🌻 The Week in Botany May 1, 2023
Another public holiday has snuck up on me. This time it’s May Day. If I can, I’ll be making time to go out and see some bluebells in the woods. Otherwise I don’t have many plans other than to try to dial back work a bit, as it’s been flat out recently.
If you’re looking for an online event, the RSB is holding a conference on Plant Health, which has a few sessions on citizen science. Registration is free. It’ll be during the day, UK time, on May 25.
This week I had a few emails from various services I use saying they were shutting down integration with Twitter, rather than waiting to see if there would be yet another U-turn from Musk. There will be an email next week at the usual time, but I’m not sure how it will look yet. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
From roots to shoots: the hidden impact of weeds on crops
A new approach to understanding the impact of weeds on crop yield has emerged, revealing that their effects are not solely due to competition for resources but rather are a result of how weeds alter the developmental and physiological processes of crops.
100 plants that make the world
Nigel Chaffey reviews The History of the World in 100 Plants by Simon Barnes.
Rice Research Uncovers Flood-Tolerant Plant’s Secrets
Scientists discover how deepwater rice thrives during floods, providing hope for a sustainable food supply in a changing climate.
Forest Herbs Adapt to Climate Change Through Intra-Individual Variation, Study Shows
Forest herbs adapt to climate change by adjusting their growth patterns within individual plants, which helps them better capture light and conserve water in response to environmental challenges like drought and shading.
The Missing Plants of the Palaeolithic
Prehistoric peoples moved in a world where intimate knowledge of plants would have been vital, so why don’t they appear in European Cave Art?
A disease that attacks Beech’s leaves, also affects friendly fungi in the roots
New research reveals that Beech Leaf Disease, which affects trees in the US and Canada, also impacts the vital relationship between trees and their root fungi, shedding light on the hidden consequences of this destructive disease.
Harnessing Nature’s Arsenal to Combat Invasive Gutenbergia cordifolia
Researchers have found a more eco-friendly way to tackle a plant that’s replacing forage for the wildlife of Tanzania.
News & Views
The science behind California superblooms, explained
California landscapes are transforming into a kaleidoscope of vibrant wildflowers, including orange poppies, yellow fiddlenecks and lavender-blue lupines. Many are calling this year’s tremendous bounty a superbloom — though it’s really in the eye of the beholder.
What is a Genebank?
Have you ever wondered what a genebank does? The short answer is that genebanks store genes. Not literally, although there are some specialized genebanks that do manage genes – the actual bits of DNA that give living things their distinct characteristics.
Microclimate alters the picture
The speed at which terrestrial organisms are shifting their ranges in response to climate is consistently lower than that predicted by models. However, the use of microclimate-based, rather than macroclimate-based, predictions virtually eliminates these discrepancies.
Reproductive trait associations in flowering plants and their role in plant-pollinator interactions
Flowering plants have an astonishing diversity of reproductive strategies. These strategies respond in part to the selection imposed by different animal pollinators. However, species’ reproductive strategies, defined by their different trait combinations, are limited by their evolutionary history and physiological constraints.
Chelsea Flower Show 2023: Weeds are rebranded as ‘hero plants’
For centuries horticulturalists have endured lumbago and gardener’s knee to rid their patch of dandelions and old man’s beard. These plants, once the hallmark of a badly tended garden, are now to be prized as the Royal Horticultural Society begins a move to rebrand weeds as “resilient plants”.
A Florida Garden Brings Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Work to Life, in Bloom
With hundreds of vibrant plants, and a gazebo turned into an Art Nouveau lamp, the outdoor exhibition is transporting — “like a little vacation.”
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
Temperate rainforests to be restored in Wales and Isle of Man
Wildlife Trusts schemes are part of wider programme to help rare habitat recover across British Isles.
Trees are moving north from global warming. Look up how your city could change.
By the end of the century, Alabama cherry trees might find themselves unwelcome in Montgomery, replaced by blue jacarandas, now native to Latin America. In Washington, D.C., cabbage palmettos — the state tree of Florida and South Carolina — could thrive, while Fraser firs — popular as Christmas trees — could die out.
Why Every Gardener Needs a Visual Diary
Pictures are a much easier commitment than journaling, and you’re already doing most of the work.
Sowing the seeds of UK plant science
The Biologist looks at how a series of DEFRA-sponsored studentships are helping to build resilience and capacity in the UK plant health sector.
OpenAlex
A very early look at a work-in-progress that could offer a rival to Google Scholar.
‘No Mow May’: UK gardeners urged to let wildflowers and grass grow
Public asked to put away lawnmowers next month to deliver big gains for nature and the climate.
How much U.S. forest is old growth? It depends who you ask
Recent studies disagree over how to classify mature and old-growth forests on federal land.
Red list reveals Britain’s extinction-threatened mosses and liverworts
Habitat loss blamed as study finds 19% of bryophyte species at risk and at least four have become extinct in Great Britain.
