🌻 The Week in Botany January 30, 2023
The painkillers are working, so instead of a cat shuffling with one lame leg, I now have a cat galloping on three legs. He needs a lot of supervision, especially between two and four in the morning, so it’s been a tiring week.
Candlemas is coming and the changing of the seasons will start becoming more apparent, with it getting dramatically lighter in the Northern Hemisphere and it getting darker as autumn approaches in the Better Hemisphere. Out walking the cat, I could see daffodil stems turning from green to gold at their tips. But not in my lawn where all the bulbs have refused to show their heads. I keep thinking about blogging my efforts to make the lawn pollinator-friendly, but I’ll have to see if any of the seeds I’ve tried have survived the winter.
At this point, my tiredness is leading me to give up on a coherent introduction, so I’ll simply remind you I’ll be back at the same time next week with the stories you’re sharing on Twitter and Mastodon. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
Argentina, more than football: outstanding and passionate Women in Plant Science
A movement to improve opportunities for women in Argentina may be growing to cover more of Latin America.
Why would a flower change its shape?
Bilateral flowers tend to receive less pollen than radial flowers, so why would a plant want a bilateral flower?
Missing seed data from the tropics could be harming conservation efforts
Visscher and colleagues propose that global analyses of seed traits with evidence for geographical variation prioritize the generation of new data from tropical regions as well as multi-lingual searches to fill geographical and taxonomic gaps.
Six glorious plant science facts that happened in 2022
2022 left us memorable moments: the celebration of illustrious anniversaries, the resurrection of physical over virtual scientific congresses and the publication of remarkable research articles that showcase the wonders of the green world. It’s hard to choose among the thousands of noteworthy events and impressive discoveries … for the sake of time, here are the essentials!
Goth Rabbits spread Vampire Plants
Rabbits tend to nibble on vegetation rather than dry fruits, but the black Amami rabbits of Japan seem to be eating the fruits and spreading the seeds of an unusual plant.
What lies beneath? Botanists find a disconnection between how plants behave above and below ground.
Do plants invest more in a live-fast and die-young strategy, or take it slow and steady? Botanists have found that the appearance above the ground might not reflect what's happening in the roots.
News & Views
Exotic wheat DNA could help breed ‘climate-proof’ crops
Wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50 per cent higher yields in hot weather compared with crops lacking these genes.
How a peculiar parasitic plant relies on a rare Japanese rabbit
Biologists in Japan recorded the endangered rabbits munching on the plant Balanophora yuwanensis, suggesting that the they might be important seed dispersers.
A detailed look at plant roots and nutrients in the soil
Hana Skálová and colleagues studied plant-nutrient relationships in a mountain grassland. To determine true concentrations of all the individual nutrients which plants experience at their fine roots, we carried out very fine scale (less than one centimetre) sampling of soil water with dissolved nutrients.
Elephants are forest gardeners that help reduce global warming
“We can now add the robust conclusion that if we lose forest elephants, we will be doing a global disservice to climate change mitigation”
Nanopore sequencing and the Arabidopsis centromere paradox
Ian Henderson and his team at the University of Cambridge, UK, have been applying nanopore sequencing to the conundrum of Arabidopsis centromeres: the ‘black holes’ of the genome.
Study of bryophytes reveals evolution of genetic pathways governing plant branching
Researchers from the Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (GMI) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences discovered that the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, whose plant body is fundamentally different from those of vascular plants, also adapts its architecture in response to shade.
Scientists petition UCLA to reverse ecologist’s suspension
Sanctions on Priyanga Amarasekare have baffled supporters, who think they are retaliation for speaking out against discrimination.
Battle of the botanic garden: the horticulture war roiling the Isle of Wight
An interesting story. On its surface, it’s a parochial tale of a clash between an American who wants to try out bold ideas, and notoriously conservative islanders. However, at its core is the question: What makes a garden a botanic garden in the 21st century?
Did Plants Domesticate Humans? Watch 'The First Entanglement'
Archaeologists studying one of the birthplaces of agriculture find a complex interplay between human actions and the workings of nature and genetics.
