant Biology Societies was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Society of Plant Biology and XIX Spanish-Portuguese congress on plant Biology. The motto of the meeting will be "Plants for a sustainable world".

Plant Nitric Oxide International Meeting (PNO), held between 9th-11th of July, online. The advances in the biology and chemistry of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) were the focus of this meeting. The following topics were covered: Nitric oxide (NO) and its interaction with other reactive species, the physiological and molecular roles of RNS in plants and the crosstalk between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and RNS.

Meet with Agrisera at Plant Biology 2025 in Milwaukee

Between July 26th - 30th, Agrisera is going to be present at the Plant Biology 2025, Milwaukee, USA. The conference is organized each year by American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB).

Sales Manager Fanny Sundelin and Product Specialist Isabel Salén are representing Agrisera at the meeting. You are welcome to come by Agrisera booth and talk antibodies with them or just to say hello.

Participants can pick up free hard copies of Agrisera's Educational Posters, prepared in collaboration with scientists in the field of photosynthesis and epigenetics, as well as the Agrisera product catalog and Agrisera Western blot troubleshooting guide.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Interview with Prof. Viktor Žárský

Prof. Viktor Žárský

Dr. Viktor Žárský founded the Laboratory of Cell Biology at the Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences. He also serves as a professor at the Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University in Prague. His research primarily explores plant cell polarity and morphogenesis, focusing on the role of small GTPases and their effectors within the endomembrane system.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I established the Laboratory of cell biology at the Institute of experimental botany, Czech academy of sciences and am at the same time professor at the Department of experimental plant Biology, Charles University in Prague. My research focuses on the biology of plant cell polarity and morphogenesis/development regulated by small GTPases and their effectors in the endomembrane system, especially vesicle tethering complex exocyst and early land plants evolution.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

As a child I was fascinated by microscopy and as a high school student I got interested in algae - so that algology was my entry point into plant cell and developmental biology.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

In our research we do not only use Agrisera antibodies, but in collaboration with Agrisera we successfully developed two antibodies against core exocyst complex subunits. From our efforts to develop antibodies we can say that the collaboration with Agrisera was very useful.

Links

• Prof. Viktor Žárský
• Prof. Viktor Žárský's lab
• Agrisera antibodies - Plant developmental biology
• Agrisera antibodies - Membrane Transport System

Agrisera Western have conducted blot workshops with Beijing XMJ Scientific, for researchers in China

In June, Agrisera have conducted workshops in collaboration with Beijing XMJ Scientific, for researchers in China.
Thanks to everyone who participated!

Agrisera Western blot workshop with XMJ

Educational poster 9 focused on Western blot technique is available

Agrisera's Educational Poster number 9 is the second poster in our collection that focuses on methods, and in this case: Western blotting. The content was developed based on Agrisera's 25 years of troubleshooting hundreds of blots each year. The contents were transferred into the graphical representation by Dr. Dmitry Shevela (SciGrafik, Sweden).

You are welcome to download the pdf or request a hard copy of this very informative poster! The poster also contains a link and QR code to a landing page with information regarding details of the Western blot technique.

If you have any comments or suggestions, we are always eager to hear them. You are welcome to contact us!

Agrisera is a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific

In July 2024, Agrisera and Olink entered an exciting new chapter by becoming part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific family. As we continue to integrate into this global organization, we will be updating our logo to reflect this new affiliation.

Our dedication to serving the scientific community remains unchanged. I will continue in my role as CEO, and our experienced and passionate team will remain fully committed to supporting you.

Our online store continues to operate as usual, with a strong and ongoing focus on advancing plant science research. We are also actively working to expand our product portfolio with innovative, high-quality antibodies—honoring Agrisera’s longstanding legacy.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to maintaining the rigorous quality standards you have come to expect from us. You can continue to rely on the trusted products and services that have defined Agrisera over the years.

Joining Thermo Fisher Scientific presents a valuable opportunity for growth and innovation. We believe this transition will bring meaningful benefits to our customers, partners, and the broader scientific community.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss what this change may mean for you, please feel free to contact me directly. We sincerely appreciate your continued trust and look forward to building the future together.

Best regards,

Erika Gelfgren, CEO, Agrisera AB

[email protected]

Interview with Prof. Andreas Hiltbrunner

Prof. Andreas Hiltbrunner

Dr. Andreas Hiltbrunner is a professor for Molecular Plant Physiology at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He earned his PhD at ETH Zürich and then moved to University of Freiburg for postdoctoral research on light signalling and phytochromes. Dr. Hiltbrunner has dedicated his career to investigating the complexities of how plants perceive and respond to light. What motivates him is the importance of understanding plant responses to the environment, to ensure sustainable agricultural production in the future.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

During my PhD at ETH Zurich, I investigated the molecular mechanisms of protein import into chloroplasts. For my postdoc, I then moved to the University of Freiburg, Germany, where I became interested in how plants sense the light environment and how phytochromes, an important class of photoreceptors in plants, are involved in this process. When I started my own lab as an independent group leader at the Centre for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, Germany, I continued working on light signalling and phytochromes, and also began investigating how phytochromes and light signalling evolved in land plants. Since 2012, I have been Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where I have continued to focus on understanding how phytochromes function at the molecular level, how downstream signalling pathways link light activation of phytochromes to changes in gene expression, and how the evolution of light signalling enabled plants to colonise land.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I have always been fascinated by plants, and from the beginning of my studies, it was clear to me that I wanted to work with plants. Plants feed the world, and it is therefore essential that we understand how they respond to changes in the environment, including those driven by climate change, if we are to ensure sustainable agricultural production in the future. However, the projects in our lab fall within the field of basic research, and I feel very privileged to have the freedom to investigate questions that are driven by curiosity and may not have an immediate application. Yet, applied research relies on discoveries made in basic science, and I am confident that understanding the fundamental principles of phytochrome action in model plants such as the seed plant Arabidopsis thaliana or the moss Physcomitrium patens will eventually contribute to practical applications.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Antibodies to detect phytochromes (phy) and proteins involved in phytochrome downstream signalling are essential tools in our research (e.g. for immunoblotting or Co-IP). When our stocks of custom-made antibodies against phyA and phyB, the two primary phytochromes in seed plants, were used up, we needed to find a replacement. Fortunately, antibodies specific to phyA and phyB provided by Agrisera reliably detected the respective phytochromes. This resolved our issue, and we are grateful for this valuable resource. In addition, we are using several Agrisera antibodies against factors in involved in light signalling for immunoblotting.

- Any further comments?

We have tested several antibodies provided by Agrisera, and I really appreciate that – unlike many other companies – Agrisera actively invests in plant research. After several years of email communication, I finally met Joanna in person at a conference last year, which I greatly enjoyed. We were also glad to have Agrisera’s support for a conference at our institute this year, including the generous donation of a free antibody as a poster prize. Tack så mycket!

Links

• Prof. Andreas Hiltbrunner
• Prof. Andreas Hiltbrunner's research group
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in light acclimation

Agrisera supports Plant Biology Europe 2025 and 2nd Polish RNA binding meeting

Agrisera supports the Plant Biology Europe conference, held between the 25th and 28th of June, in Budapest, Hungary. The event will be attended by over 400 participants from different countries in Europe.

Particular focus of the conference will be given to the climate change and the ways plant science can address it.

Each attendee will receive a hard copy of one of Agrisera's Educational Posters included into the attendee bag.

We are looking forward to the next Plant Biology Europe meeting in 2027!

During the same week, Agrisera supported 2nd Polish RNA biology meeting held between 24th-27th of June, at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland with educational posters focused on plant small RNAs and Agrisera Best Poster Prize.

