My first main experiment — complete!

After 113 working days, the hands-on part of my very first main experiment is finally finished—and I couldn’t be more relieved, excited, and proud! Between May 3rd and August 24th, I cycled a total of 1,356 km commuting to the university, planted 3,800 seeds, exposed half of them (1,900) to magnetic fields while keeping the others as controls, and made daily measurements of their growth.

For nearly four months, the university became my second home. Some days took only a few hours, others stretched into twelve, but every day meant checking germination, making measurements, and keeping the project on track. Focus and consistency were the key.

This experiment also turned into a cycling challenge: ~1,356 km traveled between home and the lab.

How I kept going through a long project

The learning curve was steep. I had to figure out not only how to set up and run the experiment, but also what it really means to do research. Careful planning became part of daily life—deciding when to plant the next batch, preparing materials, and sometimes even cycling in with a slight flu to make sure the schedule stayed on track.

At first, the workload looked intimidating. But once the experiment settled into motion, the days developed a rhythm. Even the long ones carried a sense of steady progress. This was especially rewarding after the frustrating delays I faced before starting, when technical issues pushed the project back again and again.

What made the work most motivating was that it was my own project. I came up with the research question, designed the setup, and carried it out with guidance from my supervisors. No one told me what to do or when to do it. That independence made all the difference. Every trip to the university wasn’t an obligation—it was something I wanted to do, to move the project forward.

Of course, working independently meant I had to stay disciplined and organized. But that challenge was part of what made the experience so rewarding. This wasn’t just about testing seeds under magnetic fields—it was about proving to myself that I could take an idea, turn it into a plan, and see it through to the end.

Why I chose this topic

I can’t share the fine details yet—like the exact species I used, my reasons for choosing them, the setup of my experiment, or the results—because my research still has to go through publication. What I can share, though, are the bigger ideas and principles that guide my work.

One value I care about deeply is open science: research should be transparent and accessible, not locked away behind paywalls. Unfortunately, science can be competitive, and ideas sometimes get used before they’re officially published. That’s why I need to be careful about what I share at this stage.

You might also notice that some of the links I share don’t always open unless you’re logged in through a university system. I know that can be frustrating, and I’m sorry about it. Personally, I believe research should be available to all, and I hope the trend toward more open access publishing continues in the future.

Earth’s magnetic field and plants

Plants, like all living things on Earth, have grown and evolved under the constant influence of the planet’s magnetic field. This field is weaker near the equator (about 20 microtesla) and stronger near the poles (up to 68 microtesla) ⁽¹⁰⁾. Scientists have found that when this magnetic field is removed or reduced, it affects plant growth and function. For example, germination speed, flowering time, and even how they absorb nutrients can all be influenced ^{(15, 21)}.

But Earth’s “magnetic background” is no longer the only one plants experience. In just a few decades, human activity has added a whole new layer of electromagnetic fields to the environment. For example, power lines and electrical grids constantly produce extremely low-frequency (ELF) fields at 50 or 60 hertz ⁸.

Most of these human-made fields are what scientists call non-ionizing. Unlike X-rays or gamma rays, they don’t have enough energy to break molecules apart. Instead, low-frequency, weak fields interact with living organisms in more subtle ways—ways we are only beginning to understand.

How magnetic fields could affect plants

So how could something invisible, silent, and weak affect plants? Scientists have several ideas:

• Cell membranes: Magnetic fields may influence ionic conductivity of cell membranes ^{(14, 9)}.

• Enzymes & nutrients: They may alter enzyme activity ⁽⁵⁾ or nutrient uptake ⁽⁶⁾

• Stress signaling: They may increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), molecules tied to stress responses ⁽²³⁾.

• Light sensing proteins: Cryptochromes—blue-light receptors—might also be magnetically sensitive ⁽²⁰⁾.

On the theoretical side, models such as ion cyclotron resonance and the radical pair mechanism suggest possible pathways for magnetic interactions at the molecular level ^{(2, 3, 22)}.

None of these are fully proven, but together they point to plants as sensitive organisms, finely tuned to their environment—even to forces as invisible as magnetism.

What we know about magnetic fields and plants?

If plants respond to the absence of Earth’s magnetic field, what about other kinds magnetic fields—like those produced by humans? Could they also shape how plants grow, germinate, or function?

So far, research suggests the answer is yes ^{(11, 13, 18)}. The effects, however, are far from simple. Different magnetic field strengths, frequencies, and exposure times can lead to different outcomes. It also seems to matter which part of the plant is exposed—whether it’s a seed, a seedling, or a mature plant—as well as the plant’s condition. Stress levels, light, temperature, and other environmental factors can all play a role in shaping the response.

In some cases, magnetic fields appear to speed up germination, stimulate root and shoot growth, or increase biomass ^{(1, 7,17, 12)}. In others, they slow things down, reduce growth, and induced stress reactions ^{(5, 19)}. And sometimes, there’s no clear effect at all ⁽⁴⁾. Beyond growth, some studies have reported changes in gene expression, plant metabolism, and photosynthesis ⁽¹⁶⁾. This wide variety of results makes the subject both challenging and fascinating. It suggests that plants might be more sensitive to subtle, invisible forces in their environment than we currently realize.

Why this matters

This is also why the topic is so relevant today. Plants have always lived under Earth’s natural geomagnetic field, but in recent decades human activity has introduced entirely new electromagnetic exposures into the environment—from power lines to wireless communication systems. These fields are different from Earth’s, and we still don’t fully understand how plants respond to them.