Is Plant Communication a Real Thing?
New research about plant communication upends older beliefs. Experts share the unique ways plants talk to each other.
Noel Kingsbury on gardening books and the human condition
Over his long career, Noel Kingsbury has written more than 25 books on plants and gardens, from how-to guides to cultural studies, such as his newest, “The Story of Flowers: And How They Changed the Way We Live.”
Wheat disease’s global spread concerns researchers
Genomic analysis reveals that the wheat blast fungus spread independently from South America to two other continents.
Why this wildflower plant guide is what every gardener needs
The National Audubon Society’s “Wildflowers of North America” (Knopf, 2023) is a tour de force in the realm of plant guides.
Claire Mummery: What to plant in your garden now for a winter feast
Continuing in our endeavours to sow ready for a winter feast, it is now [New Zealand Autumn] a great time to get your above-ground veg in to accompany those delicious root vegetables you’ve already sown.
Scientific Papers
Small family, big impact: RNL helper NLRs and their importance in plant innate immunity
Plants evolved a sophisticated, receptor-based, innate immune system. Cell surface localized pattern recognition (PRR) and intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns or pathogen-derived effector molecules, respectively, and induce a range of common immune responses.
Single-cell adaptations shape evolutionary transitions to multicellularity in green algae
Cornwallis et al. experimentally examine how key environmental factors (predation, nitrogen and water turbulence) combine to influence multicellular group formation in 35 wild unicellular green algae strains (19 Chlorophyta species).
A FLOWERING LOCUS T ortholog is associated with photoperiod-insensitive flowering in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Using a bi-parental mapping population and bulked segregant analysis, Dowling et al. identified Autoflower2, a 0.5 Mbp locus significantly associated with photoperiod-insensitive flowering in hemp.
Precise integration of large DNA sequences in plant genomes using PrimeRoot editors
A technique for chromosomal insertion of large DNA segments is much needed in plant breeding and synthetic biology to facilitate the introduction of desired agronomic traits and signaling and metabolic pathways. Sun et al. describe PrimeRoot, a genome editing approach to generate targeted precise large DNA insertions in plants.
Gibberellin transport affects (lateral) root growth through HY5 during Far-Red light enrichment.
Plants compete for light by growing taller than their nearest competitors. This is part of the shade avoidance syndrome and is a response to an increase of Far-Red light (FR) reflected from neighboring leaves. The root responds to this shoot-sensed FR cue by reducing lateral root emergence. It is well-established that the plant hormone Gibberellic Acid (GA) is involved in supplemental FR-induced shoot elongation. Although GA is also transported from shoot to root, its role in regulating lateral root growth is unclear. van Gelderen et al. show via GA manipulations, both chemical and genetic, that GA modulates the lateral root reduction induced by shoot-sensed FR enrichment.
Global conservation prioritization for the Orchidaceae
For 25,434 orchid species with distribution data (89.3% of the Orchidaceae), Vitt et al. identify the Neotropics as hotspots for richness, New Guinea as a hotspot for evolutionary distinctiveness, and several islands that contain many rare and distinct species.
Basin-wide variation in tree hydraulic safety margins predicts the carbon balance of Amazon forests
Tavares et al. present a pan-Amazon, fully standardized hydraulic traits dataset and use it to assess regional variation in drought sensitivity and hydraulic trait ability to predict species distributions and long-term forest biomass accumulation.
Anatomical and biophysical basis for graft-incompatibility within the Solanaceae
To test how phylogenetic distance affects interspecific graft compatibility within the economically important Solanaceae sub-family, Solanoideae, we characterized the anatomical and biophysical integrity of graft junctions for graft combinations made between four species: tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), pepper (Capsicum annuum), and groundcherry (Physalis pubescens).
A New Gnetalean Macrofossil from the Mid-Jurassic Daohugou Formation
Macrofossil evidence has demonstrated a first radiation of gnetophytes in the Early Cretaceous. However, the origin of the diversity of gnetophytes remains ambiguous because gnetalean macrofossils have rarely been reported from pre-Cretaceous strata. Yang et al. report a new putative gnetalean macrofossil reproductive shoot which possesses opposite phyllotaxy, long linear leaves more or less decurrent and having a prominent midvein and pedicled ovoid-ellipsoid and longitudinally striated chlamydosperms.
Tree diversity enhances soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in natural forests
Biodiversity experiments show that a high diversity of plants increases the accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen, but whether such conclusions hold in natural ecosystems is debated. An analysis of Canada’s National Forest Inventory provides strong evidence that the build-up of soil carbon and nitrogen on a decadal timescale increased with improved tree diversity in natural forest ecosystems.