Agrisera - Winner of PSL Alliance Accolade

We are incredibly proud to share that Agrisera has been recognized by Pivotal Scientific by being awarded the PSL Alliance Accolade for our continued dedication and engagement within the plant science community!

This accolade highlights not only our commitment to advancing scientific research but also our strong collaboration with partners who share our vision. Pivotal Scientific has been instrumental in supporting our growth, and we’re honored to be acknowledged for using their services in a meaningful and impactful way.

A huge thank you to our amazing team for their hard work and passion, and to Pivotal Scientific for this recognition. We look forward to continuing our journey together—driving innovation, supporting the global research community, and making a difference in life science.

Agrisera at International Conference of Arabidopsis Research (ICAR2025)

Agrisera attended the 35th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, in Ghent, Belgium held between the 16th and 20th of Jun. Agrisera was represented by Product Specialist Isabel Salén.

Thank you to everyone who visited Agrisera's booth or is still planning to come, to discuss antibodies and plant science, and to the conference organizers for yet another successful meeting.

Agrisera's Educational Posters were available free of charge at the conference. In case you did not get a chance to obtain copies, you can request them, free of charge, here.

Agrisera attending ICAR 2025

15th Workhop on cyanobacteria and 8th PostDoc Day were supported by Agrisera

In the beginning of June Agrisera supported the 8th Post-Doc Day on 5th of June, at the University of Geneve, Switzerland and the 15th Workshop on cyanobacteria, taking place between 4th-7th of June in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Every year the PostDoc Day brings together postdoc community and is packed with engaging sessions in different fields.

The workshop on cyanobacteria is conducted every 3 years in North America and brings together researchers specializing in cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic procaryotes. Agrisera supported both meetings with Agrisera Prizes.

Agrisera educational posters focused on photosynthesis, epigenetics, protein extraction and Western blot were offered for participants, as well as Western blot guide and Agrisera catalog.

Conferences supported by Agrisera in June 2025

Interview with Prof. Emilio Gutiérrez

Prof. Emilio Gutiérrez

Dr. Emilio Gutiérrez is a professor and group leader at the Plant Biology and Biochemistry institute, a Joint Centre of the University of Seville (USE) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). His research group explores the key role of stress granules (SGs) in plant stress response. Their goal is to understand the molecular pathways underlying formation of SGs and how the formation promotes stress resistance and cell survival in plants.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am a group leader at the Plant Biology and Biochemistry institute, a Joint Centre of the University of Seville (USE) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The IBVF is specialized in the study of phototrophic biology in a broad sense, with the distinctive feature of developing research with all types of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms: cyanobacteria, algae and plants. The research of my group is focused on the understanding the key role stress granules (SGs) in plant stress response. SGs are phase-separated bimolecular condensates formed by proteins and mRNAs assembled in response to stress. The formation of SGs minimizes stress-related damage and promotes cell survival, although the molecular mechanisms underlying pro-survival effects of SGs remain to be established. In contrast to the prominence of research on stress granule in animal and yeast models, in plants, SGs have only received limited attention. Our goal is to establish a profound conceptual and experimental framework allowing us to understand the molecular pathways underlying formation of SGs in plants, which will be used as a basis to finally demonstrate how the formation of these condensates promotes stress resistance and cell survival in plants.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

Since I was a child, I have been fascinated by the plant world. I am curious to learn how a sessile organism can perceive, respond to, and defend itself against external stimuli, adapting to an increasingly hostile environment. This curiosity drives me to explore the intricate mechanisms that allow plants to survive and thrive despite the challenges they face. Understanding their resilience not only deepens my admiration for them but also fuels my passion for research.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Agrisera is making a significant contribution for the plant science community by developing a wide range of antibodies targeting plant proteins. Protein detection by antibodies is a crucial tool for advancing scientific research. Before Agrisera, there was no company dedicated exclusively to the development of antibodies against plant proteins, filling a vital gap in the field.

Links

• Prof. Emilio Gutiérrez
• Prof. Emilio Gutiérrez’s research group
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in plant stress response

Agrisera supports 25th Conference of the Austrian Society of Plant Biology

Agrisera supported the 25th conference of the Austrian Society of Plant Biology, which took place between the 29th and 31st of May, in Tulin, organized by the Institute of Botany of BOKU University.

Conference topics included covered many aspects of the biology of plant cell.

Agrisera educational posters focused on photosynthesis, epigenetics, protein extraction and Western blot were offered for participants, as well as Western blot guide and Agrisera catalogue.

Agrisera supports the 25th conference of Austrian Society of Plant Biology

Interview with Prof. Govindjee

Prof. Govindjee

Dr. Govindjee is professor emeritus of plant biology, biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, with a focus on the mechanism of oxygenic photosynthesis, especially Photosystem II, the one that gives us oxygen. During the 1960s, he led the team that focused on the use of changes in light absorption and light- emission from chlorophyll a in deciphering the photochemistry and biochemistry of oxygenic photosynthesis, in particular the unique role of bicarbonate in Photosystem II. His achievements led to the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Society of Photosynthesis Research (ISPR), and his work has led to many other international awards and honors. Agrisera has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Prof. Govindjee through the development of educational posters on the mechanism of photosynthesis and its use in improving plant productivity.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I started my research life in 1954 at the University of Allahabad, India, working on the effects of virus infection on the amino acid metabolism of many plants including tobacco. However, after receiving my PhD (in Biophysics) in 1960, from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (UIUC), I have focused on Oxygenic Photosynthesis, especially the molecular mechanism of the electron flow from water to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+), working as an Assistant Professor (1961-1965), an Associate Professor (1965- 1969), a Professor (1969-1999), and then as Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, starting in 1999, also at the UIUC. My interaction with Agrisera began (and continues) through discussions on the many wonderful educational posters (https://www.agrisera.com/en/educational-posters).

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

My interest in plants began when I was in the 4th class – through my teacher in what was called ‘Nature study’. Further, during my college days, I detested the idea of ‘dissecting’ animals, but I loved examining plants and their leaves and examining them under microscopes. When I came to the UIUC in 1956, as a graduate student, I began culturing the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa, the red alga Porphyridium cruentum, and the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans.

Further, I was fascinated with the controversy of the minimum quantum requirement of 3-4 photons (by the Noble laureate Otto Warburg) per oxygen versus 8-12 by the others including my first mentor on ‘Photosynthesis’ Robert Emerson. And, yes, the topic of ‘Primary Photochemistry and Biophysics’ -- from femto-seconds to kilo-seconds- became my life-work – after I interacted with my second – but most influential mentor Eugene Rabinowitch. And hence the commitment to oxygenic photosynthesis at all levels.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Personally, I have not used Agrisera antibodies in my research, but I have been deeply involved in providing detailed information to Agrisera for making educational posters on Oxygenic Photosynthesis (2016), Vertical Z-Scheme (2018), Photosynthesis and Respiration (2019) and Rubisco (2020); these may be accessed at https://www.agrisera.com/en/info/educational-posters.html.

- Any further comments?

I have always enjoyed a wonderful, friendly relationship with Joanna and her team – in person as well as through e-mails and phone conversations. I wish Agrisera the best in all their future endeavors.

Links

• Honoring Govindjee, celebrating 90 years
• Prof. Govindjee - Wikipedia
• Agrisera's Educational Posters
• Agrisera Antibodies - Photosynthesis

What after-sales service is offered by Agrisera?

Q: I purchased an antibody from Agrisera and need some technichal guidance. What should I do?

