Alex Costa
@labcosta.bsky.social
Editorial Board @PlantCellEnvir, Board of Advisors @New Phytol, and @Facultyopinions
#Calcium #signaling #Arabidopsis #organelles #PCS #imaging
#Calcium #signaling #Arabidopsis #organelles #PCS #imaging
Too much water can be a challenge for plants, too! 🌱💧 Our new Spotlight in Molecular Plant explores how COSR channels link hypoosmotic stress to Ca²⁺ signaling.
Happy to share this piece with Matteo Grenzi and Yang Zhao!
doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
Happy to share this piece with Matteo Grenzi and Yang Zhao!
doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
October 4, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Too much water can be a challenge for plants, too! 🌱💧 Our new Spotlight in Molecular Plant explores how COSR channels link hypoosmotic stress to Ca²⁺ signaling.
Happy to share this piece with Matteo Grenzi and Yang Zhao!
doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
Happy to share this piece with Matteo Grenzi and Yang Zhao!
doi.org/10.1016/j.mo...
It's finally out! Another piece of the puzzle of wound-induced long-distance signaling in Arabidopsis 🧩
Thanks to @jyothivadassery.bsky.social for this great collaboration!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Thanks to @jyothivadassery.bsky.social for this great collaboration!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
September 29, 2026 at 4:30 PM
It's finally out! Another piece of the puzzle of wound-induced long-distance signaling in Arabidopsis 🧩
Thanks to @jyothivadassery.bsky.social for this great collaboration!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Thanks to @jyothivadassery.bsky.social for this great collaboration!
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
I am truly honored to be featured in a New Phytologist Profile. My sincere thanks to @newphyt.bsky.social for this opportunity and for highlighting my scientific journey! 🌱
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 12, 2026 at 6:29 AM
I am truly honored to be featured in a New Phytologist Profile. My sincere thanks to @newphyt.bsky.social for this opportunity and for highlighting my scientific journey! 🌱
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Huge congratulations to Carlo @cpasini.bsky.social on your fantastic PhD defence at @ethz.ch! It was a brilliant presentation followed by a truly engaging discussion. Wishing you every success in your exciting new adventure in science!
June 27, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Huge congratulations to Carlo @cpasini.bsky.social on your fantastic PhD defence at @ethz.ch! It was a brilliant presentation followed by a truly engaging discussion. Wishing you every success in your exciting new adventure in science!
Many congratulations to Bianca on the successful defence of her PhD thesis! 🎉.
And many thanks to @botanicaljim.bsky.social for being part of the committee and contributing to this important milestone.
And many thanks to @botanicaljim.bsky.social for being part of the committee and contributing to this important milestone.
May 15, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Many congratulations to Bianca on the successful defence of her PhD thesis! 🎉.
And many thanks to @botanicaljim.bsky.social for being part of the committee and contributing to this important milestone.
And many thanks to @botanicaljim.bsky.social for being part of the committee and contributing to this important milestone.
There is still time to register for the EMBO Workshop on Plant Calcium Signaling 2026!
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
Primosten, Croatia | 20–24 Sept 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Travel grants are available
embo.org/funding/lect...
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
Primosten, Croatia | 20–24 Sept 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Travel grants are available
embo.org/funding/lect...
April 17, 2026 at 7:54 AM
There is still time to register for the EMBO Workshop on Plant Calcium Signaling 2026!
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
Primosten, Croatia | 20–24 Sept 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Travel grants are available
embo.org/funding/lect...
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
Primosten, Croatia | 20–24 Sept 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Travel grants are available
embo.org/funding/lect...
With MAPPI, we can design simple fluorescent experiments for long-term Ca²⁺ imaging — 16 hours in this video — tracking signals (if any) during growth or dynamic movements 📷
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 24, 2026 at 10:04 AM
With MAPPI, we can design simple fluorescent experiments for long-term Ca²⁺ imaging — 16 hours in this video — tracking signals (if any) during growth or dynamic movements 📷
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Plants "talk" internally — and now we can watch it happen.
MAPPI lets us track shoot-to-root Ca²⁺ signals in real time 🌱⚡
@ScienceAdvance! @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
MAPPI lets us track shoot-to-root Ca²⁺ signals in real time 🌱⚡
@ScienceAdvance! @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 9, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Plants "talk" internally — and now we can watch it happen.
