[Seminar] Making a seed: why most plants need pollen, but some don’t

Title: Making a seed: why most plants need pollen, but some don’t

Speaker: Duarte Figueiredo

From: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology

Abstract: Most flowering plants need pollen to make seeds. Pollen delivers two sperm cells to the ovule, which fertilize the maternal gametes, leading to the formation of the embryo, and of its nourishing structure, the endosperm; both are enclosed by a protective seed coat derived from maternal tissues. A key question in plant reproductive biology is why paternal input is required at all, since the maternal ovule already contains the genetic information needed to form a seed. The reason for this is that the mother places repressive epigenetic marks on genes required for seed development, preventing seed formation if fertilization has not taken place. The paternal gametes must therefore provide signals that remove or bypass this block to initiate seed development.

My group aims to identify these paternal-derived seed initiation signals and determine whether they are conserved across flowering plants. We also study species which can bypass this requirement for pollen and form seeds asexually, aiming to uncover the molecular mechanisms that enable pollen-independent reproduction. Ultimately, insights from these natural populations may allow us to engineer asexual seed formation in crops. This could help fix desirable genotypes and allow seed and fruit production when pollinators are absent or pollen quality is reduced due to environmental stresses.

“Home Again – ITQB NOVA Alumni” - is an alumni programme that reconnects former ITQB NOVA students, researchers and postdoctoral fellows with the Institute and its community. Through seminars, career conversations and networking events, alumni are invited to return to campus to share their professional journeys, scientific achievements and personal experiences beyond ITQB NOVA. The aim of the programme is to strengthen connections, create opportunities for mentoring and collaboration, and to inspire current students and researchers by showcasing the diverse career paths and global impact of the ITQB NOVA alumni community. It also reinforces a sense of belonging, celebrating that, no matter where their careers take them, alumni will always have a place to come home to.