Sensors protect rare plants from mountain climbers
New temperature sensors have been installed on mountain crags to protect some of the rarest plants in Wales from accidental damage.
Talking plant health with our advocates
The FAO speak to their International Year of Plant Health advocates Monty Don, Diarmuid Gavin and Rodrigo Pacheco to discuss why plant health is so important.
Scientific Papers
Establishment of cell transcriptional identity during seed germination
Liew et al. describe a temporal analysis of the germinating Arabidopsis embryo at single-cell resolution. They define the highly dynamic cell-type specific patterns of gene expression and how these relate to changing cellular function as germination progresses. Underlying these are unique gene regulatory networks and transcription factor activity. They unexpectedly discover that most embryo cells transition through the same initial transcriptional state early in germination, after which cell-type specific gene expression is established.
Mycorrhiza: An Ecofriendly Bio-Tool for Better Survival of Plants in Nature
This review briefly highlights the taxonomic co-evolution, factors affecting mycorrhizal behaviors (phytohormonal regulation), and the concise mechanistic approach (improved water status, photosystems, stomatal conductance, ionic uptake, C & N fixation) to combat various environmental stresses (biotic/abiotic).
Polymorphic inverted repeats near coding genes impact chromatin topology and phenotypic traits in Arabidopsis thaliana
Arce et al’s data show that insertion of an inverted repeat near a gene provides an anchor point for chromatin interactions that profoundly impact the activity of neighboring loci. This turns inverted repeats into powerful evolutionary agents that can contribute to rapid adaptation.
Rewiring of hormones and light response pathways underlies the inhibition of stomatal development in an amphibious plant Rorippa aquatica underwater
In general, underwater leaves of amphibious plants are devoid of stomata, yet their molecular regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Using the emerging model of the Brassicaceae amphibious species Rorippa aquatica, Ikematsu et al. lay the foundation for the molecular physiological basis of the submergence-triggered inhibition of stomatal development. A series of temperature shift experiments showed that submergence-induced inhibition of stomatal development is largely uncoupled from morphological heterophylly and likely regulated by independent pathways.
Comparative Genomic Analysis of 31 Phytophthora Genomes Reveals Genome Plasticity and Horizontal Gene Transfer
Using a machine-learning approach to identify horizontally transferred genes with bacterial or fungal origin, Kronmiller et al. identified 44 candidates over 36 Phytophthora species genomes. Phylogenetic reconstruction indicates that the transfers of most of these 44 candidates happened in parallel to major advances in the evolution of the oomycetes and Phytophthora spp. They conclude that the 31 genomes presented here are essential for investigating genus-wide genomic associations in genus Phytophthora.
Stigma receptors control intraspecies and interspecies barriers in Brassicaceae
Huang et al. demonstrate that the SI pollen determinant S-locus cysteine-rich protein/S-locus protein 11 (SCR/SP11)2,3 or a signal from UI pollen binds to the SI female determinant S-locus receptor kinase (SRK)2,3, recruits FERONIA (FER)7,8,9 and activates FER-mediated reactive oxygen species production in SI stigmas10,11 to reject incompatible pollen.
Spatially Resolved Transcriptomic Analysis of the Germinating Barley Grain
Peirats-Llobet et al. developed a spatial transcriptomics workflow for germinating barley grain to better understand the spatiotemporal control of gene expression within individual seed cell types. More than 14,000 genes were differentially regulated across 0, 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours after imbibition. This approach enabled the authors to observe that many functional categories displayed specific spatial expression patterns that could be resolved at a sub-tissue level.
A phosphoinositide hub connects CLE peptide signaling and polar auxin efflux regulation
Wang et al. show that rheostat polarity is independent of PIN polarity, but interdependent with PIP5K. Catalytically inactive PIP5K confers rheostat polarity without reinforcing its localization, revealing a possible PIP5K scaffolding function. Moreover, PIP5K and PAX cooperatively control local PIN abundance. They further find that CLE45-BAM3 signaling branches via RLCK-VII/PBS1-LIKE (PBL) cytoplasmic kinases to destabilize rheostat localization.