MAPPI lets us track shoot-to-root Ca²⁺ signals in real time 🌱⚡
@ScienceAdvance! @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
MAPPI lets us track shoot-to-root Ca²⁺ signals in real time 🌱⚡
@ScienceAdvance! @science.org
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
Using MAPPI for real-time whole-plant imaging, we reveal the earliest flooding response — a Ca²⁺ signal, expected, yet now directly visualised and strongest in young leaves...🔬📷
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Using MAPPI for real-time whole-plant imaging, we reveal the earliest flooding response — a Ca²⁺ signal, expected, yet now directly visualised and strongest in young leaves...🔬📷
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 2, 2026 at 6:40 AM
@ScienceAdvances @science.org
Using MAPPI for real-time whole-plant imaging, we reveal the earliest flooding response — a Ca²⁺ signal, expected, yet now directly visualised and strongest in young leaves...🔬📷
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Using MAPPI for real-time whole-plant imaging, we reveal the earliest flooding response — a Ca²⁺ signal, expected, yet now directly visualised and strongest in young leaves...🔬📷
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We thank Jon K. Pittman for his thoughtful and inspiring commentary
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
published in @newphyt.bsky.social
on our recent work (Grenzi et al. 2025)
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
published in @newphyt.bsky.social
on our recent work (Grenzi et al. 2025)
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
February 1, 2026 at 2:49 PM
We thank Jon K. Pittman for his thoughtful and inspiring commentary
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
published in @newphyt.bsky.social
on our recent work (Grenzi et al. 2025)
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
published in @newphyt.bsky.social
on our recent work (Grenzi et al. 2025)
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
🔥 Spodoptera littoralis feeding doesn’t just spike cytosolic Ca²⁺ — it also unleashes a surge of apoplastic glutamate in Nicotiana benthamiana
@ScienceAdvances
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@ScienceAdvances
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
January 30, 2026 at 7:43 AM
🔥 Spodoptera littoralis feeding doesn’t just spike cytosolic Ca²⁺ — it also unleashes a surge of apoplastic glutamate in Nicotiana benthamiana
@ScienceAdvances
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
@ScienceAdvances
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Registration is now OPEN for the EMBO Workshop on Plant Calcium Signaling 2026!
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
📍 Primosten, Croatia | 🗓️ 20–24 September 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
📍 Primosten, Croatia | 🗓️ 20–24 September 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
January 27, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Registration is now OPEN for the EMBO Workshop on Plant Calcium Signaling 2026!
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
📍 Primosten, Croatia | 🗓️ 20–24 September 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
Dive into cutting-edge research on Ca²⁺ signaling in plants 🌿
📍 Primosten, Croatia | 🗓️ 20–24 September 2026
meetings.embo.org/event/26-cal...
The MAPPI setup we @AndreaBassi78 @labcosta.bsky.social
published in @ScienceAdvances shows its versatility, enabling us to design amazing experiments that we never thought could be possible...
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
So, now guess what this video is showing❔❔
published in @ScienceAdvances shows its versatility, enabling us to design amazing experiments that we never thought could be possible...
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
So, now guess what this video is showing❔❔
January 26, 2026 at 3:11 PM
The MAPPI setup we @AndreaBassi78 @labcosta.bsky.social
published in @ScienceAdvances shows its versatility, enabling us to design amazing experiments that we never thought could be possible...
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
So, now guess what this video is showing❔❔
published in @ScienceAdvances shows its versatility, enabling us to design amazing experiments that we never thought could be possible...
science.org/doi/10.1126/...
So, now guess what this video is showing❔❔
@labcosta.bsky.social Out now in ScienceAdvances
our new work with @AndreaBassi78
MAcro Plant Projection Imaging (MAPPI): An open, scalable platform for whole-plant fluorescence real-time imaging | Science Advances science.org/doi/10.1126/...
our new work with @AndreaBassi78
MAcro Plant Projection Imaging (MAPPI): An open, scalable platform for whole-plant fluorescence real-time imaging | Science Advances science.org/doi/10.1126/...
January 23, 2026 at 8:13 PM
@labcosta.bsky.social Out now in ScienceAdvances
our new work with @AndreaBassi78
MAcro Plant Projection Imaging (MAPPI): An open, scalable platform for whole-plant fluorescence real-time imaging | Science Advances science.org/doi/10.1126/...
our new work with @AndreaBassi78
MAcro Plant Projection Imaging (MAPPI): An open, scalable platform for whole-plant fluorescence real-time imaging | Science Advances science.org/doi/10.1126/...
🚀 New Review out by @elenist.bsky.social @labcosta.bsky.social
Bioelectronics for basic plant science and precision agriculture 🌱⚡️
A deep dive into how bioelectronic tools are transforming plant research & farming...
Published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Bioelectronics for basic plant science and precision agriculture 🌱⚡️
A deep dive into how bioelectronic tools are transforming plant research & farming...
Published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
January 15, 2026 at 6:32 AM
🚀 New Review out by @elenist.bsky.social @labcosta.bsky.social
Bioelectronics for basic plant science and precision agriculture 🌱⚡️
A deep dive into how bioelectronic tools are transforming plant research & farming...
