We’ve had a discussion about whether to keep listing USA jobs. We’re keeping them for now, but if you’re applying for a job in the USA from outside the country, bear in mind there are travel warnings from Canada, Germany, the UK and other countries. There’s also a travel warning from Brown University for international staff, advising against going overseas or very far domestically.
If you’re travelling to a conference in the USA you may want to make sure your political opinions stored on any electronic devices are acceptable. A French scientist was barred from entry for expressing a negative option of current US leadership. For balance, the Department for Homeland Security has denied this, eventually, claiming entry was barred because the scientist had secrets from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Presumably, three quarters of the band UK Subs also have secrets from Los Alamos.
I’m revising some of the Bluesky algorithms I use this week, as the volume of discussion is overwhelming the system I’ve set up. It’s supposed to catch a week of discussion and at the moment it’s full after just two days. I’m hoping it will make life easier, but in any event, there’ll be another email of the papers you’re sharing on Mastodon, Bluesky, and Twitter. Until next time, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
Dustin Wolkis: the “kuleana” of working with the native Hawaiian Flora
Botany One interviews Dr Dustin Wolkis, a passionate for seed conservation working in one of the most biodiverse yet endangered islands.
Green Flowers are not Invisible
Discover how subtle hues and clever chemistry help green flowers communicate with bees and flies.
Why Researchers Are Racing To Document These X-Marked Trees Before They Disappear
Ancient X-marked trees in Swedish forests reveal centuries of Sámi spiritual practices and territorial boundaries now threatened by modern logging.
America’s Agricultural Research Gamble
Without more research funding, US farm productivity could drop 8-13% by 2050 as climate warms.
Meet the ‘Woolly Devil,’ the Strangest Sunflower You’ve Ever Seen
A tiny, woolly flower found hiding in Texas’s Big Bend National Park shows the intriguing strangeness of sunflowers.
Mandy Barker’s Cyanotypes Revive a Pioneering Botanist’s Book to Warn About Synthetic Debris
“In 2012, I found a piece of material in a rock pool that changed my life,” artist Mandy Barker says. “Mistaking this moving piece of cloth for seaweed started the recovery of synthetic clothing from around the coastline of Britain for the next ten years.”
Plantwatch: how flowers keep themselves and their insect visitors cosy
Translucent greenhouses and petals that close in poor light encourage flying pollinators to stop by for longer.
‘Imagine if it died on my watch?’ The fight to save one ‘ancient’ Adelaide tree
Cities lose thousands of mature trees a year. On Overbury Drive, neighbours were determined to protect a solitary giant dying red gum – stuck right in the middle of their road.
Here it is on Google Street View.
The olive landscape: A nearly 4,000-year-old legacy of human-nature interaction in the Central Mediterranean
The olive tree is one of the most iconic symbols of the Mediterranean basin, deeply intertwined with the region’s history, economy, and culture. But how did this tree, originally a wild species, come to dominate landscapes across the Mediterranean? A recent study sheds light on the remarkable journey of the olive tree over the past 3,700 years, revealing the key role of human activity in its spread and success in the Central Mediterranean.
Why Did Elon Musk Go After Bunkers Full of Seeds?
In a climate-controlled bunker in an unremarkable building in rural Aberdeen, Idaho, there are shelves upon shelves of meticulously labeled boxes of seed. This vault is home to many of the United States’ more than 62,000 genetically unique lines of wheat, collected over the past 127 years from around the world.
Is planting trees ‘DEI’? Trump administration cuts nationwide tree-planting effortThe Trump administration’s efforts to end federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs has hit an unexpected target: In February, communities around the country learned that funding was canceled for a nationwide tree-planting program aimed at making neighborhoods cooler, healthier and more resilient to climate change.
Japan removes 207 species from red list of endangered plants and fungi
The Environment Ministry on Tuesday released an updated version of its red list for endangered plants and fungi, which now includes a total of 2,063 species, down by 207 from its previous version.
Even the worst mass extinction had its oases
Plants thrived in present-day China throughout the End-Permian extinction.
New national forest to see 20m trees planted
Twenty million trees will be planted and 2,500 hectares (6,178 acres) of new woodland created in the west of England as part of a “national forest” drive, the government has announced.
‘3,000 year-old’ trees in Tanzania are new species
A total of around 100 mature trees were found growing in two village land forest reserves surrounded by abandoned croplands, and initial assessments suggest some of them could be up to 3,000 years old.
The BiPS Summer Studentship aims to encourage students to consider a career in plant sciences by providing funding to support paid summer placements for Black undergraduate students.
These Studentships will address the lack of Black and Black heritage researchers in the UK plant science community.
Apoplastic barriers are essential for nodule formation and nitrogen fixation in Lotus japonicus ($)
Vascular plants regulate the flow of water and nutrients through their roots by creating a barrier in their extracellular space called the Casparian strip. Shen et al. identified genes involved in Casparian strip formation in Lotus japonicus, a legume that forms symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Gene networks are conserved across reproductive development between the fern Ceratopteris richardii and the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana (FREE)
How plants first invented seeds is a longstanding unresolved evolutionary question. Seed-bearing plants arose from within seedless vascular plants, with ferns as their closest relatives, but how the seed developmental programme first originated has remained intractable through comparative morphology or the fossil record. To investigate this question at the level of gene network evolution, Plackett & Catoni established a transcriptional expression atlas across sporophyte and gametophyte reproductive development of the fern Ceratopteris richardii and compared reproductive-associated genes to those of Arabidopsis thaliana.