A: Contact Agrisera Technical Support for help. We will promptly reply to your questions. To be able provide you with the best help, we will need the following information:

- Image of the obtained results (whole membrane with MW markers for Western blot, section image for immunolocalization)

- Exact details of the applied protocol

Once we receive the results with all experimental details included, we will provide suggestions on how to solve the issue and/or optimize the protocol.

Each case is solved individually, as there can be various reasons as to why a desired result cannot be obtained.

You will receive prompt and professional support.
Contact us for help!

Most common reasons why the desired result can not be obtained with a given antibody:

Wrong antibody was purchased. Sequence used to elicit an antibody, is not found in the protein which is to be visualized.

The sample contains too little of the target protein. For proteins of low abundance, the specific cellular fraction needs to be analyzed.

The sample was not harvested in conditions, in which the target protein is most abundant in the tissue, or the extraction buffer was not optimal (for example: no specific protease or proteasome inhibitors were included).

Antibody was incubated for too short time. Always check the product information sheet for guidance, or contact the supplier.

Give your blots a chance to improve - educational poster by Agrisera

How to choose the right antibody?
What is a Western blot workflow and what to do to succeed with this complex technique?

The answers to these questions, and many more, can be found on the latest educational poster prepared by Agrisera. The poster is aimed to be a community resource for beginners and experienced users of the Western blot technique.

It is based on hundreds of blots which have been troubleshooted each year for the last 25 years, by Agrisera technical support, as well as a valuable input from the plant community worldwide, which was involved in production of this educational resource. Thank you!

The poster is summarizing, in a graphical form, information from Agrisera Western blot resources and Agrisera webinars focused on antibodies and Western blot technique.

We welcome your comments, ideas for next poster and feedback. Mail them to: [email protected]

Educational poster about Western blot technique

The poster can be downloaded here , or a hard copy can be requested on Agrisera website.

View other educational posters focused on photosynthesis and epigenetics, here.

Graphical work has been done by Dr. Dmitri Shevela, from SciGrafik in Umeå, Sweden.

Agrisera – Antibody Supplier Succeeding in Plant Science

We are thrilled to announce that Agrisera has been honored with the 2025 CiteAb Award Antibody Supplier Succeeding in Plant Science!

Thanks to target suggestions from the plant community, as well as their contribution in our antibody validation process, on endogenous samples from a range of model species, Agrisera antibodies have been cited in over 10,000 publications. Agrisera's publication record has granted us the 2025 award Antibody Supplier Succeeding in Plant Science.

Each year, CiteAb select winners in various categories, based on publication analyses, as well as nominations by the research community. The last time a plant science category appeared in the CiteAb awards, Agrisera was awarded the 2019 CiteAb award Plant Science Antibody Supplier of the Year, for having the most antibody citations in research related to plant science. On average, Agrisera antibodies are cited in over 800 scientific articles per year.

"Plant Science is a really important field that powers developments in sustainability, global health, food security and more. Agrisera have a particular focus on plant and algal research, and have shown their successful support of researchers in this field by providing products that facilitate published discoveries," says Rhys Williams, Head of Antibody data at CiteAb.

New Agrisera antibodies to tags

Agrisera has released three new antibodies to tags:
Trx Tag | Sumo tag | RFP

Thioredoxin 1 Fusion protein (Trx Tag)
Trx tag is so-called Solubility/Expression Enhancer Tag (SEET) which improves the solubility, stability, or expression of the target protein in systems where proteins may otherwise aggregate or be poorly expressed.

Product number: AS21 4508

Tested applications: Western blot

Product page: Trx Tag | Thioredoxin

Sumo tag
SUMO is short for Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier, SUMO tag can be added in the N-terminal of a target protein, to increase its expression and solubility.

Product number: AS23 4970

Tested applications: Western blot

Product page: Anti-SUMO tag antibodies

Red flourescent protein (RFP)
RFP once excited is fluorescing red-orange light. The mass of RFP is approximately 25.9 kDa and its excitation maximum is 558 nm and emission maximum is 583 nm.

Product number: AS24 5006

Tested applications: Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

Product page: Anti-RFP | Red flourescent protein (mRFP, mCherry, tdTomato, mScarlet) antibodies

Read more about the new antibodies on each product page.

Need help to choose a suitable tag antibody? Check out our Tag Antibody Guide!

Interview with Prof. Blake Meyers

Prof. Blake Meyers

Dr. Blake Meyers serves as the Director of the UC Davis Genome Center and holds the titles of Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, and Novozymes Chair of Genomics. Before joining UC Davis, he was a faculty member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, the University of Missouri – Columbia, and the University of Delaware. He is a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Plant Biologists. Since 2008, he has been an editor of The Plant Cell, serving as Editor-in-Chief between 2020 and 2024.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am Blake Meyers, a plant biologist specializing in small RNAs and their roles in gene regulation, particularly in reproductive development and anther development. My research focuses on small RNA biology, recently including the biogenesis and functions of phased, secondary siRNAs (phasiRNAs). I am at the University of California, Davis, where I am the Director of the Genome Center, a multidisciplinary institute of 18 faculty members that share a common interest in genomic technologies and the application of these methods to diverse biological questions, including biomedicine, microbiology, bioinformatics, and plants. I am a faculty member in the Department of Plant Sciences. In my group, I have a talented team of researchers who are working to explore the molecular mechanisms, evolution, and diversity of plant RNAs, particularly small RNAs — and to identify applications of these discoveries to real world problems in crop plants.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

My interest in plant science started through a love of plants, but grew further out of a fascination for genetics and molecular biology. I was especially drawn to the complexity and elegance of plant regulatory networks and the ways these are encoded in the genome. Plants offer unique insights into gene silencing, epigenetics, and small RNA biology — areas that remain at the forefront of my research today. The potential for discovery in plant science is immense, and its impact from agriculture to biotechnology, makes it an incredibly rewarding field.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Agrisera antibodies have been instrumental in our studies on ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins, which are key components of small RNA pathways. These proteins are the effectors of guide RNAs, much like the Cas proteins of the better known CRISPR system. The AGO antibodies allowed us to track the expression, localization, and interactions of AGO proteins in different plant tissues, helping to uncover their diverse functions in small RNA-guided gene regulation. Beyond AGO research, Agrisera’s commitment to high-quality plant antibodies has been a valuable resource for the plant biology community.

- Any further comments?

I appreciate Agrisera’s dedication to supporting plant research over the past 40 years. Their plant-specific antibodies and educational resources, such as the two posters that we collaborated on, have helped advance research and training for scientists worldwide. It’s exciting to see how these tools continue to contribute to new discoveries in plant molecular biology!

Links

• Meyers lab, UC Davis
• Agrisera antibodies to DNA/RNA/Cell Cycle
• Agrisera's Educational Posters

Antibody validation strategies, interview with experts

With millions of catalog antibodies available, the antibody product datasheets should be carefully analyzed, in terms of specific validation data, before choosing an antibody for your experimental setup.

Poor antibody validation contributes substantially to the ongoing reproducibility crisis. There is a lack of universal guidelines in antibody validation, as well as in how antibodies should be cited in scientific publications.

In a recent Editorial Article published by Biocompare, tilted: "Advanced Antibody Validation Strategies to Ensure Scientific Reproducibility" many important aspects of the antibody validation process were covered, and discussed by experts in the field. The interviewees were:

Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund, Customer Support Manager at Agrisera Antibodies
Shamim Mohammad, Ph.D., Lead Scientist at ATCC
Tracey Long Ph.D., Senior Marketing Manager, Catalog Antibodies, Life Science Group at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc
Julia Gilden, Ph.D., Sr. Research Scientist Promega

Article excerpt to pay specific attention to:

Another common validation strategy involves Western blot detection of the recombinant protein. However, Porankiewicz Asplund cautions that this can be misleading if the antibody datasheet is not read carefully. "Based on this type of data, researchers might expect to see a very intense band on a Western blot, not realizing that it is impossible to achieve this in an endogenous extract, for a target of low abundance," she says. Protein abundance can be easily checked in PaxDb.

