đ» The Week in Botany March 13, 2023
Itâs an unusual week, this week, as Iâve reached the end of it fairly satisfied. The website redesign is done and live. From your point of view, the advantage is that it will tend to load faster. The advantage from mine is that it should break down a lot less leaving me more time to work on other things. One of those things is changing how the audio files are created. They now should be appearing more regularly.
This weekâs big target will be the translation management system. Iâd like to say Iâll have it working by the end of the week but, given thatâs whatâs been giving me the most headaches over the past year, itâs optimistic to expect it to work perfectly by Friday.
Youâll find out what went wrong with the plan, in next weekâs email which should be with you around the same time as usual. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
Introducing Cropbox: a declarative crop modeling framework
Plant modelers do not also need to be software engineers thanks to Cropbox framework.
Ecologists spark hope of protecting western American forests from the worst of wildfires
Ecologists with a burning desire to protect forests have grim news for the western United States.
More plant secrets (please share)!
Nigel Chaffey examines a book that aims to plant the seed of botanical curiosity to see if it bears fruit.
A celebration of Women who revolutionized the History of Botany: 9 incredible stories for International Womenâs Day
To celebrate International Womenâs Day, Botany One highlights nine historical figures who made great contributions to Botany â from the first pioneering plant illustrators and species collectors to recent Nobel prize winners. With their talent and hard work, these brilliant women participated in adventurous botanical expeditions, launched courageous initiatives for biodiversity conservation and paved the way to tremendous scientific advances (not only in Botany).
Botany One & AI
AI authors are like predictive text on your phone. They help writing words, but are less good at sentences and cannot be used for writing whole articles at the moment.
From flowering-related genes to your plate: the science behind optimizing radish yield
Scientists have discovered that the reason why some radish plants take longer to flower than others is that different copies of certain genes that control flowering time, can interact in complicated ways with each other, leading to differences in plant blooms.
Nanoplastics threaten plantsâ ability to clean up industrial waste
Water Hyacinths can help clean up polluted water when grown in artificial wetlands, but nanoplastic pollution could dramatically reduce their efficiency.
News and Views
The science behind the festival: orchids of Cameroon
Cameroon has been highlighted as the most botanically diverse country in tropical Africa, with a higher diversity than all other west African countries combined, and a suite of orchids to match.
Fed up and burnt out: âquiet quittingâ hits academia
Many researchers dislike the term, but the practice of dialling back unrewarded duties is gaining traction.
The Missing 24-Limbed Animals That Could Help Rescue the Oceanâs Forest
Scientists say that reintroducing the fast-moving predators to the West Coast could help control the spread of sea urchins that are devouring kelp.
My search for female gardenersâ life stories helped me combat loneliness â and make great friends
I was lonely after lockdown and wanted to know why women gardened so wrote to those I admired. Now I have a host of new friends from different generations and backgrounds.
Mapping Californiaâs âZombieâ Forests
A warming climate has left a fifth of the conifer forests that blanket California's Sierra Nevada stranded in habitats that no longer suit them, according to a study published last week by researchers at Stanford University.
The creeping threat of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt
Visible from space, an explosion of harmful seaweed now stretches like a sea monster across the ocean. Could robots save us from it â and store carbon in the process?
Native UK plants in catastrophic decline, major report finds
Parts of Britain's landscape today would be unrecognisable to someone who grew up just 70 years ago, a major survey of plant life suggests.
Complexity lessons from my garden
Growing up in Africa, Iâve always been a nature lover and keen birder. So, I dreamed of creating a garden that would be a haven for wildlife in the middle of the city.
Plants and pollinators on the islands
If I were to stop a stranger in the street, and mention the phrase âMid Ebudesâ, most would understandably scurry off to consult Wikipedia. A very few might nod sagely, and acknowledge in a heart-beat that this was a reference to Vice County 103, a biological recording zone which likely dates back to the 1850s. In the latter camp you would find my former colleague Lynne Farrell, for the Mid Ebudes is âher patchâ.
How light pollution disrupts plants' senses
Dazzling lights are causing ecological chaos, disrupting plants' seasonal rhythms and their fragile relationship with pollinators.
Plant Atlas 2020: Mapping Changes in the Distribution of the British and Irish Flora
Plant Atlas 2020 is the most in-depth survey of the British and Irish flora ever undertaken. It builds on two previous plant distribution atlases published by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland in the twentieth century. Plant Atlas 2020 will serve as an essential resource for the study and conservation of our wild plants and their vitally important habitats for decades to come.
Restoring Irish plants: six key actions to take, from creating new habitats to better biodiversity research
As people become more distant from their origins on the land, they tend to overlook the vital roles of plants.
China battles alien marsh grass at unprecedented scale
âMammothâ plan to control a coastal invader would benefit migratory birds.
Academics fight moves to defund diversity programmes at US universities
Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida wage war on âwokeâ projects, with other US states threatening similar clampdowns.
Cyanotypes: The origins of photography
Discover one of the oldest photographic printing processes in the history of photography.
Scientific Papers
Genome biology and evolution of mating type loci in four cereal rust fungi
Luo et al. focus on four Puccinia cereal rust species, including Puccinia graminis f.sp tritici, P. striiformis f.sp tritici, P. triticina and P. coronata f.sp avenae, which infect major cereals including wheat and oat. They identified MAT locations on two separate chromosomes that supports previous hypotheses of a tetrapolar mating system in the Pucciniales.
Abiotic stress experiments need a reality check to improve translation to the field
In nearly every issue of this journal and other general plant biology journals, you will find articles on plant abiotic stress responses and signalling. These publications justify a focus on a particular stress acclimation mechanism by reviewing impacts of the associated stress on crop yield.
Laminarin-triggered defence responses are geographically dependent for natural populations of Solanum chilense
Kahlon et al. measured reactive oxygen species burst and levels of diverse phytohormones upon elicitation in 83 plants originating from nine populations. They found high diversity in basal and elicitor-induced levels of each component. Further we generated linear models to explain the observed infection frequency of Phytophthora infestans.
The giant diploid faba genome unlocks variation in a global protein crop
Jayakodi et al. report a high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the faba bean genome and show that it has expanded to a massive 13âGb in size through an imbalance between the rates of amplification and elimination of retrotransposons and satellite repeats.
Live Imaging of Arabidopsis Pollen Tube Reception and Double Fertilization Using the Semi-In Vitro Cum Septum Method
Desnoyer & Grossniklaus describe an improvement of the semi-in vitro (SIV) method for observing pollen tube guidance and reception in Arabidopsis thaliana, which increases the receptivity of ovules. The high-throughput SIV cum septum method may be coupled with gametophyte marker lines and genetically encoded biosensors to monitor the dynamic process of fertilization.
Five essentials for area-based biodiversity protection
The international commitment to protect 30% of the worldâs surface by 2030 is laudable and necessary, but scientists must now work with governments and other groups to ensure success in its implementation and evaluation, by using inclusive and evidence-led approaches, argues Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and author of The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity.
Pectin methylesterification modulates cell wall properties to promote neighbour proximity-induced hypocotyl growth
Through analyses of mechanical and biochemical properties of the cell wall coupled with transcriptomic analysis of cell wall-related genes Sénéchal et al. show the importance of cell wall modifications in neighbour proximity-induced elongation. Further analysis using loss-of-function mutants impaired in the synthesis and remodeling of the main cell wall polymers corroborated this.