Events
The Art of Plant Conservation, Oxford, May 5
Royal Society of Biology Plant Health Conference, Online, May 25
SOL2023, the XVIII International Solanaceae Genome Conference. Montreal, Oct 14-18
Careers
PhD Funded Position in Epigenomics Using Synthetic Biology to Explore the Role of DNA Methylation in Plant Transcriptional Regulation, Utrecht
In the Gardiner lab, embedded in the Translational Plant Biology chair group at Utrecht University, you will uncover and characterise methylation-sensitive promoters in Arabidopsis to identify DNA regulatory elements and transcription factors driving methylation-sensitive gene expression. You will capitalise on existing genome methylation data to build a library of candidate promoters potentially sensitive to DNA methylation.
PhD Funded Position in Plant Developmental Biology, Edmonton
The selected student will start graduate school on January 1, 2024, and will combine molecular genetics and live imaging to understand the mechanisms controlling vein formation in the Arabidopsis leaf. A research-based M.Sc. degree is preferred but not required.
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences, Memphis
The Mandel Lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Memphis is recruiting a Post-doctoral Fellow in genomics and bioinformatics. Researchers with relevant analytical skills will be considered, regardless of the organism(s) previously studied. Exceptional skills in genomics and bioinformatics, a strong interest in organismal biology and evolution, and excellent communication skills, are critical for success in this position. The successful applicant will be primarily responsible for data generation and analysis associated with a variety of comparative genomic, phylogenomic, and evolutionary studies of plants. They will contribute to the publication of findings, and participate in the preparation of written documents, including procedures, presentations, and proposals.
Research Associate (Postdoc) Ecosystems, Lüneburg
For the Institute of Ecology (Faculty of Sustainability), the university is looking for a responsible, motivated and committed personality as soon as possible as a Research Associate (PostDoc) in "Functional biodiversity and multifunctionality of ecosystems" (EG 13 TV-L) 75% of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee for a maximum period of five years or 100 % of the regular weekly working time of a full-time employee for a period of three years.
Biologist: Faroe Islands National Museum, Just Outside Torshavn
The Faroe Islands National Museum is hiring a biologist for The Department of Botany to work full-time, starting on September 1st. 2023. The Department of Botany works with the collection, conservation, and study of plants as well as communicating knowledge surrounding the ecology of the Faroe Islands through the media and the museum’s exhibitions.
Postdoctoral position, Tartu
The candidate will be based in Tartu, Estonia and supervised by Dr. Kuno Kasak at the University of Tartu. The responsibilities include scientific research, mentoring graduate and undergraduate students, and manuscript preparation. The postdoctoral researcher will assist with the maintenance of two eddy covariance flux tower sites, processing eddy covariance data from research sites, conducting original research using data collected from the towers, and publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Knowledge Exchange Associate: Schools and Urban Plantings, Sheffield
We are seeking to appoint a Knowledge Exchange Associate who will work with Professor Ross Cameron and other academics/practitioners to engage with Schools and exchange information on the value or urban plants & plantings. The post is for 6 months and will require liaison and co-production working, with a number of stakeholders, primarily Sheffield Botanical Gardens, but also potentially directly with some Sheffield schools, the Department of Education and Geography SouthWest (who generate educational support packages for A-level students).
Plant Pathologist, Wisley
The RHS, the world’s leading gardening charity, are seeking a part-time Pathologist to join our Plant Health team. As part of our Science Strategy, we are committed to improving the detection and identification of pests and diseases in gardens, and developing effective and environmentally sustainable management strategies. You will play a key role in delivery of these goals through your involvement in research, advisory work and training.
Plant Health Communications Officer
Applicants will need to be able to translate technical findings into accessible summaries suitable for wider audiences, and an ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing will therefore be essential. Strong interpersonal skills will also be needed, as will an ability to build rapport with a wide variety of individuals. You’ll also need a relevant scientific degree or equivalent professional expertise/experience, plus experience of science/ communication.
Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cell Biology, Hong Kong
Applications are invited for appointment as Tenure-Track Professor/Associate Professor/Assistant Professor in the broad area of Molecular and Cell Biology (3 posts) in the School of Biological Sciences, to commence as soon as possible, on a three-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal and consideration for tenure before the expiry of a second three-year fixed-term contract. Direct tenure may be offered to outstanding and qualified Professor/Associate Professor candidates.
Research Assistant (Biological Sciences), Singapore
We are looking for a Research Assistant for a research project to study plant-microbial-insect interactions. We seek a highly motivated applicant with some background and/or interest in working with environmental and plant related microbiomes. Applicant should also possess basic laboratory skills. Prior demonstrated experience in molecular/microbiology is highly desirable.
Research Assistant (Biological Sciences), Singapore
A Research Assistant position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Eunyoung Chae at the National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences. The Chae lab studies natural variation in the plant immune system using genetic, genomic and biochemical approaches. The successful candidate will have an opportunity to work in a stimulating academic environment and to gain practical experiences in biological sciences.