Cell-type specific autophagy in root hair forming cells is essential for salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana
Zhao et al show that root hair forming cells (trichoblasts) of Arabidopsis thaliana exhibit higher autophagic flux than adjacent nonhair cells (atrichoblasts). This differential autophagy is genetically linked to cell fate determination during early development.
A global estimate of multiecosystem photosynthesis losses under microplastic pollution ($)
Zhu et al study presents a global assessment of microplastic pollution’s impact on food security. By analyzing a comprehensive dataset of 3,286 records, they quantify the reduction in photosynthesis caused by microplastics across various ecosystems.
Widespread slow growth of acquisitive tree species ($)
By consolidating four independent datasets and classifying the acquisitive and conservative species based on their functional trait values, Augusto et al show that acquisitive tree species, which are supposedly fast-growing species, generally grow slowly in field conditions.
Read free at https://rdcu.be/eeHay
Meta-analysis reveals globally sourced commercial mycorrhizal inoculants fall short (FREE)
Koziol et al’s letter showing that commercial mycorrhizal inoculants may not be as good as gardeners hoped, continues to get attention.
Unlocking the potential of genome editing in agriculture with tissue culture-free techniques (FREE)
Hu & Liu discuss the transformative potential of genome editing for crop improvement and emphasize the need for ongoing research to refine them and maximize their agricultural impact.
Syn-tasiR-VIGS: virus-based targeted RNAi in plants by synthetic trans-acting small interfering RNAs derived from minimal precursors (FREE)
Synthetic trans-acting small interfering RNAs (syn-tasiRNAs) are 21-nucleotide (nt) small RNAs designed to silence plant transcripts with high specificity. Their use as biotechnological tools for functional genomics and crop improvement is limited by the need to transgenically express long TAS precursors to produce syn-tasiRNAs in vivo. Cisneros et al show that authentic and highly effective syn-tasiRNAs can be produced from minimal, non-TAS precursors consisting of a 22-nt endogenous microRNA target site, an 11-nt spacer, and the 21 nt syn-tasiRNA sequence(s).
Stomatal-based immunity differentiation across vascular plant lineages ($)
Zeng et al investigated the stomatal response and guard cell signaling pathway in various seed plant, fern, and lycophyte species when exposed to the bacterial pathogens or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs).
Decoding small peptides: Regulators of plant growth and stress resilience (FREE)
Small peptides (SPs) are pivotal signaling molecules that play essential roles in the precise regulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Recent advancements in sequencing technologies, bioinformatics approaches, and biochemical and molecular techniques have significantly enhanced the accuracy of SP identification, unveiling their diverse biological functions in plants. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the characteristics and methodologies for identifying SPs in plants.
Note: These are posts that have been advertised around the web. They are not posts that I personally offer , nor can I arrange the visa for you to work internationally.
Research Associate in Plant Immunity and Pathogen Interactions, London
Are you passionate about uncovering the secrets of plant immunity? Imperial College is seeking a Research Associate to join an exciting, multidisciplinary project funded by a prestigious UKRI SLoLA award. Working at the forefront of molecular plant-pathogen interactions, you will investigate how immune-related trafficking in plants is manipulated by pathogen effectors, contributing to ground-breaking research that could revolutionize crop protection and food security.
Technician – Operations, Kew
To deliver RBG Kew’s mission by managing the research facilities, including the Millenium Seed Bank Building’s Laboratory Facilities, based at Kew’s Wakehurst site. This post is responsible for maintaining and operating facilities and equipment, supporting specialist techniques, providing training to staff, students, and visitors, ordering consumables, and managing budgets and finances. The postholder will interface with and deputise for the other Laboratory Managers across Kew Science, as required.
Research Associate, Cambridge
A postdoctoral position is available in the Henderson group.The role is to perform computational analysis of single read nanopore data for patterns of DNA methylation. The role holder should have excellent competency in relevant programming languages, for example C, Python, or R. Experience with nanopore data is beneficial and will have excellent skills working in teams and communicating complex research projects. The successful candidate should have a degree in a relevant area of bioscience or computer science.
PhD: Embracing the noise: micro-environmental variability as a means to infer models for plant abiotic stress responses, Plymouth
You will run experiments where drought stressed and control wheat and clover plants will experience naturally occurring variations in microenvironment, which will be recorded throughout their life cycle and used to identify relationships between plant stress responses and microenvironmental factors. You will use an array of sensors to continuously record microenvironmental soil and atmospheric conditions at the plant level. This project will provide an unprecedented multi-factorial understanding of drought stress physiology that will support the selection of crops that will perform better under future climate conditions and improve predictions of the effect of climate change on plant communities.