The dawn of relaxed phylogenetics
Tracing the history of evolution across time is a primary goal of evolutionary biology. The 2006 publication of a landmark study on relaxed phylogenetics in PLOS Biology enabled biologists to shed light on evolution’s tempo and shaped the future of evolutionary studies.
Genetic assimilation of ancestral plasticity during parallel adaptation to zinc contamination in Silene uniflora
Wood et al. investigated the contribution of ancestral plasticity to adaptive evolution of gene expression in two independently evolved lineages of zinc-tolerant Silene uniflora. They found that the general pattern of reversion is driven by the absence of a widespread stress response in zinc-adapted plants compared with zinc-sensitive plants.
Careers
Research Technician in Plant Molecular & Cell Biology, Sheffield
Working in the laboratory of Dr Lisa Smith and Prof. Andrew Fleming, you will bring your expertise and experience in imaging, genetics and plant biology to projects running within the lab on how plant cell wall structure changes in response to external signals and the outcome on cell function. Working closely with Research Associates already in place, you will assist in the planning, execution and interpretation of experiments in two model systems (guard cells and egg cells), analyzing cell wall composition and structure in a range of Arabidopsis mutants. Do these change in response to peptide signals and environmental triggers? Does this influence the behaviour of these cells?
Head of Plant Health, Wisley UK
The RHS is looking to recruit a Head of Plant Health to work in the new RHS Science Centre at RHS Wisley Garden to be part of the Science and Collections Management team. You will head up and lead the RHS plant health team (25 staff) in providing authoritative and up-to-date advice on garden pest and disease problems, develop and expand the research programme; maintain awareness of biosecurity and plant health issues with respect to horticulture/gardening and advise the Society.
Research Associate, Sheffield
Applications are invited for a Research Associate, funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The aim of the project is to identify the metabolic factors that that regulate ATP synthase activity using a combination of plant molecular genetics, proteomics, metabolomics and plant physiology including chloroplast preparation and measurements of leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, absorption spectroscopy and gas exchange. Applicants must have a PhD, (or have submitted their PhD in a relevant biological science e.g. Biochemistry) or have equivalent experience. You must hold the relevant skills in general biochemistry, including preparation of membranes and absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy., experienced in plant growth and maintenance, and mass spectrometry sample preparation and analysis.
Research Associate (Fixed Term), Cambridge UK
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate in Receptor Evolution to work with Prof Uta Paszkowski at the Crop Science Centre, starting between 1 August and 1 September 2021. The beneficial interaction of plants with endomycorrhizal fungi commences via mutual recognition in the rhizosphere. We identified a receptor complex that is required for perception of beneficial fungi by plants [Gutjahr, Gobbato et al., Science (2015), Choi et al., Nat Commun 2020], and also for plant development. Preliminary data suggest that the symbiosis signalling ability is a derived and not an ancestral trait. This project seeks to reproduce the evolutionary trajectory in order to define the protein features that condition signalling specificity. The projected work will involve a high-resolution metagenomics approach combined with functional validation in rice. Applicants must have a solid background in plant molecular genetics; available knowledge in basic bioinformatics, running command-line tools and performing data analysis in R or Python would be advantageous.
Research Grant Facilitator, RBG Kew
We are looking for an experienced individual with a track record in successful grant writing, exceptional facilitation and communication skills, an ability to build relationships and to inspire confidence, and a commitment to achieving outcomes. You will be part of the Research Services Team working with over 450 scientists at Kew, helping them translate their novel ideas into successfully funded research projects. To do this you will have experience and a proven track record in facilitating discussions amongst a diverse range of scientists, building exciting partnerships with collaborators and turning these into successful research projects. Depending on the skillset of the applicant, we will consider this as either a full or part-time role, based at Kew, with the option of hybrid working, subject to operational requirements.
