Cellulose consists of linear chains of β-1,4-linked glucose units, which are synthesized by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC). In plants, these chains associate in an ordered manner to form the cellulose microfibrils. Both the CSC and the local environment in which the individual chains coalesce to form the cellulose microfibril determine the structure and the unique physical properties of the microfibril. There are several recent reviews that cover many aspects of cellulose biosynthesis, which include trafficking of the complex to the plasma membrane and the relationship between the movement of the CSC and the underlying cortical microtubules (Bringmann et al. 2012 Trends Plant Sci. 17 , 666–674 ( doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2012.06.003 ); Kumar & Turner 2015 Phytochemistry 112 , 91–99 ( doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.07.009 ); Schneider et al. 2016 Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 34 , 9–16 ( doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2016.07.007 )). In this review, we will focus on recent advances in cellulose biosynthesis in plants, with an emphasis on our current understanding of the structure of individual catalytic subunits together with the local membrane environment where cellulose synthesis occurs. We will attempt to relate this information to our current knowledge of the structure of the cellulose microfibril and propose a model in which variations in the structure of the CSC have important implications for the structure of the cellulose microfibril produced. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology’.