Published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Bioelectronics for basic plant science and precision agriculture 🌱⚡️
A deep dive into how bioelectronic tools are transforming plant research & farming...
Published in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering: doi.org/10.1038/s442...
Huge thanks to @Nikon for an unforgettable Christmas present 🎁 Feeling truly privileged to receive such a unique microscope 🔬
January 5, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Huge thanks to @Nikon for an unforgettable Christmas present 🎁 Feeling truly privileged to receive such a unique microscope 🔬
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from @labcosta.bsky.social! 🎄✨ Thanks to all our collaborators, colleagues, and friends for a great year together.
December 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from @labcosta.bsky.social! 🎄✨ Thanks to all our collaborators, colleagues, and friends for a great year together.
...we can infer that, in the presence of CPA, the ER behaves like anengine without fuel, incapable of sustaining the mechanism required to maintain the [Ca²⁺]cyt oscillations... doi.org/10.1111/nph....
December 16, 2025 at 6:50 AM
...we can infer that, in the presence of CPA, the ER behaves like anengine without fuel, incapable of sustaining the mechanism required to maintain the [Ca²⁺]cyt oscillations... doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Blue light decreases ER Ca²⁺ in stomatal guard cells, with refilling in the dark. Our new @newphyt.bsky.social study shows how ER Ca²⁺ shapes cytosolic Ca²⁺ dynamics
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
December 13, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Blue light decreases ER Ca²⁺ in stomatal guard cells, with refilling in the dark. Our new @newphyt.bsky.social study shows how ER Ca²⁺ shapes cytosolic Ca²⁺ dynamics
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Farewell party for Matteo! After 8 successful years in my lab, he is now ready to begin a new adventure in Sierla’s lab at
@helsinki.fi. Wishing him the best of luck!
@helsinki.fi. Wishing him the best of luck!
September 27, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Farewell party for Matteo! After 8 successful years in my lab, he is now ready to begin a new adventure in Sierla’s lab at
@helsinki.fi. Wishing him the best of luck!
@helsinki.fi. Wishing him the best of luck!
🍕 Pizza day for @lab_costa with our new guests from Spain — Jorge Morello (Miguel Botella lab, Malaga) and Pavel Brito-Gutiérrez (Maite Sanmartín lab, Valencia). Great way to kick things off!
September 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
🍕 Pizza day for @lab_costa with our new guests from Spain — Jorge Morello (Miguel Botella lab, Malaga) and Pavel Brito-Gutiérrez (Maite Sanmartín lab, Valencia). Great way to kick things off!
Differential regulation of calcium-activated plant kinases in Arabidopsis thaliana 🌱
A fascinating insight into how plants decode Ca²⁺ signals through CPKs — revealing specificity in calcium signaling.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
A fascinating insight into how plants decode Ca²⁺ signals through CPKs — revealing specificity in calcium signaling.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 11, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Differential regulation of calcium-activated plant kinases in Arabidopsis thaliana 🌱
A fascinating insight into how plants decode Ca²⁺ signals through CPKs — revealing specificity in calcium signaling.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
A fascinating insight into how plants decode Ca²⁺ signals through CPKs — revealing specificity in calcium signaling.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Thrilled to share that Stefano Buratti has been awarded the Fratelli Confalonieri Postdoctoral Fellowship! He'll be joining my lab @LaStatale to develop innovative tools for exploring plant–environment interactions. Congratulations, Stefano!
June 10, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Thrilled to share that Stefano Buratti has been awarded the Fratelli Confalonieri Postdoctoral Fellowship! He'll be joining my lab @LaStatale to develop innovative tools for exploring plant–environment interactions. Congratulations, Stefano!
Interested in plant Ca2+ imaging? If you have (or are about to earn) a PhD, consider joining our team at La Statale (UNIMI) as a Postdoc. A great opportunity to grow your expertise in a vibrant research environment!
Feel free to contact me to discuss applications to the MSCA
Feel free to contact me to discuss applications to the MSCA
May 12, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Interested in plant Ca2+ imaging? If you have (or are about to earn) a PhD, consider joining our team at La Statale (UNIMI) as a Postdoc. A great opportunity to grow your expertise in a vibrant research environment!
Feel free to contact me to discuss applications to the MSCA
Feel free to contact me to discuss applications to the MSCA
Quantifying Plant Biology with Fluorescent Biosensors pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40153610/
A very nice Review from Jones' lab www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/people/alexa...
A very nice Review from Jones' lab www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/people/alexa...
April 28, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Quantifying Plant Biology with Fluorescent Biosensors pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40153610/
A very nice Review from Jones' lab www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/people/alexa...
A very nice Review from Jones' lab www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/people/alexa...