đ The Week in Botany March 25, 2024
It's been a grim week, so getting to browse a lot of Botany has been a welcome escape from the news. This week I'm able to add attention from BlueSky into the mix, so that gets added with Mastodon, Twitter and LinkedIn. I'm still not getting to grips with Threads yet, and that might have to wait till the summer.
I've been reminded that it will be Easter next week, and I'll be expected to take some time off on Friday and Monday. I've not thought about how this will affect working on the newsletter, but there should be something out at the usual time, as the actual mailing is automated. However, the email you get might be a little shorter. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
Recently on Botany One
Green Goldmine: The Surprising Role of Plants in Rare Earth Element Accumulation
By analysing herbarium specimens, scientists found new plants that take rare earth elements from the ground, which could help get more of these important metals in a more sustainable way.
In AoBC Journals
Floral traits and their connection with Pollinators and Climate ($)
Changes in maerl-associated macroalgal community dynamics as evidence of anthropogenic pressure ($)
News & Views
In Italy, the Worldâs First Underwater Garden: Nemoâs Garden
The agriculture system designed is highly eco-friendly and does not require the use of pesticides.
Hunting sky islands for genetic clues to climate resilience
Isolated mountaintops are hotbeds of evolutionary adaptation and great places to study how climate change affects ecosystems.
Moving Trees North Could Save Forests from a Changing Climate
"Assisted migration" could help sustain productive forests in the face of warming habitats.
People horrified after finding out why their mouths tingle after eating pineapple
A TikToker revealed why pineapples can cause a stinging sensation on the tongue.
Banksy: Artist confirms new London tree mural is his own work
Banksy has confirmed that he is behind a new artwork that appeared in north London on Sunday.
Banksy artwork creates urban tree debate, says pruning firm boss
The boss of a firm responsible for pruning a tree at the centre of a new Banksy artwork in north London says the mural has "enhanced" the area.
These May Be the Oldest Olive Trees in the World
While the sentinel trees of Northern Lebanon may not be as old as some traditions hold, one tree might be more than 1,000 years old.
This Year, Try Growing a âGoth Gardenâ
Bringing black into the garden can actually have stunning results.
Pollutants and pollination, a radical view
This post highlights the double-edged nature of a chemical element that is both life-enhancing and life-impairing.
Scientific Papers
Development of virus-induced genome editing methods in Solanaceous crops (OA)
Virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) systems have been successfully employed in model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana spp. Lee et al. developed two VIGE methods for Solanaceous plants.
Temperature-smart plants: A new horizon with omics-driven plant breeding (OA)
This review explores the potential of an integrated omics-driven approach to understanding how plants adapt and tolerate extreme temperatures.
Belowground ecological interactions in dioecious plants: why do opposites attract but similar ones repel? ($)
Spatial segregation of sexes may not necessarily reflect the outcomes of sex-specific interactions, but could be associated with sex-specific reproductive strategies.
Anatomical insights into the vascular layout of the barley rachis: implications for transport and spikelet connection (OA)
Rutten et al. used serial transverse internode sections to determine the internode area, vascular area and number of veins along the rachis of several barley lines.
War drives forest fire risks and highlights the need for more ecologically-sound forest management in post-war Ukraine (OA)
Matsala et al. explored interactions between pre-war forest management and the impacts of military activities in three of the most forested Ukrainian areas of interest, affected by the war with Russia.
The emergence of pesticide-free crop production systems in Europe ($)
A novel approach for transforming pest management practices is currently gaining momentum in Europe: pesticide-free, non-organic production systems. These involve the non-use of pesticides in parts of crop rotations or entire crop rotations but do not comply with other organic farming regulations. Finger & MĂśhring present insights into the first real-world examples of such systems, in Switzerland and Germany.
ReadCube: https://rdcu.be/dBMfd
The clockwork of spring: bud dormancy timing as a driver of spring leaf-out in temperate deciduous trees (OA)
To test whether species initiating dormancy release earlier also exhibit earlier leaf senescence in autumn and earlier leaf-out in spring, Malyshev et al. estimated the dates of peak dormancy depth, senescence timing and spring leaf-out across various species, locations and experimental conditions in Central Europe.
