Bianca Bonato – Beyond the Brain: Cognition, Communication, and Social Behaviour in Plants
Abstract
This talk explores cognitive processes beyond the boundaries of the nervous system, drawing on the theoretical framework of comparative psychology and the emerging field of plant cognition. It revisits the pioneering work of Charles Darwin, whose studies first described plants as dynamic organisms capable of flexible and adaptive behaviour, insights that contemporary interdisciplinary research is now re-evaluating in light of new empirical evidence. Within this perspective, research conducted at the MindThePlant laboratory at the University of Padova investigates plant behaviour through an integration of experimental psychology and biological sciences. By combining three-dimensional kinematic analysis with techniques such as mass spectrometry, this work examines the relationship between movement and the chemical signalling processes that underlie plant behaviour. Focusing on climbing plants, the research investigates reaching and grasping movements as structured, adaptive, and environmentally modulated behaviours. Building on these findings, the work extends to the social dimension of plant behaviour, the central focus of Dr. Bonato’s research, exploring how the presence of other organisms shapes movement patterns and coordination dynamics. These studies reveal forms of social modulation functionally comparable to processes observed in humans and other animals. The investigation is further enriched by the analysis of communication mediated by volatile organic compounds, linking motor behaviour with chemical exchange mechanisms. Overall, this research contributes to a broader and more inclusive understanding of cognition, challenging the assumption that cognitive processes necessarily require a brain and redefining the boundaries of where and how cognition can emerge in living systems.
Speaker Bio
Bianca Bonato is an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Psychology at the University of Padova. She received her PhD in Psychological Science in 2024 developing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of comparative cognition, plant behaviour, and biological sciences.
Her work focuses on social cognition, investigating how motor and communicative processes can be studied across taxa, by using climbing plants as an experimental model. She employs advanced methodologies including 3D kinematic analysis and mass spectrometry, a novel experimental window to the study of cognition.
Bianca has received numerous national and international recognitions, including an award from the Scientific Research Intergroup of the Italian Parliament, in recognition of the scientific commitment of women in advancing knowledge and contributing to societal progress.
Alongside her research, she teaches Psychobiology of Environmental Sustainability and she is highly active in science communication, with invited talks at major international conferences worldwide and contributions to public engagement through radio, television, and theatre.
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