CRC 1644 on BRANDWISSEN: How Plants Sense and Respond to Temperature

In early 2026, CRC 1644 PhD researcher Emilian Paulitz was featured on BRANDWISSEN, a podcast produced by proWissen Potsdam e.V. In BRANDWISSEN, young people from the region interview scientists about their work – making current research accessible to a broad public audience. The episode is produced in German and available on all major platforms.

Emilian's appearance came as part of the CRC's ongoing collaboration with proWissen Potsdam, which also includes the public exhibition "Wissenschaft im Zentrum II" along the Staudenhof construction fence in central Potsdam.

In Episode #17 – "Wenn Pflanzen reagieren: Anpassung an Hitze, Kälte und Klima" – Emilian explains phenotypic plasticity: the ability of plants to change their appearance and physiology in response to environmental conditions, without altering their genome. He walks listeners through how plants sense temperature and which molecular mechanisms may be involved.

To make the concept tangible, Emilian brought a live demonstration to the recording: three genetically identical plants, each grown for three weeks at a different temperature – and each displaying a distinctly different phenotype.

 

🎧 Listen to Episode #17: