š» The Week in Botany June 10, 2024
This week Iāll be starting to think hard about the forthcoming International Botanical Congress. I wonāt be going myself, but Michela and Carlos will be there if you want to talk to a Botany One editor. Thereāll also be plenty of people from the three journals.
While I wonāt be there, Iāll be back at base working on getting reports from the event online. Itāll be a busy week, this week because, as well as making those preparations, Iāll be delivering a report and visiting the hospital. Around doing all that, Iāll still be sifting through the links you share on on Mastodon, Bluesky, Twitter and LinkedIn. That should arrive as another email at the usual time next week.
Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
Safe rice to save lives
Rice is a staple food worldwide and is eaten by billions of people on a daily basis. Still, high levels of toxic arsenic and cadmium in the grain have raised severe concerns about its safety for human consumption. Gui and colleagues used genetic engineering to combat this problem.
Do orchid seeds fare better in freezers than we thought?
A new study found that seeds from different orchid species could stay alive and ready to grow for over 10 years even when stored in a deep freezer, showing that saving orchid seeds for the long term in seed banks is possible.
How Mowing Leads to an Obi-Wan Effect for Silverleaf Nightshade
A new study reveals that mowing, a common method of weed control, can actually strengthen the defenses of the invasive weed silverleaf nightshade, making it more resilient and harder to manage.
Confronting the Realities of Motherhood in the World of Science
Gina Errico reviews Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood, and the Fight to Save an Old Science, by former Botany One blogger Erin Zimmerman.
News & Views
āWe need other logics for our approach to natureā: the woman uprooting colonialism in botany
From plant names to notions of native species, many aspects of the natural world are shaped by empire. We need to decolonise, says the author of a new book ā but not all experts agree.
The Ghost Trees of Chicago
Residents have been covering their trees in mesh to protect them from the emerging broods, and the effect is pretty eerie.
They cut their water bill by 90% and still have a āshowstoppingā L.A. garden
Looking out the front windows of their northeast L.A. home, Kyle Anido and Katie Cordeal say their front yard is barely recognizable from a year ago when it was a lawn.
Moon Tree Planted at U.S. Capitol Marks Enduring NASA, Artemis Legacy
NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman provides remarks at a Moon Tree dedication ceremony Tuesday, June 4, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
Butterflies Know: These Native Plants Arenāt Weeds
Pollinators recognize a good thing when they see it ā and so do gardeners in search of organic pest control. As one put it, āMy prairie is my pesticide.ā
Frequent Mowing May Transform Poisonous Weeds Into āSuperweedsā
Keeping a lawn or garden tidy and free of weeds often involves regular mowing, but a new study suggests this common practice might be causing more problems than it solves with regards to one particular weed.
Titan arum: Kew Garden's smelly 'corpse flower' is in bloom
The plant can grow at a rate of nearly 10cm a day to a height of around 3m.
Forests may grow more slowly than expected as CO2 levels rise
Rising CO2 levels will spur the growth of forests, which store carbon, but an experiment suggests this effect could be restricted by the availability of phosphorus in the soil.
Chicago's Field Museum hosts queer botany event for Pride Month
Queer Botany: flowers and their connection to the LGBTQ+ community kicked off the field museum's Pride celebrations on Friday.
What dead flowers tell us about the future of life on Earth
Amid an extinction crisis, dried plant collections capture how the world is changing. But Duke University is planning to shut down its world-renowned herbarium.
Scientific Papers
Computational Photosynthesis (ComPhot): Simulation-Based Learning Platform to Study Photosynthesis (OA)
Studies show the advantage of active versus passive learning formats in delivering complicated concepts (Minocha and Clarke, 2009; Pluta et al., 2013). Hence, interactive teaching tools are not only more often positively evaluated by students but also contribute to better life-long teaching outcomes (Ang et al., 2021). Following this evidence, Philipps et al created ComPhot, a stand-alone learning platform for motivated students and researchers.
ā»ļø Environmental horticulture for domestic and community gardensāAn integrated and applied research approach (OA)
This article presents an integrated and applied research approach to the unique and multi-disciplinary area of science referred to here as environmental horticulture.
Microbial competition for phosphorus limits the CO2 response of a mature forest (OA)
Jiang et al show a high likelihood that P captured by soil microorganisms constrains ecosystem P recycling and availability for plant uptake, by compiling the first comprehensive P budget for a P-limited mature forest exposed to elevated CO2.