Read full article!

What information to look for before purchasing an antibody?

Agrisera Western blot workshop part II with Yao-Hong Biotechnology for researchers in Taiwan

Agrisera Western blot workshop with Yao-Hong Biotechnology

Agrisera antibody applied in expansion microscopy on Arabidopsis primary root

While the technique of expansion microscopy (ExM) is commonly used in animal cells and tissues, plant-specific protocols are very few. However, the interest in this technique is growing, and Agrisera antibodies were recently applied in ExM on Arabidopsis thaliana primary roots.

Using this method, called ROOT-ExM, the authors successfully imaged various organelles and subcellular compartments, including Golgi apparatus, the endoplasmic reticulum, the cytoskeleton and plasmodesmata.

ExM opens new avenues for discoveries in studies of plant cells on the molecular level, as it circumvents the resolution limitations of traditional microscopy methods, and allows the revealing of finer details of cellular structures.

Read the recently published article "Root expansion microscopy: A robust method for super resolution imaging in Arabidopsis".

Cited Agrisera antibody:

• SUN1,2 | SUN domain-containing protein 1,2

Agrisera polyclonal antibody to SUN1,2 | SUN domain-containing protein 1,2 (AS18 4224) was applied to visualize SUN1,2 protein using expansion microscopy (ExM) in Ar. thaliana roots. Details of the method are described here.

Interview with Dr. Heni Hitaj

Dr. Heni Hitaj

Heni Hitaj is a PhD student and Researcher in Prof. Margarete Baier’s lab (Baier Group) at the Freie University in Berlin, Germany. Hitaji's research explores how plants counteract photooxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chloroplasts, with the aim to enhance the understanding of plant stress responses and resilience to environmental changes.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

My name is Heni Hitaj and I am doing my PhD at the Freie University in Berlin, specializing in antioxidative defense systems in plants. My research focuses on unraveling the mechanisms by which plants mitigate photooxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chloroplasts. Understanding these processes is crucial for optimizing plant stress responses and improving resilience to environmental fluctuations. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of thylakoid membrane dynamics and the regulatory role of tAPX, shedding light on how plants fine-tune their antioxidant defenses against photooxidative damage.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

Being an up-and-comer from the new generation of plant scientists, I am acutely aware of the urgent challenges our crops face today. Climate change, extreme weather, and environmental stressors are no longer distant threats—they are happening right now, impacting global food security and pushing plants to their limits. Seeing these issues unfold, I knew I wanted to make a difference and be part of the solution. I’ve always been fascinated by how plants, despite being rooted in place, have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms to survive harsh conditions. Unlike animals, they can’t escape threats—they must adapt. This resilience, especially in response to oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS), inspired me to focus my research on antioxidative defense systems. If we can better understand how plants protect themselves at the cellular level, we can engineer stronger, more resilient crops capable of withstanding the unpredictable climate.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

I use Agrisera antibodies routinely in my current research projects to characterize the dynamics of new protein candidates, particularly in understanding their abundance, localization, and interactions. For example, I apply these antibodies in Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments to identify potential interaction partners of key proteins involved in oxidative stress regulation. Across all the different research groups I’ve been a part of, Agrisera has become a household name for antibody selection. Whenever I’m designing an experiment, I always check if Agrisera has a relevant antibody before considering alternatives. Their products have become my go-to choice for high-quality, dependable reagents.

- Any further comments?

It is always a pleasure meeting Joanna at conferences. I have always been a fan of Agrisera, and having the opportunity to speak with her gave me valuable insight into how the company operates and the passion that goes into developing high-quality antibodies. It’s inspiring to see the dedication behind the products that so many researchers, including myself, rely on for our work.

Links

• Baier Group, Freie Universität Berlin
• Agrisera antibodies to environmental stress

Interview with Prof. Eiji Nambara

Prof. Eiji Nambara

Dr. Eiji Nambara is a professor at the University of Toronto, Canada. He completed his PhD in Virology at Nagoya University, Japan, and was the recipient of the Japanese Society for Plant Physiologists Young Investigator Award in 2006, as well as the 2010 Research Award, granted by the Japanese Society for Chemical Regulation. Dr. Nambara studies how hormone levels are regulated, focusing on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that control abscisic acid metabolism and transport.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am a professor in the department of Cell and Systems Biology, at the University of Toronto. My lab has studied the role of ABA catabolism in seed maturation, dormancy, and germination, including the first identification of CYP707As as ABA 8'-hydroxylase genes. We also found that environmental changes, such as nitrate and humidity, alter the expression of ABA catabolism genes as primary responses. My interest in studying ABA began with my MSc supervisor, Prof. Peter McCourt. The continuation of this topic was influenced by Dr. Yuji Kamiya, a group director at the RIKEN Plant Science Center, where I had my first lab. I believe ABA is fascinating because it acts as a mobile signal to manage water relations in plants. A benefit of studying plant hormones is the fact that multidisciplinary skills, such as those in chemistry and biology, are required.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I studied organic chemistry as an undergraduate student at Nagoya University, Japan. The lab I was part of focused on organic reactions that mimic biological systems. I was fascinated by the elegant organization of metabolic systems in organisms. The diverse metabolites produced by plants attracted me to move into plant biology.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Yes, my PhD student Ben has used Agrisera’s antibodies against AtABA2 that encodes xanthoxin dehydrogenase in ABA biosynthesis.

- Any further comments?

My first interaction with Agrisera was in 2016 when they kindly supported the International Plant Growth Substances Association (IPGSA) meeting in Toronto.

Links

• Prof. Eiji Nambara, Univeristy of Toronto
• Agrisera antibodies to plant hormones

Agrisera anti-Actin antibody applied in a new technique termed Expansion microscopy in plant PrOtoplast SystEms (ExPOSE)

While the technique of expansion microscopy (ExM) is commonly used in animal cells and tissues, plant-specific protocols are very few.

Agrisera's collaboration partner, Dr. Kirk Czymmek (Danforth Plant Science Center, USA) and his colleagues from several other American institutions, recently published a method that allows nonoscale imaging by physical expansion of fixed plant protoplasts in a swellable hydrogel. This method, called ExPOSE, leads to enhancement of the resolution by several folds, and shows that, combined with other imagining techniques, like immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization chain reaction, it can lead to visualization of proteins and mRNAs with enhanced spatial resolution.

ExPOSE opens new avenues for discoveries in studies of plant cells on the molecular level, as it circumvents the resolution limitations of traditional microscopy methods, and allows the revealing of finer details of cellular structures.

Read the recently published article "ExPOSE: a comprehensive toolkit to perform expansion microscopy in plant protoplast systems".

Cited Agrisera antibodies:

• Anti-GDC-H | H protein of glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) (AS05 074)
• Anti-ACT | Actin (polyclonal) (AS13 2640)
• Donkey anti-Rabbit IgG (H&L), DyLight® 594 conjugated, pre-adsorbed (AS12 2076)

Anti-actin antibody applied in expansion microscopy

Agrisera polyclonal antibody to plant actin (AS13 2640) was applied to visualize actin filaments using expansion microscopy (ExM) on Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts. Details of the method are described here.

