Roots grow diferently than scientists previously assumed
Published: Wednesday 5.8.2026
A decades-long understanding of root cell growth may no longer hold true. New research by a Czech–Norwegian team, involving among others research team leader Matyáš Fendrych and the paper's lead author Pavel Krupař from the Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Faculty of Science, Charles University, demonstrates that while the so-called acid growth mechanism contributes to root bending in response to gravity, it surprisingly does not play a key role in root development. The study also involved researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Published in the prestigious journal Nature Plants, the findings open the way to discovering previously unknown mechanisms that regulate root system growth. Congratulations!
