🇪🇸 The Week in Botany July 29, 2024
The International Botanical Congress has passed. Twitter activity was much more different than I expected. In Melbourne, it was possible to follow some sessions from a distance. In Shenzhen, it was not. Nor was it really possible in Madrid. People tweeted, but they tweeted the title of a talk and said it was good / excellent / fantastic and, most of the time, that was it. Either tweeting culture has moved on, or Musk’s changed have stunted it.
We will have some stories from the Congress, but it will take a little time to get them up. In the meantime there’s still this week’s collection of the stories and papers you’re sharing on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky and Threads. There should be another collection next week, unless I’m hit by a bus. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
Changing Times in Botanical Communication at Madrid Congress
The 20th International Botanical Congress is underway in Madrid, and an early decision has caught the press’s eye.
#IBC2024: Why Botany? Why now?
The XX International Botanical Congress officially started with an inspirational talk by Sandra Knapp – distinguished researcher at the Department of Life Sciences of the Natural history Museum of London (UK) – who reaffirmed the key role of plants as Nature’s heartbeat in terrestrial ecosystems.
Life in the City Thrives among Death Thanks to the Preservation of Cemeteries
Cemeteries provide stable, undisturbed areas in cities and host unique soil conditions, but their conservation has been geared around memory. New research shows that nature shares the human need for peace.
Herbicide Timing Helps Combat Stubborn Stinknet Weed
Herbicide may kill a weed, but how do you stop it coming back? Research from California shows that when you kill the plant matters.
A Model Approach to Understanding the Properties of Guard Cell Walls: The Key to Stomatal Function
A bottom-up model of wall mechanics in stomatal guard cells reveals how wall composition and structure modulate the biomechanical properties that enable stomatal movements.
News & Views
What is it like to attend a predatory conference?
Nature sent a reporter to find out as part of an investigation into dud events.
People Are Just Finding Out Raspberries Are Not Berries
Strawberries and blackberries aren't berries either!
Bringing forests to the city: 10 ways planting trees improves health in urban centres
Keeping people in cities healthy, especially in poorer neighbourhoods, is challenging. One simple, effective and scientifically proven prescription for better health is planting more trees.
Half of Kew tree species at risk of death owing to climate crisis, study finds
Botanical gardens lost 400 trees during 2022 drought, prompting research into potential loss in coming decades.
Botanists Vote To Remove Racist Reference From Plants’ Scientific Names For First Time
The change will see hundreds of species names altered.
Domesticating The Ground Cherry Using CRISPR Gene Editing
This hardy, nutritious and tasty fruit is teaching scientists how to rapidly domesticate a plant into a sustainable and resilient crop using cutting-edge technology.
Forests face increasing risk of wildfires and pests due to climate change
The world’s forests are becoming increasingly susceptible to wildfires and pests due to climate change, according to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), released Monday.
Why Are Some Trees Painted White At The Bottom?
No, it isn't because the tops are "harder to reach".
Rare orchid discovered at Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms
Striped coralroot orchid found for the first time in Dear Creek Natural Area.
Fern DNA goes to great lengths…
It has the the largest known genome for a eukaryotic organism.
Scientific Papers
Nature-based solutions for urban biodiversity: Spatial targeting of retrofits can multiply ecological connectivity benefits (OA)
Croeser et al demonstrate how targeted green infrastructure placement can potentially increase the delivery of landscape level benefits for biodiversity by improving connectivity for native species. They measure the change in ecological connectivity when parking spaces are converted to small green spaces across the City of Melbourne, Australia.
Competition for nutrient niches within the apple blossom microbiota antagonizes the initiation of fire blight infection ($)
Lee et al used apple flowers and fire blight as a model system to investigate the effects of floral microbiota and microbial competition on disease development and suppression.
Old meets new: Innovative and evolving uses of herbaria over time as revealed by a literature review (OA)
investigate the array of herbaria uses through a systematic review of the scientific literature in SCOPUS covering the period 1842–2022. They reviewed a total of 2900 papers and classified them in different areas of knowledge, as well as the taxonomic level studied.
Ants may buffer the Janzen–Connell effect in a tropical forest in Southwest China (OA)
Using a long-term demographic dataset in a tropical seasonal rain forest in Southwest China, Zhou et al found that associations with ants positively influenced seedling survival and adult growth, and also, species with extrafloral nectaries experienced weaker conspecific negative density dependence compared with species without extrafloral nectaries.
Engineering the future of Physalis grisea: A focus on agricultural challenges, model species status, and applied improvements (OA)
Physalis grisea holds significant promise both as a model species for scientific research and as a fruit crop within the Solanaceae family. Despite its long history of cultivation and its importance in local food systems, the domestication status of P. grisea remains unclear due to a lack of comprehensive studies on its genetic architecture and phenotypic variation.
Chloroplast Cell-Free Systems from Different Plant Species as a Rapid Prototyping Platform (OA)
Böhm et al have established a versatile protocol for generating highly active chloroplast-based cell-free gene expression (CFE) systems derived from a diverse range of plant species, including wheat (monocot), spinach, and poplar trees (dicots).
Untangling the plant reproductive success of changing community composition and pollinator foraging choices (OA)
This study investigates the drivers of individual pollinator foraging choices across two study areas and two flowering seasons. It also assesses the community-level effectiveness of pollination services received by different plant species, considering indirect interactions between plants through shared pollinators and evaluating their impact on plant reproductive success.
From eradication to conservation: identifying areas for restoration and management of a Pliocene relic in a changing climate ($)
Pennartz et al constructed ecological niche models to estimate Shinnery oak's distribution under current climate conditions and temporally transferred our model using an ensemble-mean of general circulation models to identify areas predicted to retain environmental suitability for Shinnery oak through 2100.
Near-infrared light and PIF4 promote plant antiviral defense by enhancing RNA interference (OA)
The molecular mechanism underlying phototherapy and light treatment, which utilize various wavelength spectra of light, including near-infrared (NIR), to cure human and plant diseases, is obscure. Zhang et al reveal that NIR light confers antiviral immunity by positively regulating PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4)-activated RNA interference (RNAi) in plants.
Are plant traits drivers of endophytic communities in seasonally flooded tropical forests? ($)
Boisseaux et al described leaf- and root-associated microbial communities using ITS2 and 16 S high-throughput sequencing and investigated the stochastic-deterministic balance shaping these community assemblies using two null models.
The sexual lability hypothesis for the origin of the land plant generation cycle (OA)
Based on the 2024 discovery that conjugate algae are paraphyletic to land plants, Renner & Sokoloff present a new hypothesis for the evolution of the land plant generation cycle, focusing on labile ploidy levels and types of reproduction found in conjugate algae.
In AoBC Publications
A mixture of grass-legume cover crop species may ameliorate water stress in a changing climate (OA)
Leaf functional trait evolution and its putative climatic drivers in African Coffea species ($)
Effectiveness of freezing temperatures on dormancy release of temperate woody species ($)
Inter- and intra-observer variation in phytolith morphometry ($)
Floral freezing tolerance is tied to flowering time in North American woody plant species ($)
Careers
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term), Cambridge
A BBSRC-funded Postdoctoral Associate position is available in the Davies lab to study damage signalling in Arabidopsis triggered by root cyst nematodes. The successful candidate will explore the role of extracellular purines and calcium channels in this pathway, in collaboration with Prof. Sebastian Eves van den Akke (Crops Science Centre, Cambridge) and Prof. Taufiq Rahman (Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge).
Transformation Team Leader, Norwich
The main purpose of the role is to lead and develop a small team delivering transformation and gene editing in a range of non-cereal crops, including oilseed rape, vegetable Brassicas and legumes. The post holder will be responsible for the normal day to day activities of the team including tendering for jobs, managing research budgets and developing the skills of team members to deliver a successful service to public and private sector users.
PhD Studentship: Unravelling the effects of fertilization on grassland plant-microbe ecological networks: 125 years of the Palace Leas experiment, Newcastle
Are you Interested in integrating state-of-the-art skills in soil and plant science, molecular biology and network ecology using one of the world’s oldest grassland experiments? Linked to the England Ecosystem Survey (ESS), are you up for the challenge of finding the potential of grassland soils to combat climate change and re-carbonisation? You will use the Palace Leas meadow hay plots, established in 1896, to examine the long-term effects of manure and/or fertilizer treatments on the soil microbiome and plant-microbe interactions.
Research Assistant - ENU Centre for Conservation Restoration Science, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Napier University have an opportunity for a Research Assistant to join the project, which will look at tree protection options to mitigate against the impact of herbivorous mammals on trees, woods and establishing woodlands and treescapes.
Molecular Plant Breeding Technician, Reading
Prof Donal O’Sullivan’s Crop Genetic Improvement group at the University of Reading has an opening for a fixed-term role using cutting edge breeding techniques to select novel faba bean varieties combining high yield with high protein content and quality.
Plant Breeding Technician, Reading
Improvement group at the University of Reading has a different opening for a fixed-term role using cutting edge breeding techniques to select novel faba bean varieties combining high yield with high protein content and quality.
Research Associate in Plant Environmental Signalling, Bristol
This is an exciting opportunity work on the BBSRC-funded project, ‘Light, temperature and circadian clock signal integration during leaf senescence’. The project aims to dissect the molecular mechanisms underpinning light-, temperature- and clock-mediated control of postharvest leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana, providing a molecular framework to develop novel approaches to increase crop shelf-life.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Norwich
The Postdoctoral Research Scientist projects consist of (1) developing synthetic biology tools for plant-beneficial bacteria (integrase tools and imaging tools), and (2) engineering plant-microbe interactions using integrase switches.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Norwich
The Postdoctoral Research Scientist projects consist of (1) elucidating lateral root development at high resolution via integrase-based trackers and (2) engineer root architecture via cell fate-specific integrase switches.
Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term), Cambridge
A postdoctoral position is available in the Henderson group to investigate centromere structure, function and evolution using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, funded by the ERC and UKRI. The post is available for three years in the first instance, with the possibility of further extension.
Fellow (Post Doc), Kansas
The Weed Science program of Kansas State University at the Agricultural Research Center in Hays invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow position. This position will start as soon as the appropriate candidate is selected and provides a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Research Associate - Project Manager - Yardstick, Washington
The Gang Lab in Washington State University’s Institute for Biological Chemistry seeks a Research Associate to serve as Project Manager for a new multi-year project funded by the DOE BETO RACIPAC program that is investigating the impact on carbon durability in the soil of introduction of hemp and biochar into crop rotation systems.
Post Doctoral Research Scholar, North Carolina
The postdoc will be responsible for setting up experimental areas in two different research stations, setting up and maintenance of paddocks to conduct grazing work (i.e., preparing and applying fertilizer, staging plots, holding areas for livestock), collection and analysis of plant tissue samples (including wet chemistry, botanical composition, and near infrared spectroscopy), collection of soil samples, coordinate and manage livestock availability for grazing areas, summarize and report data collected from the trials, present results in written and oral format to appropriate audiences in scientific meetings and extension events.
Postdoctoral Research Scholar, North Carolina
This program addresses the impacts of various soil management practices, including tillage, cover cropping, grazing, and biochar applications. It also integrates spatial technologies for major field crops throughout North Carolina. As cropping systems evolve, there will be a continuous need for applied research and extension services to provide the best soil management and fertilizer recommendations. This ensures optimal yields and economic returns while enhancing soil health and soil organic matter.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Plant Hormone and Lipid Metabolism
A position is open starting immediately upon hire for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri in the laboratory of Prof. Abraham J. Koo. The project will investigate how the levels of jasmonates are precisely regulated in plants in response to tissue injuries and insect herbivory. Multidisciplinary approaches including protein biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, cell biology and mass spectrometry will be employed in Arabidopsis and Nicotiana systems. Additionally, the postdoc will contribute to the study of plant lipid metabolism, with the goal of improving oil traits in both model and crop plants.
Hemp Biotechnology Scientist, Wisconsin
The incumbent will conduct genetic and biotechnology research on hemp. The projects will involve work on hemp to be used for production of biochemicals useful to humans, hemp used for fiber, and hemp used for grain. Quality and productivity traits will be included in the targets of interest. The incumbent will become versed in literature on hemp genetics, will conduct genomic, genetic, and genetic engineering (transformation and editing) research, and will evaluate derived plants and progenies for useful traits.
Fellow (Post Doc), Kansas
The Agronomy Department at Kansas State University is looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to be involved in interdisciplinary research in precision agriculture. We are seeking an individual passionate about precision water+energy management and sustainability.