March and April conferences supported by Agrisera

Conferences supported by Agrisera in March and April 2025

• 42nd Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference, March 28th-30th, Woods Hole, MA, USA
• DOMPS Symposium 2025, April 1st-3rd, Freiburg, Germany
• PlantACT!, April 7th-9th, Madrid, Spain

Interview with Prof. Rossana Henriques

Prof. Rossana Henriques

Dr. Rossana Henriques is the Paddy O'Keeffe Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Plant Genetics at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork (UCC), a role she has held since 2018. Prior to this, she was a junior Principal Investigator at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona, and a Research Associate in Professor Nam-Hai Chua's lab at The Rockefeller University in New York. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Royal Holloway College, University of London, and completed her PhD through a collaboration between the University of Lisbon and the Max-Planck Institute in Cologne.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I'm interested in the regulation of plant growth, and how that connects to seasonal conditions. I.e. how plants measure time and use that information to control their growth patterns. More specifically, I study how plants use day length and temperature cues to modulates their growth and development responses. At University College Cork, where I've been for the last 7 years, we have continued the research I was previously conducting at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, examining how the TOR pathway regulates growth responses. Initially, we used Arabidopsis, but we are expanding the studies to include forage grasses and legumes.

We are studying how plants grow under short and long day conditions, and how that correlates with temperature. Considering that climate change is increasing the average temperature on Earth, leading to extreme events, like periods of drought or flooding, we have also done research assessing how a higher temperature, and some abiotic stress factors, impact growth responses. Beyond that, we are examining what happens with components of the TOR pathway when the environmental conditions are not optimal. Besides TOR, we have also done some work with long non-coding RNAs, which connects to both abiotic stress responses and developmental questions, like flowering time regulation.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

My degree is in biology, but I knew that I wasn't going to be a zoologist or ecologist. I've always been more interested in molecular biology and biochemistry, but from a plant perspective. Many signaling pathways are well-studied and understood in animal research, but not in plant science. I've always been keen on trying to see how we could answer questions that were already well-established in animal research, using plants. So, developing new methodologies and setting up new strategies, to address e.g. how plant proteins accumulate. I find it very interesting how plants do things, and what the molecular mechanisms that underlie their responses are. From the plant's perception of what is going on, and how that translates into specific decisions at a cellular level, to how this impacts organs, and ultimately the organism itself. Plants are very plastic, and have many particular abilities. Any plant cell could be a stem cell, given the right conditions. This is something that has recently gained traction in animal research, while in plant research, we've been doing tissue culture, and making leaves into embryos since the '60-70s. Something I've always liked with plants, is the ability to work with different tissues and address a lot of different questions. There is also the fact that without plants, there really is no life on this planet. A lot of people don't realize how vital plants are to food security and our life.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

I've been collaborating with Agrisera for several years, and I think it's brilliant that there is a company that really provides researchers in plant science with appropriate tools. For a long time, I struggled with working with antibodies that were published in research for animals. All the Western blots, immunoprecipitations and data from animal publications looked brilliant, but when you tried to replicate it with plant material, many of those things didn't work. I was really happy when we started our collaboration and interaction with Agrisera. There was finally a company that really put their resources and efforts into working for the plant science community.

I am very grateful for Agrisera's strong collaboration with scientists, and in our specific case, the development of several antibodies for the TOR pathway. We wouldn't have been able to do the work we have done without your antibodies. It allowed us to do a lot of research in characterizing the TOR pathway. I think this is what makes Agrisera a special company, for me as a plant biologist.

I would also like to highlight the fact Agrisera is always interested in new antibody suggestions from the plant science community, and the fact that some of us can try the antibodies, validate them, and determine the best conditions for detection. It's very useful that you have the data from researchers, with whom you've collaborated, presented on your website. You show the actual Western blots, and the conditions for them. I really appreciate that this allows others to follow all the instructions on how to use your antibodies.

To me, another important aspect is that cross-reactivity is specified for your antibodies. Arabidopsis has been very good to us, in terms of a model species, allowing us to ask a lot of questions, and develop common tools. But with broad antibody species reactivity, we can allow ourselves to ask other questions, and move on to other species, connected to food security.

Links

• Prof. Rossana Henriques, University College Cork
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in Plant Signal Transduction
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in environmental stress response

New antibody: Anti-FTIP3/FTIP4 | FT Interacting Protein 3/4

New Agrisera antibodies to FTIP3/FTIP4 | FT Interacting Protein 3/4!

Background
FT Interacting Proteins 3 and 4 (FTIP3 and FTIP4) are crucial components in the regulation of plant development, particularly in the maintenance and function of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) in Arabidopsis thaliana. These proteins belong to the Multiple C2 domain and Transmembrane Region Proteins (MCTP) family.

Ongoing research aims to uncover the specific molecular pathways and interactions involving FTIP3 and FTIP4, as well as their potential applications in agriculture, such as crop improvement and adaptation strategies. Understanding the functions of FTIP3 and FTIP4 enhances our comprehension of plant developmental biology and offers insights into the complex regulatory networks that govern plant growth and adaptation.

Product: Anti-FTIP3/FTIP4 | FT Interacting Protein 3/4

Product number: AS23 5001

Confirmed reacitivity: Arabidopsis thaliana

Predicted reactivity: Arachis hypogaea, Capsicum annuum, Brassica napus, Cannabis sativa, Cucumis sativus, Glycine max, Gossypium sp., Malus domestica, Manihot esculenta, Medicago truncatula, Nicotiana tabacum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Ricinis communis, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum, Spinacia oleracea, Vitis vinifera (more info on predicted reactivity)

Tested applications: Western blot (Western blot resources)

Matching secondary antibody: Goat anti-Rabbit IgG (H&L), HRP conjugated (AS09 602)

Application example
Anti-FTIP3/FTIP4 | FT Interacting Protein 3/4

Samples:
mctp3 mctp4 – Arabidopsis thaliana double knockout mutant
mctp3 – Arabidopsis thaliana single knockout mutant
mctp4 – Arabidopsis thaliana single knockout mutant
Wild type – Arabidopsis thaliana wilde type

Interview with Prof. Martha Ludwig

Prof. Martha Ludwig

In celebration of Agrisera’s 40th anniversary in 2025, we have conducted a series of short interviews with scientists, who have shared their knowledge, ideas and laboratory experience, contributing to the development of Agrisera's antibody collection for plant and algal science. The aim is to honor their contributions to the field, as well as inspire others to venture into plant science, with the support of Agrisera antibodies.

Dr. Martha Ludwig earned a BA in Biological Sciences from Smith College, and a PhD from McGill University, studying chloroplast evolution. After postdoctoral research on algal surface antigens and CO₂-concentrating mechanisms, she became a lecturer at Australian National University and Macquarie University before joining University of Western Australia in 2003. Her research focuses on the molecular evolution, biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics of C₄ photosynthesis in monocots and dicots.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am a plant cell and molecular biologist with a focus on the evolution of C₄ photosynthesis. I did my PhD at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, on the evolution of some algal chloroplasts from eukaryotic endosymbionts. I then moved to Australia and did postdoctoral work on algal cell surface proteins, cyanobacterial CO₂ concentrating mechanisms, and C₄ photosynthesis evolution. I am currently at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Western Australia, in the School of Molecular Sciences.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I had a fantastic mentor for my final year Special Studies project, which looked at stress response proteins in pea, at Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA. He knew algal and land plant cell biology and made research both challenging and fun. I also grew up on a dairy farm, so knowing the land and the crops it would support were part of life.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

The work in my lab uses groups of plants with closely related species that do ancestral C₃ photosynthesis, the evolutionarily derived C₄ pathway, or forms of C₃-C₄ intermediate photosynthesis. We use Agrisera antibodies to label photosynthetic and photorespiratory proteins on leaf sections of these plants at the light and electron microscope levels. These studies allow us to identify changes in the inter- and intracellular location of the proteins in plants that represent the C₃ to C₄ evolutionary continuum.

