For Alina Schick, trees don't always grow upwards. The biologist carried out an experiment at the University of Hohenheim in which she attached different plants in pots to a disc that rotates horizontally. This meant that light and gravity were no longer acting on the plant from a single direction.The researcher is interested in the role of gravitation, light and temperature on the growth of a plant, and the effect this has on its biochemical make-up. The continual rotation also affects the plant’s stability, because a tree which is made to grow horizontally has to endure a constant push and pull in various directions, which can completely alter the properties of the wood. Schick likes the uniqueness of her experiment too; a tree growing sideways across the wall is quite eye-catching.