Post-doctoral researcher on soil carbon sequestration, Montpelier
The selected candidate will join the Ecotron team to contribute to the planning, pre-registration of the experimental setup, experimental monitoring, data analysis, and publication of results for a study investigating the role of biochar, algae, and basalt (for enhanced weathering) in soil carbon sequestration within the Macrocosms experimental platform. They will work closely with the project’s principal investigators, Dr. Alexandru Milcu (Montpellier Ecotron) and Prof. Samuel Abiven (ENS), as well as the Ecotron team.
Researcher in agrosystem modelling, St Aubin
The scientist will improve the modelling of the phenology of agrosystems within the ORCHIDEE model, with the aim of providing a better account of N2O emissions. He/she will also assess the impact of these developments on the evolution of soil emissions on a global scale and their spatial distribution. The work will be carried out in two stages. The first will be to finalise the developments on crop modelling (Wu et al., 2016) in the main version of ORCHIDEE (i.e. coupled to the IPSL Earth System model), as modelling crop phenology and growth is essential for modelling N2O fluxes. The second stage will involve optimising the parameters of the phenology model using a set of data collected on agricultural sites and/or obtained by remote sensing.
Assistant professor at the Department of Botany, Wroclaw
This does require some Polish.
Postdoc/ PhD student Spatial and single cell seed transcriptomics, Wageningen
We invite motivated candidates to apply for a PhD or Postdoctoral position focusing on the analysis of single cell RNA-seq, tomo-seq, and degradome sequencing data in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. The aim of this project is to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying seed germination, with a particular emphasis on spatial and temporal gene expression and translational dynamics.
Research assistant, Umeå
Leys are the most widespread crop in Sweden, and the driving force behind animal production. In addition, they are important for sequestering carbon, fixing atmospheric nitrogen, and maintaining the function of various ecosystem services. Leys that are more biodiverse can be more productive, stable, and resilient to stress. The research assistant will (1) assist scientists with planning, implementing their research activities, and organising data, (2) assist with field work and data collection at the Röbäcksdalen field station, (3) work with data collection within SITES.
PhD student in plant developmental biology, Uppsala
A PhD position in plant regeneration is available in Professor Charles Melnyk’s group at the Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. Research in the Melnyk lab focuses on how plants regenerate tissues and successfully form plant to plant connections. The aim of this PhD position is to build upon recent discoveries made in plant regeneration (Kareem et al. 2024. BioRxiv; Feng et al. 2024, Nature Plants; Zhang et al. 2022, Current Biology) and apply these discoveries to better understand how, after wounding, plants exchange genetic information at the plant graft junction.
PhD student (f,m,div) in the field of food chemistry, Großbeeren
The position is part of the research group Quality.2 (Phytonutrient Management) in the programme area ‘Plant Quality and Food Security’ (QUALITY). The aim of the research project ‘PhytoM’ is has the goal to mechanistically explore the interaction of phytonutrients in the plant-environment response in order to enhance and secure the nutritional quality of vegetables under changing climatic conditions and under the impact of the food supply chain, including food processing. In this context, the aim of the PhD project is to understand the interactions of different classes of sulphur-containing secondary plant compounds in Brassica vegetables during cultivation and food processing and to investigate their effects on humans.
PhD Student (f/m/d) in the field of seed biology, Gatersleben
You will: Identify target genes for the transcription factor in barley grains through ChIP-seq analysis. Confirm candidate target genes using EMSA, trans-activation assay and other relevant methods. Generate genetic constructs and vectors. Develop and analyze transgenic plants. Analyze differential gene expression using RNA-seq. Integrate experimental data to develop a mechanistic model of storage accumulation in developing barley grains. Present and publish scientific findings.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Genomics and Biosecurity, Canberra
This is an exciting 4-Year fixed term opportunity as a Postdoctoral Research fellow in our newly funded ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre – Centre for Plant Biosecurity. You will lead an innovative project, “Determining Provenance of Biosecurity Pests Using New Genomic Technologies,” within the EcoDNA research group at the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra.
Post Doctoral Research Associate, Washington
The Winter Wheat Breeding Program at Washington State University is seeking qualified applicant for a 12-month, full-time, post-doctoral researcher position based on the WSU campus in Pullman, WA. The incumbent will assist in developing a research program focused on developing novel sources of herbicide tolerance in winter wheat. The researcher will screen large genetic populations with different herbicides to identify tolerance.
Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track, Washington
The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic research and extension team comprising WSU and USDA scientists over several academic units based in Pullman and the Research and Extension Centers in Prosser and Mount Vernon, WA. The successful candidate is expected to participate in transdisciplinary teams, collaborate with faculty at WSU as well as with state, federal, and industry scientists in the region and beyond.
Research Assistant Scientist, Florida
This is a 12-month non-tenure-accruing position that will be 100% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station), available in the Department of Plant Pathology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, at the University of Florida.
Post Doctoral Fellow, Arkansas
The Post Doctoral Fellow will conduct research on field trials, plant sampling, evaluation of plant status, and management of agricultural crops. The position will also design and implement field trials on fungicide application optimization. Additional responsibilities include data collection and analysis.
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