Epigenomic divergence underlies sequence polymorphism and the evolutionary fate of duplicate paralogs in A. thaliana
Kenchanmane Raju et al. investigate genic variation in epigenome-associated polymorphism rates in Arabidopsis thaliana and consider whether these affect the evolution of gene duplicates. We compared the frequency of sequence polymorphism and patterns of genetic differentiation between genes classified by exon methylation patterns: unmethylated (unM), gene-body methylated (gbM), and transposon-like methylated (teM) states, which reflect divergence in gene expression. They found that the frequency of polymorphism was higher in teM (transcriptionally repressed, tissue-specific) genes and lower in gbM (active, constitutively expressed) genes.
Not just flowering time: a resurrection approach shows floral attraction traits are changing over time
Bishop et al. use resurrection experiments to investigate the phenotypic basis of adaptation in a mixed-mating system plant, the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea). Specifically, they measure temporal and spatial changes in traits grouped into three categories relevant to plant-pollinator interactions - floral morphology, floral rewards, and floral phenology. They show a significant temporal increase in corolla size and shift to earlier flowering times, as well as a potential for increased investment in floral rewards, all of which are driven primarily by populations at more northern latitudes.
Abscisic acid can augment, but is not essential for autumnal leaf senescence
Kane and McAdam investigate the importance of ABA as a driver of leaf senescence in winter deciduous trees. In four diverse species they tracked leaf gas exchange, water potential, chlorophyll content, and leaf ABA levels from the end of summer until leaves were abscised or died.
Distinct roles of Arabidopsis ORC1 proteins in DNA replication and heterochromatic H3K27me1 deposition
Vergara et al. show that the Arabidopsis genome encodes for two ORC1 proteins highly similar in amino acid sequence and that have partially overlapping expression domains but with distinct functions. The ancestral ORC1b gene, present before the partial duplication of the Arabidopsis genome, has retained the canonical function in DNA replication.
Events
Plantae Presents: Building Your Professional Scientific Network, March 21
In this one-hour workshop, Dr. Selene Fernandez-Valverde, Dr. Sjon Hartman, and the PhD student Cade Kane will share how to start building up a scientific network sharing tips, challenges, advice, and resources to be confident and professional in developing a network.
Careers
Post Doctoral Fellow, Arkansas
A full-time postdoc position is available in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas. The successful applicant will be responsible for conducting research on strawberry viruses including diagnostics (high throughput sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and immunological/molecular diagnostics assays, 60% time commitment), epidemiology (population structure and transmission, 20% time commitment) and lab management (management of hourly/student employees, 20% time commitment) . This position will be funded through competitive grants (thus year-to-year continuation will be contingent upon the availability of external funds).
Subject Tutor- Garden Design, London
This position will be reporting directly to the Course Leader and will also involve working closely with the Course Tutors, Course Managers and Head of School when necessary. The post holders will participate in the delivery of the course syllabus to students, including teaching, assessment, and preparation of course content, and will work closely with the Course Leader and other members of the teaching team on the development of the course.
Research Associate in Phenomics, Sheffield
Major improvements in sustainable crop performance are needed to keep pace with population growth in the face of climate change. Plant phenomics provides a route to accelerating the development of future generations of crops and has been identified by the BBSRC as a national strategic need. You will join a network of UK researchers to develop the UK Plant and Crop Phenotyping Infrastructure over the next two years. You will be responsible for the âAccess to Facilitiesâ strand. We are looking for a plant scientist with knowledge and experience in plant phenomics. You will work closely with other network members to engage with the UK phenomics community, surveying current facilities, run pilot access programmes and identify priorities for infrastructure development.
Research Associate in Epidemiological Modelling (Fixed Term), Cambridge
We are seeking a highly-motivated individual with expertise in computational and mathematical modelling for developing and implementing epidemiological models. The successful candidate will join a team working on the implementation of models for transboundary pests and pathogens affecting subsistence agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The work involves a combination of computational modelling and parameter estimation to integrate often incomplete data sets on host crop landscapes, pest and pathogen surveys and grower behaviour, supported by meteorological data. The role will focus initially on cassava brown streak virus, which is spreading from East Africa and threatening food security across Central and West Africa.