Long-term frequent fire and cattle grazing alter dry forest understory vegetation ($)
Kerns & Day investigated understory vegetation response to 5-year spring and fall prescribed fire and domestic cattle grazing exclusion in ponderosa pine stands and reported long-term responses, almost two decades after the first entry fires.
Changes in planned and unplanned canopy openings are linked in Europeās forests (OA)
Canopy openings are increasing in Europeās forests, yet the contributions of anthropogenic and ecological agents of disturbance to this increase remain debated. Siedl & Senf attribute the root cause of all stand-replacing canopy disturbances identified for Europe in the period 1986ā2020 from Landsat data (417,000ākmĀ²), distinguishing between planned and unplanned canopy openings (i.e., disturbance by human land use versus by wind, bark beetles, and wildfire).
Nutrient levels control root growth responses to high ambient temperature in plants (OA)
Lee et al show that thermomorphogenesis is conserved in Arabidopsis, soybean, and rice and that it is linked to a decrease in the levels of the two macronutrients nitrogen and phosphorus.
Mechanical forces instruct division plane orientation of cambium stem cells during radial growth in Arabidopsis thaliana (OA)
Hƶfler et al coupled anatomical analyses with a cell-based vertex model to analyze the role of mechanical stress in radial plant growth at the cell and tissue scale. Simulations based on segmented cellular outlines of radially growing Arabidopsis hypocotyls revealed a distinct stress pattern with circumferential stresses in cambium stem cells which coincided with the orientation of cortical microtubules.
Stomatal evolution and plant adaptation to future climate (OA)
Chen et al summarize functional evolution of guard cell membrane transporters in the context of climate changes and environmental stresses. Our analyses show that the core signaling elements of stomatal movement are more ancient than stomata, while genes involved in stomatal development co-evolved de novo with the earliest stomata.
In AoBC Publications
Morpho-physiological and yield traits for selection of drought tolerant Urochloa grass ecotypes (OA)
Divergent structural leaf trait spectra in succulent versus non-succulent plant taxa ($)
Careers
Senior Research Technician, Warwick
This post is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated research technician to utilise plant science and molecular biology skills to support a range of different projects carried out within SLS at the Innovation Campus, Stratford-upon-Avon (Wellesbourne). Research at the campus focuses primarily on vegetable crops and spans fundamental to applied approaches for sustainable crop production and improvement.
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Applied Ecology, Bristol
We have a vacancy to join the School of Applied Sciences as a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Applied Ecology. The post holder will support students on our environmental science and conservation programmes by contributing to teaching and learning, as well as supervising undergraduate and postgraduate research projects across the discipline. There may be an opportunity to lead the MSc Applied Wildlife Conservation programme, depending on experience.
University Assistant/Associate Professor in Plant Ecology and Evolution, Cambridge
We welcome excellent candidates who can teach and perform research in Plant Ecology. In particular, we are interested in applications from those with a focus on fieldwork in areas such as molecular ecology, evolutionary ecology, microbial ecology in the context of plant biology, plant and microbial responses to climate change and other anthropogenetic stressors.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist / Research Associate, Norwich
This position provide an exciting opportunity to develop and apply novel experimental and computational approaches to uncover fundamental principles in the assembly, functions, and dynamic behaviour of microbial communities associated with plants, algae and other photosynthetic organisms.
PhD Studentship: Using Next Generation Nitrogen Sources for Producing Spring Malting Barley and Its Impact on Yield and Grain Malt Quality, Nottingham
An exciting opportunity has arisen to study for a PhD sponsored by Molson Coors Beverage Company and the BBSRC as a part of a collaborative training centre (āBARIToNEā) focused on assuring the future sustainable supply of UK malting barley. This project falls under the āreduced inputsā theme of BARIToNE.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Oxford
The Department of Biology is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate. This is a full-time post, funded by BBSRC, working under the direction of Geraldine Wright. This position will fund a researcher to analyse data, prepare figures and text for scientific manuscripts and train new students on pollen collection and sterol extraction from bees.
Pathology Technician, Cambridge
Are you passionate about safeguarding Britainās arable crops? Do you thrive in agile environments where science meets practical application? Look no further! We are seeking an enthusiastic and organised Pathology Technician to be part of our friendly team. With plenty of room to learn on the job, this is a much sought after role.