- Any further comments?

It is a pleasure working with Agrisera! The team is responsive, supportive, and want to progress plant science.

Links

• Prof. Martha Ludwig, University of Western Australia
• Agrisera Photosynthesis Antibodies
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in plant stress response

Agrisera supports Annual Congress of Young Researchers (ACYR 2025)

Agrisera supported The Annual Congress of Young Researchers, ACYR 2025, which took place between the 10th and 13th of March, at CRAG, Spain.

Conference topics included:

Plant responses to stress
Animal and plant genomics
Plant synthetic biology and metabolic engineering
Plant development and signal transduction

Free Agrisera antibody was awarded to the winner of an online quiz conducted during the congress.

Interview with Prof. Rebecca Roston

Prof. Rebecca Roston

Dr. Rebecca Roston is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she leads a research team investigating how plant membranes adapt to environmental stresses, particularly cold and freezing conditions. Her lab explores the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of membrane lipid remodeling and protein interactions, focusing on their roles in plant growth and photosynthesis.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I lead a research team focusing on the molecular and biophysical mechanisms underpinning plant membrane adaptation to environmental stresses, particularly cold and freezing conditions. We investigate the dynamic processes of membrane lipid remodeling, protein interactions, and their roles in plant growth and photosynthetic efficiency. Using advanced microscopy, molecular biology, and biochemical techniques, our work spans model systems like Arabidopsis thaliana and diverse grasses to uncover conserved stress responses and improve plant resilience. Beyond research, I am committed to education and mentorship, teaching and advising the student and post-doc organization CROPS.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I had been doing research as an undergraduate in the Neurology department at UC Davis. Interviewing for graduate schools, I had an influential conversation with Dr. Steven Theg who said that if I was interested in activated membranes, I should be working on chloroplasts. I then rotated with two plant science labs, and the rest is history! The extreme flexibility in plant systems to approach a problem simultaneously using biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and physiology was simply too attractive. In my opinion, plant research has the potential to answer questions more thoroughly than most other fields.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Agrisera's verified plant antibodies have been absolutely essential throughout my career. As a graduate student with Kentaro Inoue, I used them to help me characterize fractions of the chloroplast, unequivocally locating my protein of interest for the first time in two of them. As a post-doctoral researcher with Christoph Benning, they were once again critical in identifying the right membrane fractions responsible for a variety of lipid biosynthetic functions. Finally, as a lab leader, they have been the trusted resource for all of our subcellular fractionation needs. I only ask for more of them!

Links

• Prof. Rebecca Roston, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Agrisera Compartment Marker Antibodies
• Agrisera antibodies to proteins involved in plant stress response

Agrisera Western blot workshop part I with Yao-Hong Biotechnology for researchers in Taiwan

Agrisera Western blot workshop with YaoHong, February 2025

Interview with Prof. Junpeng Zhan

Prof. Junpeng Zhan

Dr. Junpeng Zhan, is an Associate Professor at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China. During his postdoctoral research in Prof. Blake Meyers' lab at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, he collaborated with Agrisera in the development of antibodies to proteins involved in plant RNA pathways. His current research focuses on the molecular mechanisms controlling protein content and quality in maize, addressing key challenges in agriculture and food security, with the support of Agrisera antibodies. Dr. Zhan is also a co-author of Agrisera's Educational Posters on Plant Small RNAs and Plant Argonautes.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

My name is Junpeng Zhan, an Associate Professor in the College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China. My current research focus is molecular mechanisms controlling protein content and quality in maize. I completed my PhD at the School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, where my research focused on transcriptional regulation of cell differentiation, and storage functions of the maize endosperm. I carried out my postdoctoral research at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, where I studied the biogenesis, functions, and evolution of reproductive phasiRNAs in maize and related species.

About Huazhong Agricultural University: Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), located in Wuhan, China, is renowned for its focus on agricultural sciences, forestry, and environmental studies. Established in 1898, HZAU has evolved into a key player in agricultural research and education, fostering innovation and sustainability. The university offers a diverse range of programs in fields such as crop production, animal science, and biotechnology, attracting students and researchers from around the globe. With its state-of-the-art facilities and vibrant campus life, HZAU is committed to addressing global challenges in food security and sustainable agriculture, making it an ideal choice for aspiring agricultural professionals seeking to make a positive impact.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

Growing up in a small town surrounded by rice fields and vibrant vegetable gardens instilled in me a deep appreciation for the natural world and its intricate processes. My grandparents, dedicated farmers, not only taught me the value of hard work and perseverance but also sparked my curiosity about agriculture and the science behind it. This interest was further nurtured during high school when I became fascinated by Mendelian genetics. Learning about how traits are inherited in plants revealed the underlying beauty of nature and inspired me to pursue plant science.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

In my postdoctoral research, I had the opportunity to work in a small RNA-focused lab where we investigated the roles of Argonaute, Dicer-like, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) proteins in maize, rice, and other related crop species. Our collaboration with Agrisera was invaluable as we worked together to develop a range of antibodies targeting these crucial small RNA pathway proteins. Recently, we have begun testing our mutant materials using the antibodies developed by Agrisera, which has allowed us to gain deeper insights into the functional dynamics of these proteins in our research. This collaboration has significantly enhanced our ability to analyze and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying small RNA pathways. In my current research, I am starting a new collaboration with Agrisera to develop antibodies for seed storage proteins and their regulators in maize. These antibodies have the potential to help improve seed protein content and quality in economically important cereal crops.

- Any further comments?

It has been truly a pleasure working with Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund and her colleagues at Agrisera. The antibodies that we collaborate to generate will be useful for plant biology research and help addressing the challenges in food security and sustainable agriculture.

Links

• Prof. Junpeng Zhan, Huazhong Agricultural University
• Agrisera antibodies to Plant RNA
• Educational Posters: Plant Small RNAs and Plant Argonautes

Agrisera at 38th Molecular Biology of Plants conference

Between the 10th and 13th of February, Agrisera participated in the 38th Molecular Biology of Plants conference. The event was organized by the Section Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology of the DGB, and took place in Hennef, Germany.

Conference topis covered many aspects of plant molecular biology, from response to flooding, shade, hormones, plant immunity and much more.

200 participants talked science from breakfast to late evening, in a very friendly and inspiring environment.

Thank you to all who came by to share your insights on protein extraction, antibodies and life challenges!

The Agrisera fortune wheel was very busy throughout the conference, and the lucky winner of the free antibody was appointed from the University of Tübingen.

Agrisera Best Postdoc Talk award was given to Dr. Gwendolyn Kirschner for the talk with the title: "Genetic control of the barley root angle". Congratulations!

Agrisera at Molecular Biology of Plants meeting in Hennef Germany

Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund at Agrisera's table.

Agrisera's new distributor in USA

We are very excited to announce our new distributor in the United States, Boca Scientific Inc. The company was established in Boca Raton, Florida in 2002 and is now based in Massachusetts.

"We bring innovative Biotechnology products from around the world to research labs in the United States and Canada. We are proud to offer a carefully curated selection of leading-edge Molecular Biology, Immunology, Cell Biology, and Diagnostics products. Some of our key differentiators include the quality of products we bring to the market, our commitment to customer service and support, and our efficient operating practices which allow us to offer timely delivery of our products. We are thrilled about our new partnership with Agrisera!," says Robin Abrahams Leahy, COO at Boca Scientific Inc.

