🇪🇸 The Week in Botany July 22, 2024
Congratulations if you’ve managed to get to Madrid IBC XX. Assuming Crowdstrike hasn’t killed their travel plans you can meet Botany One editors Michela Osnato and Carlos Ordóñez-Parra on site. And if you are there make sure to stay safe in the heat. Temperatures are predicted to reach 41°C / 105°F on Wednesday.
I’m going to try following the conference on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky and Threads, thouugh I suspect most of the activity will be on just one of those. But it won’t just be IBC that I’m looking at. There will still be an email of the botanical items you’re sharing on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky and Threads, next week. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
The Power of the Flower: Shape, Colour, Scent … and SEX!
Since ancestral times, humans had shown deep emotional and cultural connection with beautiful, colourful, and fragrant floral structures. But … What makes a flower? This Botanical Pill addresses this fascinating question by briefly introducing the ABC of flower development and presenting recent insights into the real functions of specific floral organs.
News & Views
Saving an endangered Nanaimo flower
A small flower with yellow and cream petals is on the edge of extinction in Canada and a VIU research team is fighting to save it.
Retail giant Bunnings under fire for stocking invasive weeds that threaten Australian ecosystems
Escaped garden plants are the primary source of new weeds in Australia, costing the agriculture industry alone an estimated $4.3 billion annually.
Earth's Driest Hot Desert Just Turned Purple In Rare Winter Bloom
Blooms like this are usually not expected until at least September.
In a hot L.A. neighborhood full of brown lawns, his DIY native plant garden thrives
The temperature was in the 90s in West Hills, but that didn’t deter an astonishing number of monarch butterflies, hummingbirds and bees from feeding on the California-friendly plants — sages, salvias and flowering milkweed — in Eric Augusztiny’s front yard.
Lost area of Welsh rainforest to be returned to ancient glory
Site in Pembrokeshire currently grazed by sheep will be planted with a range of species and reconnect to Celtic past.
Japanese chemistry institute sues archival site for hosting discontinued journal
The Japan Institute of Heterocyclic Chemistry has initiated legal proceedings against the digital preservation site CLOCKSS, which made thousands of papers published by a journal previously run by the institute accessible, Chemistry World has learned.
How Did The Brazil Nut Plant Family Bloom In Colombia?
A Colombian scientist has been studying the Brazil nut plant family (Lecythidaceae), including helping to describe a new species.
Are plants intelligent? It depends on the definition
Goldenrod can perceive other plants nearby without ever touching them, by sensing far-red light ratios reflected off leaves. When goldenrod is eaten by herbivores, it adapts its response based on whether or not another plant is nearby. Is this kind of flexible, real-time, adaptive response a sign of intelligence in plants?
Scientific Papers
Assessing seed pellet formulations to improve native plant restoration under water-limited conditions (OA)
Munro et al investigated whether pellets containing surfactants or superabsorbent polymers could improve seedling emergence of two native species (Rytidosperma caespitosum and Chrysocephalum apiculatum) common in temperate grasslands in south-eastern Australia under different watering treatments.
Bee pollination in the shadows: The role of pseudopollen and agamospermy in the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata (OA)
This study examined how the nonphotosynthetic orchid Gastrodia elata thrives on the dim forest floor, focusing on its pollination biology, particularly the chemical properties of pseudopollen and reproductive assurance mechanisms.
Variation in root functional traits of Neotropical epiphytic and terrestrial orchids along an elevational gradient ($)
De Bock et al investigated variation in 19 root functional traits in 43 epiphytic (36 species) and 14 terrestrial (7 species) orchids along an elevational gradient in Colombia and examined whether this variation is associated with differences in abiotic conditions.
Measuring attitudes towards historic gardens: development and validation of the Garden Heritage Scale (OA)
The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate the Garden Heritage Scale. This novel psychometric instrument may be used for measuring attitudes towards historic gardens.
Increased crossing of thermal stress thresholds of vegetation under global warming ($)
Li et al have derived two critical thresholds, using standard deviations (SDs) of growing-season temperature and satellite-based vegetation productivity as key indicators. Our findings reveal that, on average, vegetation productivity experiences rapid suppression when confronted with temperature anomalies exceeding 1.45 SD above the mean temperature during 2001–2018. Furthermore, at temperatures exceeding 2.98 SD above the mean, we observe the maximum level of suppression, particularly in response to the most extreme high-temperature events.
Ecological restoration is crucial in mitigating carbon loss caused by permafrost thawing on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (OA)
It remains unknown whether implementing ecological restoration projects in Alpine areas can offset the adverse effects of permafrost thawing locally. Huang et al took the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau as an example to explore this issue based on the improved Biome-BGCMuSo model.
The potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as an emerging drought resistant fibre crop (OA)
Gill et al provide a comprehensive discussion of the current state of knowledge regarding fibre hemp water use in a range of environments and between varieties, highlighting physiological attributes that contribute to its drought resistance with a view to guiding and stimulating further research.
Old meets new: Innovative and evolving uses of herbaria over time as revealed by a literature review (OA)
MarÃn-Rodulfo et al reveal how herbaria are presently used. Uses include traditional taxonomic review, as well as advanced technological tools, which are being applied to herbaria material to address societal and global challenges and therefore contribute to decision-making in conservation.
Temperature responses of ecosystem respiration ($)
Niu et al explore the relationships between temperature and ecosystem respiration from experimental and observational data at leaf, microbial, ecosystem and global scales.
Wound-induced small-peptide-mediated signaling cascade, regulated by OsPSKR, dictates balance between growth and defense in rice (OA)
Harshith et al show the involvement of two distinct categories of temporally separated, endogenously derived peptides, namely, plant elicitor peptides (PEPs) and phytosulfokine (PSK), mediating wound responses in rice.
