Peter Kindgren and Peter Marhavý both began establishing their independent research group at the Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) and SLU at the beginning of 2020. Since then, their groups have grown to include several group members, their research is producing results and they are also regularly teaching students. As they now approach the next milestone in their academic career, we asked them in the following interview about their motivation to continue in academia, their research focus and what they enjoy about their work.
- The docent lecture marks the next step of your academic career. What inspired you to take this path and pursue a career in academia?
Peter Kindgren: I always thought that an academic career was a perfect fit for me, I am curious and love to do research in a team. It gives you a tremendous freedom to pursue what you think is interesting, but also research topics that will lead to a better and sustainable future for society. As a teacher, it is also great to convey this message to undergraduate and graduate students.
Peter Marhavý: Throughout my career, I have been fascinated by the underlying logic of biological systems - particularly how plants coordinate repair processes at the cellular level. Academia offers a unique environment where such intellectual curiosity is not only encouraged but forms the foundation of meaningful progress. For me, the docent lecture represents more than a personal milestone; it reflects a continued commitment to the cumulative and collaborative pursuit of knowledge, with the goal of contributing to scientific advancement and societal benefit.
- Can you shortly describe the focus of your current research and its potential impact?
Peter Marhavý: My research centers on two main areas: first, we investigate the early responses of plants to localized wounds caused by factors such as plant-parasitic nematodes; second, we explore how undamaged neighbouring plants perceive and respond to signals emitted by their injured neighbouring plants. Together, our research aims to reveal how plants detect and communicate stress, which could lead to innovative strategies for improving plant health.
Peter Kindgren: In my research group, we are interested in transcription, the process of RNA synthesis by reading the DNA template. We are both interested in the coding regions of the DNA sequence, the genes, but also the non-coding regions. Especially non-coding DNA is an emerging topic in life sciences, and we see that much of it is actually transcribed into RNA. However, the RNA is not used for protein synthesis, it is mainly used to regulate the coding RNA output in the organism. Plants use non-coding transcription differently than other higher organisms, and it seems like it is very important for how plants respond to stress. If we can fully understand how a plant uses its DNA sequence, we can make plants that tolerate stress better and grow faster and with increased biomass.
- What challenges have you faced in your research journey, and how have you overcome them?
Peter Marhavý: There are many challenges in research and academia: setbacks, failed experiments, rejected grants and papers are all part of it. But one of the key lessons I have learned is that persistence is essential. You simply cannot give up after a failure; each obstacle is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and refine your approach.
Peter Kindgren: Research is always a roller coaster ride, there are ups and downs that you need to be able to cope with. An important aspect of an academic career nowadays is to be mobile and seek new and interesting ideas throughout the world. I have been fortunate to work in great scientific teams in Sweden, Australia and Denmark in my career. It is also important to be productive in your work, and foremost publications counts high. I was lucky to get my publications at the right time and in good journals to apply for new grants to continue my work. A big challenge is the transition from postdoc to independent group leader. With my experience, I was able to have a solid foundation with ideas and preliminary results when I started my group. That helped a lot for me to establish myself in the field.
- What do you enjoy most about your work, and what keeps you motivated?
Peter Kindgren: My curiosity has always been driving me as a researcher. It is amazing to work in a group where you discuss new results and try to come up with a model of how things work in biology. The anticipation of new results keeps me motivated and it is also what I enjoy most with my work. Another side of my work is the supervision and teaching, and it is equally remarkable to see students develop into full grown researchers.
Peter Marhavý: What I enjoy most about my work is the intellectual freedom it provides; the opportunity to think creatively and pursue interdisciplinary approaches to address the questions I have. This openness makes the work constantly engaging and rewarding. What motivates me is the satisfaction of overcoming research challenges and the ongoing sense of discovery that comes with advancing our understanding step by step.
- What advice would you give to young scientists who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Peter Kindgren: Work towards independence early and have multiple projects ongoing at the same time. Be mobile and find good research groups where you can learn new things. Be helpful to your colleagues and humble, it will pay back multiple times in the future.
Peter Marhavý: I am not sure I am the best person to give advice, but what I can say is: stay curious, be patient, and do not be discouraged by failure – it is a natural part of the scientific process. Most importantly, pursue questions that truly excite you. That passion will carry you through the inevitable challenges and keep your work meaningful.