Browse the complete list of Agrisera distributors

Interview with Prof. Sabeeha Merchant

Prof. Sabeeha Merchant

Dr. Sabeeha Merchant is a professor of plant biology at the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on photosynthetic metabolism and metalloenzymes. In 2010, she led the team that successfully sequenced the genome of Chlamydomonas. Her achievements earned her election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2012, and her work has been recognized through several other awards and honors. Agrisera has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Prof. Merchant through the development of antibodies to various plant proteins.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I am a professor of biochemistry and have been since 1987, initially in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department at UCLA, which is where I initiated my interactions with Agrisera, and now at UC Berkeley in the Molecular and Cell Biology department and the Plant and Microbial Biology department. I had prepared many antibodies as a student and as a post-doctoral researcher. In those days, recombinant proteins were not really an option as antigens, so I used proteins purified from Chlamydomonas cultures. Fortunately, photosynthetic proteins are rather abundant and mg quantities of purified antigens could be prepared. Some of the antibodies I made (e.g. against CF1 or against plastocyanin) are available from Agrisera. We got so many requests for these antibodies that we decided it was easier to have Agrisera distribute them.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

I did not enjoy working with animals, which I did for a short while (rat liver, rat and cow brain). Therefore, I considered microbes as an experimental system. I worked with Chlamydomonas, whose cultures smelled like freshly cut grass. Besides, the topic of photosynthesis was fascinating. What amazing biochemistry. And hence the commitment to plants.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

We identified various proteins involved in assembly of photosynthetic complexes and needed antibodies for localization experiments or to identify interacting partners by co-immunoprecipitation. We turned to Agrisera to produce custom antibodies. The antibodies against the cyclase (CHL27) were generated against the Arabidopsis protein but work for many different green organisms. In 2007 when we (with Arthur Grossman) used phylogenomics to generate an inventory of proteins that are exclusively found in chloroplast-containing organisms (or cyanobacteria), we collaborated with Agrisera to generate antibodies against so-called pioneer proteins (i.e. whose functions were not known).

- Any further comments?

We have enjoyed a most cordial relationship with Joanna and her team. They are responsive to their customers. At one meeting they gave me a T-shirt and an overshirt with their logo on it. I still have those shirts. I feel like a member of their team.

Links

• Merchant Lab, UC Berkeley
• Sabeeha Merchant, Wikipedia
• Agrisera antibodies reactive in Chlamydomonas

Agrisera supported 34th Western Photosynthesis Conference

Agrisera supported the 34th Western Photosynthesis Conference 2025, held 2nd-5th of January, at Friday Harbor Laboratories, USA.

The conference has a long tradition for bringing together junior scientists and established researchers to foster scientific interactions. Offering keynote lectures, including historical lectures laying the foundation for sessions, as well as many opportunities for oral and poster presentations from PostDocs, PhD, and undergraduate students and discussion sessions.

Agrisera has been supporting this meeting for over 10 years.

This year, attendees could enjoy hard copies of Agrisera's Educational Posters, including our new poster focused on protein extraction.

All posters are available for download on Agrisera website.
Free hard copies can be requested here.

Images from the posters are available for free download.

Educational Poster Collection by Agrisera

Some of Agrisera's Educational Posters.

Agrisera at UCMR Day 2025

The 15th UCMR Day took place at Aula Nordica of Umeå University on the 22nd of January, 2025.

This one-day conference is aimed at scientists and staff members within Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, UCMR, as well as collaboration partners and other researchers with an interest in microbial research or infection biology. The program offered inspiring keynote lectures, short talks, elevator pitches, and poster presentations, but first and foremost it is an excellent opportunity for networking and initiation of multidisciplinary collaborations.

The winner of Agrisera Best Poster Prize was awarded to PhD student Sandra Holmberg, from the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå University, for the poster "The gut commensal Blautia maintains colonic mucus function under low-fibre consumption through secretion of short-chain fatty acids". She will be awarded an antibody of her choice from the Agrisera catalog.

Congratulations and awaiting your free antibody choice!

Thank you to all who stopped by to talk about antibodies, exchange ideas or ask about job opportunities at Agrisera.

Isabel Salén (left) and Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund (right) at Agrisera's table.

Interview with Prof. Douglas Campbell

Dr. Douglas Campbell was a postdoctoral fellow at Umeå Plant Science Centre, in the group of Prof. Gunnar Öquist. He later held the position as Canada Research Chair in Phytoplankton Ecophysiology at Mount Allison University for over two decades, and is also Founder and Consulting Scientist at Environmental Proteomics NB. Agrisera has collaborated with Prof. Campbell over many years, including in the development of our collection of widely cited, so-called "global" antibodies.

- Please tell us about yourself and your research/institution.

I was a Canada Research Chair in Phytoplankton Ecophysiology at Mount Allison University, Canada, from 2001-2025. Mount Allison is a primarily undergraduate institution, but we assembled a strong cluster of phytoplankton researchers across the departments of Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Sciences & Mathematics.

Around 2004, Dr. Christopher Brown (currently U. Calgary), Dr. Amanda Cockshutt (currently St. Frances Xavier University), and I worked with Agrisera colleagues to launch Environmental Proteomics NB, which designs, produces and validates immuno-reagents for detecting proteins of environmental importance, across taxonomic lineages and habitats.

- What motivated you to get into plant science?

My family had a background in agriculture and gardening, and I enjoyed working with plants. Around 1992 I transitioned to working primarily on cyanobacteria, because at the time molecular tools were more accessible for bacteria, than for plants. I then worked on most of the major lineages of eukaryotic phytoplankton, usually on questions related to photosynthesis and stress.

- How have you used (Agrisera) antibodies in your research?

Starting in 2002, we collaborated with Agrisera to design, test and launch lines of "global" antibodies, and accompanying quantitation standards. There is vast taxonomic and functional diversity across phytoplankton and plant groups, but most of their core metabolic pathways include very highly conserved proteins. So antibodies directed against conserved peptide regions can be used to detect and quantify major indicator proteins on an even basis, across a wide range of target organisms, and even in total protein extracted from mixed environmental samples. This allowed a single antibody + standard pair to be more widely used, covering the economic and personnel costs, while providing protein detection systems to groups who could not justify the costs of organism-specific antibodies. My own group has used antibodies produced through Agrisera in dozens of publications on dozens of organisms and systems.

- Any further comments?

Meeting Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund, and then Greger Nordlund, of Agrisera was transformative to my career. Their confidence in funding the initial production of Global Antibodies led to a long and fruitful collaboration, with the resulting antibodies and standards now cited in thousands of diverse publications from around the world. I am grateful to Agrisera.

Links

• Prof. Douglas Campbell, Mount Allison University
• Environmental Proteomics
• Agrisera Global Antibody Collection

Agrisera new SUMO-tag antibody

SUMO (Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier) tag is a versatile tool in proteomics, which helps in overcoming challenges associated with protein overexpression.

Using a SUMO tag offers the following advantages:

The tag can be added in the N-terminal of a target protein, which will increase protein expression and solubility, in heterologous systems like E. coli. The addition of this tag will also prevent aggregation, facilitating proper folding of the target protein.
If combined with His or GST tags, fused to the SUMO domain, it will allow two-step affinity purification.
The SUMO tag can be cleaved by SUMO-specific protease (e.g. Ulp1) with high precision, at a defined cleavage site.
The SUMO tag can be applied for proteins which are usually insoluble and expressed in low levels.
SUMOylation mimics native post-translational modification pathways, making it a tool to study SUMO-related PTMs in proteomics.
SUMO-tagged proteins are used in pull-down assays to identify binding partners.

Disadvantage: the SUMO tag is relatively large (~11 kDa), which could interfere with the protein's natural structure or function in some cases.