Research Assistant (Fixed Term), Cambridge
Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position in the group of Dr Alexander Jones at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University. The cellular dynamics of the plant hormones underpin plant development and environmental responses. The Jones group at SLCU have extensive experience in probing the functional relationships between hormones and plant developmental plasticity by engineering and deploying high-resolution biosensors in living plants.
Research Assistant/Associate in Cellular Hormone Dynamics, Cambridge
This post will involve targeted deployment of these FRET biosensors to illuminate previously undetectable cellular and subcellular hormone patterns in vivo. The project's eventual aim will be aimed at gaining a mechanistic understanding of how and why hormone accumulations or depletions are modulated in space and time.
Full Time Faculty - Urban Agriculture, Chicago
Olive-Harvey College is currently seeking a full time tenure track faculty to teach in the Urban Agriculture Department.
Instructor - Climate-Smart Agriculture, Arkansas
This non-tenure-track instructor position will operate independently of other faculty and report directly to Professors Brye (research lead) and Daniels (Extension lead). The position will provide educational program leadership statewide in climate-smart-agricultural and climate-change science by supporting grant-related research and extension programs.
Assistant/Associate Professor of Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Alabama
The College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) at Auburn University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in soils and biogeochemistry with an emphasis on forested landscapes. This is a 9-month position with 65% research and 35% instruction responsibilities.
Instructor - Plant Health Clinic Diagnostician, Arkansas
The successful candidate will serve as lead diagnostician and manage the Arkansas Plant Health Clinic, with duties aimed at safeguarding plant health in Arkansas. Responsibilities include the diagnosis of plant diseases along with detection and identification of plant pathogens. Critical duties of the position include the accurate and timely diagnoses, recommendations for growers, and educational efforts to stakeholders for prevention and treatment of plant health concerns. Outreach efforts through newsletters, displays, and presentations focus on education of homeowners, farmers, and Master Gardeners.
Research Scholar, North Carolina
The position will be working under the supervision of Dr. Massimo Iorizzo's, Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. Dr. Iorizzo has a very active research program that aims to leverage advanced genetic and genomic resources to study the structure of the crop genomes and elucidate the genetic mechanisms and genes associated with enhanced quality characteristics including health properties. Crops of interest in his program includes blueberry, carrot, banana, pineapple, spinach, cranberry and potato.
Post Doctoral Rsch Assoc in Remote Sensing & Precision Agriculture, Texas
The Postdoc is expected to assist in proposal development, produce project reports, present research findings at conferences, and publish peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. This position is a one-year appointment with the possibility of an extension for three years.
Postdoctoral Research Associate I (Multiple Positions), Arizona
Two Postdoctoral Research Associate positions are available in the laboratory of Dr. Judith Brown, School of Plant Sciences, Plant Pathology/Microbiology. The successful applicant is expected to shown proficiency in molecular biology and molecular virology approaches, virome/microbiome analyses; functional genomics characterization of insect vector-pathogen interactions; plant protoplast-single cell-omics; high throughput sequencing analyses and bioinformatics.
Post-Doctoral Scholar Forage Crop Systems, Pennsylvania
The Department of Plant Science at The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Associate position proposing, evaluating, and advocating productive and sustainable forage crop systems in the northeastern United States, particularly the inclusion of diverse annual and perennial forage species and their potential for intercropping, double cropping, cover cropping, and other crop rotations in the corn silage production systems.
Scientist, Wisconsin
This position will conduct research on fruit crop physiology under the supervision of Dr. Amaya Atucha. Responsibilities include the design and execution of research projects related to the role of environmental stress on the development of cranberry fruit rot disease at the Cranberry Research Station and the Atucha lab in the UW-Madison campus; work with a multidisciplinary team of scientists as part of a national grant on cranberry fruit rot and coordinate research project with collaborators at UMass and Rutgers University; prepare progress reports to present at stakeholder and scientific meetings; and author peer-review scientific publications from research project.
Postdoctoral Research Associate - Plant Metabolomics, Florida
This position will utilize analytical instrumentation, including different chromatography setups, such as HPLC-DAD/ELSD, LC-MS/MS, and LC-TOF/MS. The candidate will be expected to develop new strategies for plant metabolomics/lipidomics to study plant related diseases and plant growth.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Research Fellow in Crop Quantitative Genetics, Queensland
This is an exciting opportunity to join UQ's Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation to contribute to the development of innovative approaches to exploit genetic variation and accelerate the improvement of legume grain crops for Australia, such as chickpea, faba bean and lentil.