If plants are sensitive to magnetic fields, then understanding how they respond to both natural and artificial ones becomes essential—not only for basic science for society. The implications are wide-reaching:

• Agriculture & food security – If magnetic fields affect germination or yield, they could be harnessed to improve crops, or mitigated to prevent harm.

• Environmental protection – Understanding how human-made fields interact with plants helps us assess the unseen impacts of technology on ecosystems.

• Urban planning & energy systems – Knowing how fields from power lines or infrastructure influence plants could guide decisions in city design, green spaces and land use.

• Biotechnology & innovation – Insights into magnetically sensitive processes in plants could inspire new technologies, from seed treatments to sustainable farming practices.

• Space exploration – As humans consider growing plants beyond Earth, where magnetic conditions differ, this knowledge will be critical for life-support systems.

And that’s what drives me to study this subject. By exploring how plants respond to magnetic fields and what shapes those responses, I hope to uncover new insights into the hidden connections between life and the invisible forces around us—forces shaped by both the planet we live on and the technologies we create.

A glimpse into my daily routine

In this experiment, half of my seeds were exposed to low-frequency magnetic fields, while the other half served as a control group. The only difference between the two sets was the presence—or absence—of the magnetic field. I compare their growth by looking at factors such as germination time, biomass, and other traits, and analyze the results with statistical tests. Each setting was repeated to check for consistency.

Day to day, my work included tasks like:

• Checking how many seeds had germinated

• Weighing and photographing plants

• Counting and sorting seeds for the next exposure batches

• Planting and exposing new seeds to magnetic fields

• Other preparations, like cutting and labeling hundreds of tiny foil pieces to store samples for later dry-weight measurements

Measuring the strength of the magnetic field.

Timing was everything. Some days I had to decide whether there was enough time left to plant new seeds, or whether the weighing tasks alone would already fill the day.

The length of each day depended on how many species I was growing and what stage they were in. Some species germinated and opened almost all at once, which meant spending up to ten hours measuring them in a single day. On those marathon days, I usually brought extra snacks and put on music or podcasts to keep myself going. Other species grew more unevenly, so individual plants needed attention at different times—but because I often had several species running simultaneously, even those “staggered” growth patterns added up to long hours of steady work.

Exposing seeds, measuring growth, and checking germination—my daily routine in a nutshell.

Usually, I could manage a maximum of four plant species at once. But on some weeks I was lucky to have students helping me, and with their support I was able to grow up to six species at the same time. That teamwork made a huge difference and helped shorten the overall duration of the experiment—something I’m very grateful for.

Here’s a short video that shows a glimpse of my daily routine.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6f73a7_c425289ada754ba484e9176914d1fb5d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Looking back, this routine was more than just a checklist of tasks. It taught me patience, precision, and persistence. Research is rarely about dramatic breakthroughs—it’s about showing up every day, carefully building data, and trusting that all those small steps add up to something meaningful.

Reflections and Next Steps

Turning notes into numbers

So, the hands-on part of my experiment is done. But what comes next? Now begins a less visible but equally important stage: making sense of all the data. Every germination check, every measurement, every weight is carefully entered into Excel and organized into datasets. This part may sound less exciting than planting or weighing seedlings, but it’s where the raw notes from the lab turn into something that can actually be analyzed. I’ll also be measuring plant heights from photos using ImageJ—a task that’s useful, but definitely time-consuming!

Once everything is in order, the real number-crunching starts. I’ll use statistical tests to compare the control group with the plants exposed to magnetic fields, checking whether the differences I observed are meaningful or just random variation. This process takes time and patience—running models, testing assumptions, and sometimes going back to reorganize the data when things don’t quite fit. But it’s also one of the most satisfying stages, because this is where patterns start to emerge.

From results to research paper

The next step is to turn those results into a scientific article. From there, I’ll submit it to a journal, where it will go through peer review—a process where other scientists carefully evaluate the study and suggest improvements. It can take several rounds of revisions, but once the research is accepted, it becomes part of the scientific record.

This step is exciting because it’s where my work moves beyond the lab and into the hands of the scientific community—where it can be questioned, refined, and built upon. And that’s the real beauty of science: it grows stronger when we all challenge and learn from each other.

For me, this isn’t just about seeds and statistics—it’s about contributing a tiny piece to the bigger puzzle of knowledge. And that’s what makes every long day in the lab worth it.

Looking back, moving forward

Looking back, I feel that the hardest part of my PhD journey is now behind me. I have a clearer idea of how to design experiments, a better sense of what good science requires, and more confidence to continue this work. I’ve also gained a lot of new knowledge about my research area and started to think more critically as a scientist—asking better questions, noticing smaller details, and connecting ideas in new ways. This first experiment was demanding, but it was also an important and transformative step forward.

And the story doesn’t end here. The analyses won’t just give me answers about this first experiment—they’ll also guide the next ones. The patterns I uncover now will help me refine my hypotheses, design stronger tests, and ask sharper questions. That’s the continuous cycle of science: each experiment feels like reaching a summit, but from the top you can already see the next peak waiting to be explored.

Thank you for following along on this first big step of my PhD journey. I’ll share more as the research progresses, so stay tuned for the next chapter! And if you’re curious, feel free to leave a comment or question—I’d love to hear your thoughts.

A special thanks goes to Kone Foundation, whose funding makes this research possible.

I used ChatGPT to help me edit and polish this text. The thoughts, experiences, and science are mine, but the AI helped me shape them into clearer writing for you to read

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