Advent calendar - December 4th - Adrivit Mukherjee

In the Zernike Institute Advent Calendar, we are presenting 24 short spotlights in December. In these specials, we highlight PhD students, postdocs, support staff, and technicians of our research groups and team - providing a glimpse in their typical day at work. In Episode 4 meet Adrivit Mukherjee, postdoctoral researcher in the Polymer Science group.

Have you ever wondered if we could "engineer" plants to thrive in the harshest environments, bounce back from stress, or even heal themselves? That’s the challenge driving my work as a postdoctoral researcher in the Polymer Science group led by Marleen Kamperman. I’m part of the GreenTE (Green Tissue Engineering) consortium – a multidisciplinary team spanning seven Dutch universities. Together, we dive into the hidden world of plant “senses,” exploring how plants detect mechanical stimuli and to what extent such forces play a governing role in plant development. By unraveling these mechanisms, we aim to utilize external stimuli to direct plant regeneration and disease resistance.

My journey into this field is fueled by a deep fascination with the engineering of living tissues. Drawing inspiration from biomedical tissue engineering, where hydrogels mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) in animal cells, I’m adapting this concept for plants. The challenge? Unlike animal cells, which are surrounded by a soft ECM, plant cells have much stiffer cell walls. Traditional hydrogels just don’t cut it—they’re too soft and fragile. That’s where my work comes in. I’m developing bioinspired hybrid network hydrogels, composed of interlocking polymer networks, to achieve the necessary stiffness and toughness. These hydrogels act as cell-wall mimics, providing a 3D scaffold to study how the mechanical properties of their native microenvironment influence plant regeneration at the cellular level. By tailoring these material environments, we hope to unlock new methods for boosting plant resilience and growth, even if my own houseplants are still learning the art of survival!

While my typical workday involves running experiments in the lab, one of the things I value most is collaborating with colleagues from various research groups. I thrive on learning new techniques and gaining fresh insights by working with researchers from diverse backgrounds in an intellectually stimulating environment. I also enjoy teaching, presenting at academic conferences, and participating in scientific outreach programs to share the excitement of our research with the broader community. Outside the university, I love exploring the colorful city of Groningen with friends and discovering new bakeries to indulge my sweet tooth.

Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and all the best for a fantastic 2025!