In AoBC Publications
The smallest angiosperm genomes may be the price for effective traps of bladderworts (OA)
Positive pressure in bamboo is generated in stems and rhizomes, not in roots (OA)
Stomatal behavior and water relations in ferns and lycophytes across habits and habitats (OA)
Careers
Research Laboratory Technician, Cambridge
A Research Laboratory Technician position is available in the Henderson group, funded by the ERC/UKRI. The project will investigate centromere structure, function and evolution using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The post is available for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of further extension.
Research Fellow (Fixed term), Nottingham
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to work on a project to develop plant organ models to study viral tropism in the laboratory of Assoc. Prof. Gabriel Castrillo (Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, UK).
Research Fellow (Fixed term), Nottingham
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to work on a project to develop self-assembled biomaterial-based in vitro models of plant roots to recreate and study the natural plant microbiome.
Lecturer/Associate Professor in Biological Sciences, Southampton
Seven Faculty positions in Biological Sciences Including Microbial Biofilms, Plant Sciences, Neuroscience, Computational Biology, Advanced Cell Models and Biological Sciences.
Ecologists, Naturalists, and Taxonomic Experts - Remote Job
This is a paid role that you can do online, from anywhere, at any time. The role involves adding species labels to the audio or image files to name the species present. Your expertise will help us protect nature by providing robust evidence.
Together, we will build the most detailed set of annotated, species-level biodiversity data ever compiled.
2 postdoctoral researchers (f/m/x) in Ascomycete infection biology, Cologne
The Evolutionary Microbiology group aims to gain fundamental insights into understand how fungal pathogens cause disease in their plant hosts. To this end, we study the mechanisms of pathogenicity and virulence and how such mechanisms evolved and continue to evolve. This research is performed in the context of the plant as a “holobiont’.
Professorship for Ecology of Urban and Rural Systems, Braunschweig
The holder of the position should represent the research field of Ecology of Urban and Rural Systems in the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences in an internationally visible manner and further develop the excellent scientific profile of the TU Braunschweig in this field in an innovative way.
Research Specialist, Brno
Applications are invited for a 3–4-year research position in the research group of Prof. RNDr. Jiřà Fajkus, CSc. to join the TowArds Next GENeration Crops (TANGENC) project, reg. number CZ.02.01.01/00/22_008/0004581, in Programme Johannes Amos Comenius, and will be held under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Petra Prochazkova Schrumpfova. The research will be focused on telomeric repeats, their epigenomic control, and reprograming of biogenesis pathways related to these sequences and telomerase regulation.
Postdoctoral researcher in Plant Biology, Örebro
A two-years postdoctoral position funded by The Knowledge Foundation (KKS) is available starting 1 October 2024 to work on molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying acclimation of conifer seedlings to UV radiation and high light stress.
Postdoc – “Cell polarity proteomics in the grass leaf", Bern
We are looking for a postdoc with a completed PhD in biology (or equivalent) interested in deciphering cell polarity programs in the developing grass leaf. Experience in protein biochemistry is required to facilitate the identification of proteins interacting with polarity scaffolds using IP-MS and proximity labelling approaches. Experience in plant development, plant cell biology, microscopy and genetics is a plus.
Assistant Professor - Plant Science, New York
The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, Environmental and Plant Sciences at The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill) invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Plant Science to begin January 2025. This position is a full-time, 10-month, tenure-track appointment.
Lecturer - Wildlife and Environmental Conservation, South Carolina
The successful candidate will teach 2-3 courses each semester depending upon advising load and other components of the workload. Teaching responsibilities will include in-person, core undergraduate classes (with labs) in topics such as Wildlife Management, Wildlife Habitat Management, Wildlife Conservation Policy, as well as either Field Botany, Mammalogy, Herpetology, or Ornithology depending upon the expertise of the applicant and the department teaching schedule.
Postdoctoral Associate, Virginia
The candidate will have the opportunity to work on a project with focus on gene discovery and biosynthesis of plant volatile compounds with multiple values as natural defenses, flavors, and industrial value products in food crops. Additional projects in crop trait improvement offer the opportunity of engineering insect volatile pheromones in plants for the development of enhanced trap crops.
Research Assistant Professor, Washington
The incumbent will work with the USDA-ARS Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Unit in Pullman, Washington. The incumbent will use cropping system models to provide climate-informed decision making for inland PNW (iPNW) cropping systems.
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, North Dakota
We seek a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Geddes and Lopez Echartea labs in the Department of Microbiological Sciences at North Dakota State University. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will work on a USDA-funded project the Rules of Assembly of the Root Nodule Microbiome.
Assistant Professor, Tenure Track, New York
The School of Integrative Plant Science (SIPS) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University is seeking a Plant Synthetic Biologist, whose research is centered on synthetic biology involving photosynthetic organisms, including land plants, algae, cyanobacteria, diatoms, and their microbial communities.
Assistant Professor, Oregon
The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology (BPP) at Oregon State University (OSU) is seeking applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Nematology. The incumbent will be expected to establish a robust and extramurally funded research program that will address management, genomic and ecological aspects of nematodes that contribute to plant disease and soil function.
Assistant Professor of Biology, North Carolina
The Davidson College Biology Department invites applications from evolutionary biologists to fill a new tenure-track position at the assistant professor level. We seek an evolutionary biologist whose research uses genomic and/or genetic methods to address questions in phylogenomics, phylogenetics, metagenomics, evolutionary development, molecular ecology, and/or molecular evolution, and who can develop and teach a broad evolutionary biology laboratory course.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NSW
Our ideal candidate for this role is a motivated and enthusiastic individual who holds a relevant PhD in soil science, analytical chemistry, environmental modelling, or a related field. You have practical experience in cropping systems and a solid understanding of industry practices.