Complex floral morphology and scent chemistry mediate hawkmoth pollination of an African orchid in the diverse Habenaria clade ($)
Johnson et al. investigated the roles of floral morphology and scent in the pollination of Bonatea antennifera, an African orchid that is phylogenetically embedded in the hyper-diverse Habenaria clade. Using camera traps and direct observations, they established that B. antennifera is pollinated by an assemblage of short-tongued hawkmoths with proboscides ~4 cm in length, corresponding to the spur length of the orchid.
Pollinator-mediated connectivity in fragmented urban green spacesâtracking pollen grain movements in the city center (OA)
PĹaskonka et al. tracked pollen movement areas in four isolated patches of urban greenery in urbanized area using quantum dots. They studied Fritillaria imperialis (spring) and Hemerocallis sp. (mid-summer). Their research revealed frequent pollen transfer between small, isolated flowering patches, even when these locations were not connected by green corridors.
The OsEIL1âOsWOX11 transcription factor module controls rice crown root development in response to soil compaction (OA)
Soil compaction is a serious global problem that limits crop productivity by restricting root growth, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Li et al. show that ethylene stimulates rice (Oryza sativa) crown root development in response to soil compaction.
Decoding autumn phenology: Unraveling the link between observation methods and detected environmental cues (OA)
Kloos et al. derived the start and end of growing season at a mixed beech forest in Germany based on four different derivation methods using a unique long-term data set of in-situ data, canopy imagery, eddy covariance measurements, and satellite remote sensing data and determined their influence on a predictor analysis of leaf senescence.
Piriqueta velutina (Turneraceae, Passifloraceae s.l.): a new endangered species from the Brazilian Cerrado ($)
Its conservation status is preliminarily assessed as Endangered, it occurs in Brazilian Cerrado (savanna vegetation), in the JalapĂŁo region, state of Tocantins, North region of Brazil.
ReadCube: https://rdcu.be/dCeT1
Careers
Postdoctoral position on biological control of plant diseases, Uppsala
Tomato production is threatened by several different diseases. In order to increase production and reduce the use of chemical pesticides, more sustainable and efficient plant protection strategies must be developed. In this project, the microbial diversity within commercial tomato production will be studied using DNA-based methods. Microorganisms will be isolated, and evaluated for their efficacy in protecting tomatoes against diseases, both at laboratory scale and in commercial green houses in collaboration with growers. The project include international collaboration with colleagues in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Austria.
PhD position in ecology â plantâmicrobe interactions, Uppsala
Plant associated microbes hold great potential for improved plant health and nutrition. We are looking for a a highly motivated candidate to carry out a project that will provide a mechanistic understanding of plant-microbe interactions. The project will test the effects of environmental changes on plant-associated microbial communities by carrying out both lab and field experiments and by using advanced molecular and data processing methods.
Faculty - Horticulture, Missouri
You will teach a wide range of horticulture courses to a diverse group of students utilizing face-to-face teaching modalities including lecture, laboratory, and hands-on instruction in the outdoor Garden Classroom. Teaching horticulture core courses that include, but are not limited to, Introductory Horticulture, Soils, Integrated Pest Management, Plant Identification, and Landscape Management.
Regular Faculty - Controlled Environmental Agriculture, Idaho
The University of Idaho, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Plant Sciences department, is seeking a tenure-track Research Faculty, Assistant Professor, to develop an extramurally funded, nationally and internationally recognized research program to address sustainable production in controlled environment systems. Specific areas of research may include plant nutrition and disease, irrigation systems, hydroponics, vertical farming, and organic production within controlled environments.
Niwot Ridge LTER General Field Technician, Colorado
The Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project is hiring general field technicians for the summer of 2024. Come spend your summer working outdoors at our high-altitude research site above Boulder Colorado at the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, and gain experience in a wide variety of field research methods and data collection.
Assistant/Associate Professor of Agriculture, Missouri
The University of Central Missouri, Department of Agriculture, is seeking an energetic and flexible Assistant or Associate Professor with the ability or potential to teach applied courses in Horticulture. This 9-month, tenure-track appointment will be primarily student-centered with teaching, research, and outreach duties.
