The Week in Botany November 3, 2025
Night hasn’t so much fallen, as collapsed with the change of the clocks. Despite the approach of winter, the Salvia in the garden continue to flower. Much as I’d like to emigrate to New Zealand, I doubt I’d be qualified for the Pro-Vice-Chancellor position in Dunedin in the careers section. But if you’re not qualified either, there are other options.
We’re going to have a strategy meeting for the blog in a little over a week. If there’s something you think we should do more of, or less of, now is the time to mention it. We’re happy to take suggestions.
Talking of taking your ideas, there will also be another email of the papers and the news stories you’re sharing on Mastodon and Bluesky at the same time next week. Until next time, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
On Botany One
Bait and switch: sweet Nepenthes nectar is toxic to the ants it lures
Pitcher plants prove, lethally, that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Bethina Stein: Hands in the Soil, Eyes on the Ecosystem
Botany One interviews Bethina Stein, a Brazilian PhD student digging up the hidden riches of the Cerrado.
Plant Profile: Orchids
The first in a new series of profiles of plant groups.
…and last’s week’s Week in Botany with surprising biodiversity, an unexpected neighbourhood, the largest herbarium in Africa and more…
News & Views
Google Scholar-based tool gives extra credit to first and last authors
Researchers welcome the initiative, but say it doesn’t go far enough to capture the nuance of researcher productivity and impact.
A medal from the King: ANU plant science legends recognised
In the early hours of one July morning this year, renowned plant scientist Professor Graham Farquhar phoned his long-time colleague and friend Professor Susanne von Caemmerer and (uncharacteristically) insisted that she check her emails. “I’ll check them after breakfast,” the newly-retired scientist rebuked.
deadtrees.earth
An open database for accessing, contributing, analyzing, and visualizing remote sensing-based tree mortality data.
A glimpse into the cell factory: matching gene expression to metabolite production in single plant cells
A pioneering method enables simultaneous RNA and metabolite analysis in the same cell, revealing the molecular choreography underlying the biosynthesis of medically relevant natural products.
39th Molecular Biology of Plants Conference, Hennef, Germany
The next Molecular Biology of Plants Conference is scheduled to take place at the same location from 16th to 19th March 2026 and will be organised by Prof. Dr. Andrea Bräutigam (Bielefeld), Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning Kunz (LMU, Munich), Prof. Dr. Christopher Grefen (Bochum).
Plants have a secret language that scientists are only now starting to decipher
Signals from the plant cell wall help to orchestrate growth, reproduction and immune function. Can harnessing this molecular cross talk help in creating better crops?
Plantae Presents: How to Build a Productive Lab
Many early-career researchers (ECRs) and new PIs receive little to no formal training in lab management, despite it being a critical part of their role. Through three focused talks, this webinar will explore strategies for boosting lab productivity by efficient lab management at three levels. Friday, November 21, 2025, at 11:30 AM PST | 2:30 PM EST | 7:30 PM GMT | 3:30 AM Beijing
Tomatoes in the Galápagos appear to be evolving backward. Here’s what it could mean
Hundreds of miles off the coast of Ecuador, in the very place that inspired Charles Darwin’s seminal theory of evolution, a wild-growing species appears to have hit rewind.
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: ‘The science world is ending
A poll from the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are considering leaving the country. That includes a man who’s been dubbed the "Mozart of Math." Stephanie Sy examines what’s behind a potential scientific brain drain.
Critically endangered shrub on NSW Northern Tablelands could have prosperous future
After an hour of walking, ducking and manoeuvring through bushland on Stephen Walkden-Brown's property Lomalagi, a bright-yellow cluster appears in the distance. It is the critically endangered shrub Asterolasia rupestris, specifically the subspecies recurva.
Story of how a Glasgow botanist almost marooned in Amazon was saved by war hero cruise ship captain
It is quite the romantic story. Love blossomed between a Glasgow botanist and the war hero captain of a passenger cargo liner after it nearly left her behind after sailing 1,000 miles up the Amazon.
This Week in Botany
5 Years Ago: Even in juvenile stages, mistletoe can adjust its physiology according to its host
10 Years Ago: Spice and quantity of life
15 Years Ago: Molecular tools and quality improvement in vegetatively propagated crops
Scientific Papers
The interplay of RALF structural and signaling functions in plant-microbe interactions (FREE)
Rapid alkalinisation factor (RALF) peptides, signalling molecules binding to CrRLK1L complexes, also organise primary cell wall structure. This review discusses these novel findings, their implications for plant-microbe interactions, and future research directions.
Five new genera and revival of a genus based on molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence in Trichosporeae (Gesneriaceae) ($)
The tribe Trichosporeae is the most species-rich, systemically complex, and morphologically diverse tribe in the Old World Gesneriaceae. It has long been a focal point and a challenge in the phylogeny of Trichosporeae, with frequent unclear relationships and delimitations among a lot of genera. Liu et al conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis by employing nine DNA fragments with a high sampling coverage for key clades in the tribe Trichosporeae.