Plant-Soil Interactions Research Associate, Lancaster
Applications are invited for an EU-funded technical position, full time for 12 months or on a half-time basis, within the TUdi (Transforming Unsustainable management of soils in key agricultural systems in EU and China. Developing an integrated platform of alternatives to reverse soil degradation) project. The work at Lancaster aims to determine whether different cover crop (root) traits affect both soil chemical, physical and biological properties. Work will involve laboratory soil and root analyses and some field sampling. The TUdi project is part of a large international consortium funded through the EU’s H2020 programme (TUdi: www.tudi-project.org), and led by Dr Jose Gomez of CSIC-Cordoba, Spain. The successful applicant will join collaborative research at Lancaster Environment Centre, led by Professors Nick Ostle, John Quinton and Ian Dodd and work with Lancaster colleagues Dr Csilla Hudek and Cristina McBride-Serrano.
Post-doctoral researcher: Plant Biodiversity Genomics, RBG Edinburgh
We have an exciting opportunity for a post-doctoral researcher to develop and utilise genome skimming for plant species identification in an applied conservation project. The specific focus of the project is to undertake genome skimming on plant species from Saudi Arabia to establish an extended DNA barcoding reference library. The work will involve both wet-lab and bioinformatic analyses across different plant groups using shallow pass shotgun sequencing to assemble plant plastid genomes and ribosomal DNA arrays, and then identifying regions of DNA of maximum discriminatory power for telling plant species apart. The post-holder will work alongside a second post-doc who will use the plant reference library for meta-barcode analyses of herbivore faecal samples, for diet analyses of wild and reintroduced herbivore species in the region such as Arabian Gazelle, Sand Gazelle, Nubian Ibex, Arabian Oryx and Hyrax. Overall, the project aims to gain a better understanding of the plant diversity of the region, to develop improved DNA methods for plant identification, and coupled with the associated diet analysis work, to use this information to guide restoration and revegetation plans. Applicants will need to have expertise in both wet-lab science and bioinformatics, and the ability to troubleshoot laboratory and informatic challenges, and develop solutions. You will also ideally be able to support the field element of the project and have experience of botanical field work, although this is not essential. The post is suited to someone with a PhD and established experience in the field of molecular ecology / molecular systematics / biodiversity genomics, and will be supported by a laboratory technician.
Wild Rice Technician at Trout Lake Station
We are seeking a field and lab technician to participate in an ongoing project exploring the decline of wild rice in the Northern Highland Lake District in northern WI. This person will conduct field work, supervise an undergraduate intern, and contribute to data analysis. This researcher will live and work at the Center for Limnology’s (CFL) field station at TLS in Vilas County, WI.
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Biology, Kirksville, Missouri
A tenure-track faculty position in Plant Biology at the rank of Assistant Professor is available in the Department of Biology at Truman State University, a top-ranked public liberal arts and sciences university. The ideal candidate will be a broadly trained plant scientist who can contribute to teaching needs in general botany (e.g., plant taxonomy, plant anatomy) and other electives in their area of expertise. These teaching responsibilities serve the Biology program as well as two new degree programs (pending legislative approval) – Cannabis & Natural Medicinals and Environmental Science. While the particular area of research and focal level of biological organization are flexible, a research program that provides undergraduate students with high-quality research experiences is expected. Particular attention will be given to candidates with research programs that complement and diversify existing programs in the department; examples include plant systematics, horticulture, or ethnobotany.
Viticulture and Enology Research Center Director, Fresno California
The successful candidate will be expected to provide research leadership for the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) including, but not limited to: • promoting and facilitating cutting-edge research, including collaborative and interdisciplinary research in areas related to the viticulture and enology industry. • increasing internal and external research opportunities for faculty, staff and students within VERC, and the Department of Viticulture and Enology (VE). • developing effective liaisons with the viticulture and enology industry in direct collaboration with the center and VE department’s Industry Advisory Board to further develop partnerships and collaborative research.
Post Doc: Space Crop Production, Outer Space
This postdoctoral position will continue the development of crop production capabilities, which is jointly funded by NASA’s Space Biology Program, Human Research Program, and Exploration Capabilities group. Additional testing is needed to optimize crop growth, yield, and nutritional value, both on the ISS and for future space vehicles or habitats. Crop production areas of interest include gravity-independent water delivery and management, nutrient delivery methods, light quality, quantity, intensity, and photoperiod, and atmospheric management and constituents, especially CO2 and volatile contaminants. Plant health monitoring using nondestructive capabilities is also of interest.