Research Associate (Fixed Term), Cambridge
Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate to work on investigating convergent evolution of betalain pigments in Caryophyllales at multiple scales supervised by Samuel Brockington (Evolution Research Group). The project focusses on our recent discovery that betalains have convergently evolved multiple times within the Caryophyllales. The research will consist of molecular phylogenetic analysis of betalain pathway genes, sequencing and assembling Caryophyllales genomes, and gene expression measurement with RNA-Seq.
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Plant Ecology and Genetics, Cambridge
You will join Anglia Ruskin Universityâs School of Life Sciences, working with academics teaching and conducting world-class research in Forensic Science, Crime and Investigative Science, Biomedical Science, and Animal and Environmental Biology, based in our Faculty of Science and Engineering. We seek expertise in plant biology in areas such as: ecophysiology; plant ecology and community biology; ecological genetics and genomics; genetic modification; economic botany, food science and technology.
UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1, Dublin
Applications are invited for a temporary post of a UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 within UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science. The scientist will work on identifying genes and wheat-microbiome interactions that minimise the risk of diseases, including Septoria tritici blotch and Fusarium head blight. Working with the EU team on the Horizons 2020 grant âInnoVarâ the scientist will conduct association transcriptomics (using existing RNA data) to identify genes associated with resistance to Septoria tritici blotch disease in wheat.
Part-Time Seasonal Horticulturalist, Philadelphia
UPenn seek someone who will up to Twice weekly check on 8 garden beds to maintain the health and beauty of the plantings. Weeding, watering, staking, fertilizing, planting, and harvesting, as needed to ensure that they stay looking fresh and healthy. Diagnose any potential health issues of plants when possible. And share weekly report of notes and photos with Lead Gardener at Bartram's Garden. Report on any health issues of plants in the gardens.
Adjunct Associate Professor - Horticulture/Plant Science, Stockton California
Under the general supervision of the assigned Dean, the Professor will teach classes in Horticulture/Plant Science. The successful candidate will provide evidence of knowledge and understanding of the racial, socioeconomic, and academic diversity within community college populations, and how these factors relate to the need for equity-minded and culturally-responsive practices in the community college setting.
Seasonal Worker, Gabis Arboretum, Indiana
The Gabis Arboretum is building a team of enthusiastic, passionate individuals to work in a variety of roles at the arboretum. Possible duties include visitor services and cashiering, gardening, grounds maintenance, facility maintenance, running model trains in the Railway Garden, assisting with the set-up and break down of events, and general reception duties.
Agriculture Technician I/II/III, Shorter, Alambama
E. V. Smith Research Center located in Shorter, AL seeks candidates for an Agriculture Tech position to perform basic level farm and technical research tasks for the Field Crops Unit.
Research Fellow, Forest Ecology (Biological Sciences), Singapore
The Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore (NUS) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Forest Ecology. The position will focus on tropical forest carbon stock assessments. Prior experience on tropical forest dynamics plots, particularly in Southeast Asia, is an advantage. The position is expected to begin in March 2023 or soon thereafter. The appointment is for an initial period of one year with possibility of renewal.
Assistant / Associate / Full Professor in Plant Science, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
We seek ambitious and outstanding scientists in different areas of Plant Science, which include but are not restricted to Photosynthesis, Biophysics, Plant Nutrition, Stress Physiology, Ecology, Plant-Microbe Interaction, Plant Pathology, Optogenetics, Quantitative genetics, Macro-Algal Biotechnology, Metabolism and Green Synthetic Biology. Successful candidates are expected to develop world-class research programs, teach postgraduate courses, and establish inter- and multidisciplinary collaborations within the Plant Science Program and the BESE Division and across Divisions, Research Centers and Initiatives at KAUST.