Early Career Research Fellow: Nature Based Climate Solutions (2 posts), Sheffield
We are seeking a new ECR Fellow to lead in the broad field of Nature-based climate-solutions, encompassing mitigation and natural carbon sinks, and undertake research that complements and supports our strengths in this area. The Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation (LC3M) is providing evidence and solutions for the deployment of enhanced rock weathering with agricultural systems worldwide as a means of removing atmospheric carbon dioxide to mitigation climate change with co-benefits for crop production and soil health. Our research on natural ecosystems and ecology provides the means for enhancing terrestrial carbon sequestration and monitoring and mitigating vegetation and biodiversity losses at the global scale; our work in agriculture considers the impact of farming practices on greenhouse gas emissions from crops and soils, whilst our fundamental studies are uncovering the mechanistic details of plant gas exchange and photosynthesis.
Research Fellow in Structural Biology, Birmingham
Join Dr. Leney's laboratory within the Advanced Mass Spectrometry facility at the prestigious University of Birmingham and become a vital part of groundbreaking research in the fascinating realm of photosynthetic complexes! We are seeking a talented Post-Doctoral Researcher with expertise in biochemistry and/or mass spectrometry to uncover the secrets of a light-controlling switch that has the capability to enhance photosynthetic efficiency.
Associate Professor in Plant Ecology, Uppsala
The ideal candidate conducts research related to plant population and community ecology and complements current research at the program, which ranges from evolutionary genetics to community ecology.
Seagrass Research Officer, Bridgend
This role is funded by our Seagrass Ocean Rescue programme which is a research and conservation collaboration between Swansea University, WWF and Project Seagrass that seeks to facilitate, inspire and act to restore 3000 hectares of seagrass by 2030. This builds on successful trials and projects across Wales, England and Scotland This scientific post will take a lead on restoration work in Noth Wales and pull together data from across our UK sites, including our nursery, to improve methods and drive forward restoration science.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Edinburgh
A Postdoctoral Research Associate position in algal engineering biology is available in the laboratory of Prof. Alistair McCormick at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh. We are seeking a highly motivated researcher to take a lead role in testing strategies for improving photosynthesis through a novel high-throughput engineering strategy to modify the chloroplast genome (the plastome) in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
Senior Research Associate, Norwich
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Research Associate join the School of Biological Sciences to conduct studies on plant biochemistry and molecular genetics in the group of Dr Ben Miller.
Research Associate, Sheffield
You will join the Horizon Europe project PV4Plants, which seeks to enhance crop production through an innovative AgriPV system, combining agriculture and renewable energy. The project deploys rotational AgriPV panels with light spectrum control, testing their impact on crops in Turkey, Spain, and Denmark. Your role in the research team will be to measure crop performance using leaf gas-exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and remote sensing methods.
Research Associate, York
The Rylott Lab at the University of York is actively seeking a postdoc to engineer plants for bioremediation and metal recovery (Rylott & Bruce, 2022, Science 377: 1380-1381). You will be part of the Engineering Biology Mission Hub for Environmental Processing and Recovery of Metals (ELEMENTAL).
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Oxford
This is a 6-month postdoctoral post that will continue the development of metabolic engineering strategies to accumulation bioplastics in plants at commercially relevant yields. The project is targeting the accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in plants, using Marchantia polymorpha and tobacco as testbeds to prototype and optimize the engineering interventions.
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Farming Systems Agronomy, New South Wales
The School of Life and Environmental Sciences (SOLES) at The University of Sydney is seeking to appoint a Lecturer or Senior in Lecturer in Farming Systems Agronomy to be based at the IA Watson Grains Research Centre, home of the International Centre of Crop and Digital Agriculture in Narrabri.
Technical Assistant, Perth
This role will primarily provide support to practical teaching aspects in disciplines associated with Agricultural and Environmental Science. This includes offering technical assistance to academics, technical staff, and students for practical activities under general direction. You will have the opportunity to work in an educational laboratory setting, participate in field trips, and contribute to the enhancement of our educational programs. Flexibility in working hours is essential to accommodate busy teaching periods.