Research associate (f/m/d) PostDoc Biology, Bioinformatics, Brunswick, Germany
The Thünen Institute of Forest Genetics, one of the 15 Federal Research Institutes for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries in Germany, is offering a 1,5-year position (100 %) starting as soon as possible for a research associate (f/m/d) (PostDoc Biology, Bioinformatics) to study genomic patterns of local adaptation in European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and their relevance under climate change. To this end, we use a population genomics dataset consisting of more than 1.000 beech individuals from 100 different populations across Europe growing together in a common garden. Additionally, we will generate MinION long read de novo assemblies of diverse individuals to characterize structural variation and generate a beech pangenome. Finally, we want to use genotype-phenotype and genotype-environment associations to train models predicting the risk of future maladaptation.
Postdoc researcher in plant cell biology
We are seeking a candidate to join the project focusing on the mechanism of glucosinolate accumulation in the vacuole. Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites that have crucial roles in the plant chemical defense system in Brassicaceae plants. Previous studies showed that glucosinolates are accumulated in the midvein and outer margin of the leaf. At the subcellular level, glucosinolates are stored in vacuoles, but the glucosinolate transport mechanism into vacuoles is still unknown. We aim to identify novel transporters involved in vacuolar glucosinolate accumulation by measuring transport activity and analyzing plant metabolites. The successful candidate will work as a member of the Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory (Laboratory head: Dr. Kenji Yamada).
Doctoral Research Associate, Münster, Germany
The research group of Prof. Iris Finkemeier, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology in the Faculty of Biology at the University of Münster, Germany, is seeking to fill the positions of 2 Doctoral Research Associates (Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter/innen salary level TV-L E 13, 65%) at the earliest possible date. We are offering fixed-term part-time positions (65%) for 3 years. The Finkemeier group investigates the role of post-translational protein modifications (i.e. acetylation, phosphorylation and cysteine redox) in the acclimation of plants towards changing environmental conditions. We are particular interested in the biochemical characterization of the writers and erasers of these modifications and to uncover their regulation.
Research Fellow, Coventry UK
The postholder will join a research team working directly with the principal investigator (PI) and a research assistant to investigate a recently discovered molecular pathway that controls secondary branching and tiller number, which we named High Tiller Number 1 (HTN1) (see project description). The candidate will use state-of-the-art techniques to elucidate the HTN1 pathway primarily in wheat, for which we have unique genomic and genetic resources in hand. Specifically, we will use computational, developmental genetic and molecular approaches to unravel the exact nature of this pathway and uncover the various components and regulatory factors involved, including how the environment (e.g. temperature, nutrient availability) affects the HTN1 pathway. The role will also include the preparation of publications, development of research avenues, training of research assistants and attendance of conferences. There will be autonomy to develop other projects, to supervise undergraduates and work with PhD students.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, in Ecology, Oberlin Ohio
The Biology Department at Oberlin College invites applications for a full-time non-continuing faculty position in the College of Arts and Sciences in ecology, with an emphasis on field-oriented studies. Appointment to this position will be for a term of one year, beginning fall 2023, and will carry the rank of Visiting Assistant Professor.
Postdoctoral Associate (Full Time) Bart Lab, St Louis, Missouri
The Bart Lab at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is seeking a graduating PhD student or postdoc to fill several postdoctoral positions. Collectively, we study the way that plants, microbes and the environment contribute to plant health. We work on several non-model organisms with a special emphasis on key food security crops and reducing agriculture’s contribution to climate change.
Funded PhD Position in Plant-Microbe Interaction, Columbus Ohio
Conducts projects using a wide range of approaches in biochemistry, genetics, genomics, molecular biology, metabolomics, and cell biology; studies plant immunity against diverse pathogens and improvement of plant immunity and yield through beneficial microbes from phytobiome by using Arabidopsis and other plants, such as tomato; prepares manuscripts and writes reports; supervises and guides undergraduate in technique/skill training and conducting experiments.