Post Doctoral Researcher, Biology, Maynooth
We are seeking a Post-Doctoral Researcher to work on a Science Foundation Ireland funded project in a mycotoxin and food security project, which is one of the national research priorities of Ireland. The successful candidate should be able to perform independent work and also should be a team player. The Postdoctoral Researcher will primarily work in the Fungal Genetics and Secondary Metabolism Laboratory, led by Associate Professor ĂzgĂŒr Bayram, within the Department of Biology, https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/faculty-science-engineering/our-people/ozgur-bayram in collaboration with both internal (Associate Professor David Fitzpatrick (Bioinformatics) and Assistant Professor Rebecca Owens (Metabolomics)) and external (Associate Professor Chris Koon Ho Wong, University of Macau) research stakeholders in Ireland and Macau, respectively. The laboratory is interested in how chromatin regulatory protein complexes control fungal morphogenesis and production of fungal secondary metabolites, including potent mycotoxins, aflatoxins, which ultimately influence food security and safety.
Post-Doctoral Associate in the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Abu Dhabi
The NYUAD-CGSB is seeking a Post-Doctoral Associate to conduct research on adaptive evolution in invasive species, using the mesquite tree (Prosopis sp.) as a model system. This position will be based at NYU Abu Dhabi and supervised by NYUAD-CGSBâs Director, Dr. Stephane Boissinot, Professor of Biology and Principal Investigator of the NYUAD Evolutionary Genomics Laboratory.
Assistant Professor â Forage Breeding/Genetics, Florida
This is a 12-month, tenure-accruing position that is 70% research (Florida Agricultural Experiment Station) and 30% extension (Florida Cooperative Extension Service), available at the North Florida Research and Education Center - Marianna, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Responsibilities in this position will include the development of a forage breeding program to release new forage species and cultivars that help address biotic and abiotic stresses, seasonal distribution of forage production, biological dinitrogen fixation, seed production, and overall fitness of new forage germplasm for Florida and the Southeast U.S. production and livestock systems.
ERC-funded PhD position at SLU: How plants deal with heat and cold at the cellular level, UmeÄ
A PhD position is open at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), in Petra Marhava's research group. The department is part of UmeÄ Plant Science Centre and offers postgraduate studies in biology, specializing in plant physiology, ecophysiology, plant molecular biology and forest genetics. Postgraduate courses are generally held in cooperation with the Department of Plant Physiology from UmeÄ University.
Post Doctoral Fellow, Arkansas
A full-time postdoc position is available in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas. The successful applicant will be responsible for conducting research on strawberry viruses including diagnostics (high throughput sequencing, bioinformatics analysis and immunological/molecular diagnostics assays, 60% time commitment), epidemiology (population structure and transmission, 20% time commitment) and lab management (management of hourly/student employees, 20% time commitment) . This position will be funded through competitive grants (thus year-to-year continuation will be contingent upon the availability of external funds).
Postdoctoral Fellowship to analyse miRNA function during embryo development in Norway spruce, UmeaÌ
A postdoctoral fellowship is available in Ulrika Egertsdotter's research group at the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), which is part of UmeaÌ Plant Science Centre. The postdoctoral candidate is supported by a stipend for an 24-month period starting June 1st , 2023.
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cell Biology (Fixed Term), Cambridge
We invite applications for a post-doctoral research associate in cell biology to join the "E-biogenesis" project at the University of Cambridge, Department of Plant Sciences. The successful applicant will work in the brand new and vibrant Crop Science Centre: a flagship initiative designed to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. Funding is available for four years, with a flexible start date within the next 6 months. The appointee will join the group of Dr Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, a proudly international, diverse, and welcoming lab.
Assistant Professor of Biology, Geneseo, New York
The Department of Biology at SUNY Geneseo invites applications for a tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in August 2023. The department seeks a plant scientist who will contribute to the broad education in biology we provide to our majors and to the college community. Strong candidates will demonstrate connections between their work in plant sciences to sustainability and/or other global issues.