Using an advanced fluorescent calcium sensor the team was able to monitor calcium signatures in live cells throughout the whole double fertilization process. The work was performed using Arabidopsis, which is commonly used for research purposes. They found that calcium was involved in chemical signaling throughout the double fertilization process and is associated, for example, with sperm release and fusion with the egg cell. This type of real-time observation had previously been impossible due to the deeply imbedded location where double fertilization occurs.