Complexity welcome: Pangenome graphs for comprehensive population genomics (FREE)
Pangenome graphs are revolutionizing evolutionary and population genomics by moving beyond linear reference genomes to represent the full spectrum of sequence diversity within and across species. This review traces the field's progression from reference-augmented graphs to assembly-based, alignment-first approaches that capture complex structural variation with reduced bias.
Rigorous validation of ecological models against empirical time series ($)
The complexity of ecosystems poses a formidable challenge for validating ecological models. The prevailing inability to falsify models has resulted in an accumulation of models but not an accumulation of confidence. Song & Levine introduce an approach rooted in queueing theory, termed the covariance criteria, that establishes a rigorous test for model validity based on covariance relationships between observable quantities.
Read free via ReadCube: https://rdcu.be/eNUUZ
Experimental evidence of the effects of large language models versus web search on depth of learning (FREE)
The effects of using large language models (LLMs) versus traditional web search on depth of learning are explored. A theory is proposed that when individuals learn about a topic from LLM syntheses, they risk developing shallower knowledge than when they learn through standard web search, even when the core facts in the results are the same.
Changes in species' elevational range limits and range sizes uncovered by herbarium specimens ($)
Zu et al explore the elevational range size and the upper and lower range changes of plants in 29 mountains of China and compare the determining factor affecting the shifts in elevational range size.
A manifesto for plant science education (FREE)
Plants provide oxygen, food, shelter, medicines and environmental services, without which human society could not exist. Tackling pressing and global challenges requires well-trained plant scientists and plant-aware individuals. This manifesto provides a practical evidence-based vision to strengthen plant science education, focused on five strategic priorities.
MycoMobilome: A community-focused non-redundant database of transposable element consensus sequences for the fungal kingdom (FREE)
Transposable elements (TEs) are found in nearly all eukaryotic genomes. Despite significant advances in the sequencing of genomes, TE resources remain sparse, leading to a lack of traceability, reproducibility, and duplication of effort when annotating TEs. Baril & Croll focus on the fungal kingdom and present MycoMobilome, a non-redundant database of TE consensus sequences systematically curated using a set of 4,309 genomes covering all major clades.
Undermining the cry for help: the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae secretes an antimicrobial effector protein to undermine host recruitment of antagonistic Pseudomonas bacteria (FREE)
Inspired by in silico antimicrobial activity prediction, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of Av2, an effector of Verticillium dahliae, in vitro. Furthermore, its role in V. dahliae virulence was assessed through microbiota sequencing of inoculated plants, microbial co-cultivation assays, and inoculations in a gnotobiotic plant cultivation system.
Mycelial dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (FREE)
AMF mycelia have long been conceptually fragmented, with research disproportionately focusing on the intraradical phase and especially on intraradical structures such as arbuscules, while usually neglecting the extraradical mycelial phase. Moreover, they are often examined from a plant-centric perspective, where they are usually viewed as mediators of nutrient transfer to host roots. However, AMF mycelia are now increasingly recognized as a crucial component of AMF integrated networks with complex structural, physiological, and ecological dynamics. To encourage broader investigation into this underexplored domain, Kokkoris synthesizes both recent advances and historically overlooked findings on mycelial morphogenesis, growth strategies, resilience, cellular coordination mechanisms, and inter-mycelial interactions.
CREation of an expanded plant memory gene circuit toolkit (FREE)
Site-specific recombinases have been widely used due to their unique ability to induce precise, irreversible changes to a DNA sequence, making them ideal tools for memory logic operations. However, unexpected context-specific failures of even the most widely used recombinase, Cre, has limited the expansion and complexity of synthetic gene circuits in diverse species. Here, through a systematic analysis of Cre failure in plant gene circuits, Gong et al uncovered multiple unexpected post-recombination interactions within the transcriptional unit between the promoter region, recombinase, and their cognate recognition sites. These significantly inhibit transcriptional activity, preventing circuit functionality.
In AoBC Publications
Careers
Assistant Professor in Plant Biodiversity and Conservation, Dublin
The School of Natural Sciences and the Discipline of Botany seek to appoint a tenure track position of Assistant Professor in Plant Biodiversity and Conservation at Trinity College Dublin. The successful applicant will have an established reputation in teaching and research in fields pertinent to plant biodiversity and conservation at national, regional, or global levels, with a strong track record of scientific publications commensurate with career stage. We are seeking a candidate with strong field skills and, ideally, expertise in collection-based science.
Technical Manager: Research Support, Sheffield
We are seeking a highly motivated and organised Technical Manager to support the day-to-day running and research activities of Professor Katie Field’s busy, collaborative research group. Our lab investigates the interactions between plants, fungi, and soils, with a focus on the vital partnerships that shape ecosystems and agriculture. These include the well-known mycorrhizal associations between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, as well as newly discovered relationships with other groups of soil fungi that challenge current scientific understanding. As the Technical Manager, you will play a key part in a Royal Society funded research project to investigate the function, regulation and ecology of diverse mycorrhizal fungi and the networks they form.