Western blot using anti-SUMO tag antibodies

Agrisera anti-SUMO tag antibody
Check antibody specifications here: AS23 4970

The Global Plant Events Calendar is celebrating its 6th anniversary

The Global Plant Events Calendar is a joint initiative of Agrisera and Plantae/ASPB to support the plant science community with a good overview of worldwide meetings, conferences and workshops, both in person and online.

The calendar has been online since 2019, and each year it lists hundreds of worldwide events, relevant to plant and algal cell biology.

"The calendar is about inclusion, education and quality. We promote smaller, local meetings along with the big, popular ones," says Agrisera's Technical Support Manager, Dr. Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund, in an interview conducted by ASPB last year.

You are welcome to read the full story of the calendar in the interview by Rachel Belsky, ASPB Peer Review & Content Review Coordinator.

Submit an event you are organizing, for worldwide exposure. Webinars, workshops, local meetings or larger conferences can all be included if relevant to plant science.

Agrisera contributions in 2024 for worldwide plant and algal research community

Agrisera contributions to plant science in 2024

In 2024, Agrisera supported the Plant and Algal Research Community worldwide in different ways:

Agrisera was present at 8 international meetings in 2024, and in total we supported 26 worldwide meetings
16 Agrisera Best Poster Prizes and Agrisera Best Talk Prizes were awarded at conferences worldwide
Several new antibodies were added to Agrisera catalog
Over 100 newly produced, free antibodies were offered to the plant community
12 online workshops, focused on sharing tips for the Western blot technique were conducted, which gathered hundreds of participants from Australia, Europe, India, Taiwan, South and North America
Technical tips were shared in 12 technical blog posts
Over 2000 hard copies of Agrisera's Educational Posters were distributed to research laboratories worldwide, and a new poster, focused on protein extraction was released in September 2024
For the sixth year, Agrisera supported The Global Plant Events Calendar, which lists conferences, webinars, meetings and online lectures focused on plant science

At Agrisera, we are proud and happy to contribute to the growth of the scientific community worldwide, and we hope to meet you at upcoming conferences and workshops next year.

2025 is an especially important year for Agrisera, as it marks our 25th anniversary of the Agrisera plant antibody catalog, and 40 years for Agrisera as a company.

Agriseras supports and participates in several conferences in 2025

Agrisera will participate in the following meetings in 2025:

• Umeå Center for Microbial Research Day (UCMR Day 2025), 22nd of January, Umeå University, Sweden
• The 38th Conference Molecular Biology of Plants of the Section Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, 10th-13th of February, Hennef, Germany
• UCMR Symposium, 18th of March, Umeå University, Sweden
• Pivotal Links, 5th-6th of June, Oxford, UK
• International Conference on Arabidopsis Research, 16th-20th of June, Ghent, Belgium
• Plant Biology 2025 (ASPB), 26th-30th of July, Milwaukee, USA
• Chlamy2025, 24th-29th of August, Münster University, Germany
• 12 th Conference of the Polish Society of Experimental Plant Biology, 9th-12th of September, Warsaw, Poland
• KBC Days 2025, November, Umeå University, Sweden

Agrisera supports the following meetings in 2025:

• 34th Western Photosynthesis Conference 2025, 2nd-5th of January, Friday Harbor Laboratories, USA
• 5th Annual Congress of Young Researchers (ACYR), 10th-11th of March, CRAG, Spain
• Eastern Regional Photosynthesis Conference, 28th-30th of March, USA
• Department of Molecular Plant Science Symposium, 1st-3rd of April, Freiburg University, Germany
• PlantAct!, 7th-9th of April, UPM Agronomy School, Madrid, Spain
• 25th Conference of the Austrian Society of Plant Biology, 29th-31st of May, Tulin, Austria
• 15th Workshop on cyanobacteria, 4th-7th of June, Nshville, Tennessee, USA
• 8th Post-Doc Day. 5th of June, University fo Geneve, Switzerland
• Plant Biology Europe, 25th-28th of June, Budapest, Hungary
• 2nd Polish RNA biology meeting, 24th-27th of June, UAM, Poznań, Poland
• Iberian Plant Biology 2025, 1st-4th of July, Murcia, Spain
• Plant Nitric Oxide International Meeting (PNO), 9th-11th of July, SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
• IS-MPMI Congress, Plant-Microbe Interactions, 13th-17th of July, Cologne, Germany
• Canadian Society of Plant Biologists 2025 Annual General Meeting: CSPB-SCBV 2025, 9th-12th of August, Halifax, Canada
• Plant Membrane Biology EMBO Workshop, 18th-22nd of August, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 11th International Symposium on Inorganic Carbon Utilization by Aquatic Photosynthetic Organisms, 20th-22nd of August, University of York, United Kingdom
• 16th International Conference on Tetrapyrole Photoreceptors of Photosynthetic Organisms, 24th-27th of August, Kaiserslautern, Germany
• Green Planet Day, 3rd of September, University of York, United Kingdom
• ISE Symposium of the International Society of Enfocytobiology, 16th-19th of September, Berlin, Germany
• Nordic Photosynthesis Congress and Algal Symposium, 20th-23rd of October, Danmark
• 51 st Annual Midwest/Southeast Photosynthesis Conference, 24.10-26.10 Marshall Indiana, USA
• 3rd Workshop Carbon Allocation in Plants, 27th-29th of October, INRAE, Versallies, France
• Canadian Society of Plant Biologists Western Regional Meeting, 9th-10th of November, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

In The Global Plant Science Events Calendar, you will find the most up-to-date information about worldwide conferences, congresses and even online events.

This community resource celebrates its 6th anniversary in January 2025.

Happy holidays 2024 from Agrisera

Images of model species and schemes of pathways are available to download for free here.

Agrisera Western blot workshop with 2B Scientific, Agrisera exclusive distributor in UK

Agrissera Western blot workshop with Agrisera exclusive distributor in UK 2B Scientific

Shipment days at the end of the year 2024

Over the coming holidays, the Agrisera office will be open on all weekdays, except the 24th-26th and 31st of December 2024, and the 1st and 6th of January 2025.

The last day for shipments in 2024 will be on Thursday, December 19th.
Shipments will resume on Tuesday, January 7th 2025.

Happy Holidays!

Latest

Light-induced structural changes in thylakoid membranes, revisited in the recent publication
2025-07-29 Agrisera supported 20th Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
2025-07-25 Interview with Prof. Ru Zhang
2025-07-23 What links Agrisera antibodies to photosynthetic proteins and restoring anabolism of myocardial injury
2025-07-17 Agrisera supported Spanish Society of Plant Biology meeting and Plant Nitric Oxide (PNO) conferences
2025-07-11 Meet with Agrisera at Plant Biology 2025 in Milwaukee
2025-07-10 Interview with Prof. Viktor Žárský
2025-07-04 Agrisera Western have conducted blot workshops with Beijing XMJ Scientific, for researchers in China
2025-07-04 Educational poster 9 focused on Western blot technique is available
2025-07-02 Agrisera is a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
2025-07-01

Agrisera News

Prof. Ru Zhang

Prof. Viktor Žárský

Prof. Andreas Hiltbrunner

Prof. Emilio Gutiérrez

Prof. Govindjee

Prof. Blake Meyers

Dr. Heni Hitaj

Prof. Eiji Nambara

Prof. Rossana Henriques

Prof. Martha Ludwig

Prof. Rebecca Roston

Prof. Junpeng Zhan

Prof. Sabeeha Merchant

Agrisera will participate in the following meetings in 2025:

Agrisera supports the following meetings in 2025:

Latest

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