A blast from the past: Understanding stem cell specification in plant roots using laser ablation

In the Arabidopsis root, growth is sustained by the meristem. Signalling from organiser cells, also termed the quiescent centre (QC), is essential for the maintenance and replenishment of the stem cells. Here, we highlight three publications from the founder of the concept of the stem cell niche in Arabidopsis and a pioneer in unravelling regulatory modules governing stem cell specification and maintenance, as well as tissue patterning in the root meristem: Ben Scheres. His research has tremendously impacted the plant field. We have selected three publications from the Scheres legacy, which can be considered a breakthrough in the field of plant developmental biology. van den Berg et al. (1995) and van den Berg et al. (1997) uncovered that positional information-directed patterning. Sabatini et al. (1999), discovered that auxin maxima determine tissue patterning and polarity. We describe how simple but elegant experimental designs have provided the foundation of our current understanding of the functioning of the root meristem.