Research Assistant (Maternity Cover), Norwich
The GRU seeks a maternity cover for the Pisum germplasm custodian role. The JIC Pisum collection includes diverse cultivated, landrace, wild, mutagenised, and mapping pea populations—one of the world’s most utilised pea germplasm resources. You will manage GR-NBRI pea germplasm conservation, regeneration, seed and plant characterisation, and international seed distribution. You’ll be encouraged to pursue research in one of three areas: improved seed regeneration, Genebank Genomics, or high-throughput phenotyping for grain nutritional quality.
Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Essex
The role will contribute to developing research outputs in Smart Agriculture, with a focus on plant and crop science and smart vertical farming to enhance plant productivity and sustainability. The post holder will support the Smart Agriculture Group through research and project administration. Responsibilities include conducting experiments, data collection, analysis, and reporting. They will manage projects and collaborations, contribute to publications and presentations, support student supervision, and engage with stakeholders to advance Smart Agriculture research and innovation.
Postdoctoral Researcher, Norwich
The Postdoctoral Researcher will work towards gene editing in sugar beet. The post will work closely with a strong team of external collaborators and this role will provide the opportunity to develop skills and gain experience working in public private partnerships. The candidate will also develop skills in project management, tissue culture, molecular biology and crop transformation.
Senior Research Fellow, Oxford
This post will focus on fungal phytopathogens and food security, in collaboration within the Plant Molecular Biology Section of the Department (https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/molecular-plant-biology). It is expected that the successful candidate will be committed to research aimed at the improvement of Global Health, including fundamental biology to unlock new approaches to fungal control.
Glasstone Research Fellowship in Science, Oxford
The Molecular Plants Biology Section of the Department of Biology is pleased to invite applications for the Glasstone Fellowship in Plant Sciences. This prestigious post is a three-year postdoctoral fellowship and is supported by the Glasstone Bequest, which was set up to encourage scientists at an early stage of their career to follow their research interests at Oxford, one of the world’s leading science universities. Preference will be given to candidates who are at an early stage in their research career and who have not already held an independent fellowship.
Technician, Exeter
This full-time post is in Technical Strategy & Operations, within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (Biosciences). The Technician position primarily supports the second-floor Bioscience research laboratories based in the Geoffrey Pope building on the Streatham campus. https://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk./ The role presents the opportunity to gain skills and be a part of a thriving community in a busy and complex research environment. The second-floor laboratories cover a range of biological areas including molecular biology, plant pathogens, cell culture, cell biology, microbiology, physiological and biochemical analyses, analytical chemistry, and various microscopy techniques. We also support Defra work, provide health and safety advice, arrange equipment maintenance, order laboratory consumables and equipment and are familiar with key equipment within the laboratory (training can be provided).
14 PhD positions, Hamburg
The Research Training Group (RTG 2530) “Biota-mediated effects on carbon cycling in estuaries” is inviting applications for 14 PhD positions (f, m, d). Applicants should have a keen interest in interdisciplinary research on the role of effects of biota on estuarine carbon cycling. The 14 doctoral projects built on the results of the first two cohorts of doctoral researchers. Doctoral researchers comprise empirical studies at established research stations along the Elbe estuary, carry out (joint) mesocosm studies, laboratory experiments and/or further develop and apply mechanistic ecosystem modelling.
Postdoc position on plant immunity in cereals (f/m/x), Cologne
The Saur Lab (saurlab.com) at the Institute for Plant Sciences is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of molecular plant–microbe interactions. Our group investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying plant–microbe interactions. The successful candidate will perform molecular and biochemical experiments to identify and characterize key factors that mediate non-host resistance to fungal phytopathogens in agriculturally important cereal crops.
Professor in Plant Population Ecology, Tenure-Track Assistant Professor or Open Rank, Bern
The Department of Biology at the University of Bern invites applications to lead the re-search division of Plant Population Ecology within the Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS). We aim to fill the position at the level of Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, but in exceptional cases related to diversity and excellence, an appointment as Associate Professor or Full Professor can also be considered. We are looking for applications from candidates with an outstanding research record in plant population ecology.
Bolsa de PD em Ecologia de Comunidades Vegetais, Rio Claro
Pós-doutorado no projeto Biota-Cerrado on Fire, com foco em fogo, ecossistemas abertos e ecologia funcional, ideal para pesquisadores com interesse em coleta e análise de dados. (Resumo assistido por máquina)
Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Division of Sciences, Dunedin
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago/Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka invites applications for the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Sciences. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Sciences reports directly to the Vice-Chancellor and is the Division's senior academic and executive leader. The role has overall responsibility for implementing University-wide policy at the Divisional level and ensuring that the Division has a clear strategic direction that aligns with the University’s Vision 2040 and strategic plan to 2030, Pae Tata.