🌻 The Week in Botany October 16, 2023
If you’ve been affected by the events of this week, then you have my sympathies. It’s left many botanists on social media shocked this week. Here’s a selection of the other news that they’ve been sharing on Twitter and Mastodon.
I have had complaints that a lot of the papers that get shared are behind paywalls. There’s two solutions for that. The one I’m doing this week is tagging papers (OA) for open access or ($) if they’re behind a paywall. Another possibility is that some journals move papers out from behind their paywall a year after publication. Would a section highlighting some of these papers be helpful? It might mean a cutback to a few links to more recent papers. If you have strong opinions, let me know.
I’ve had news that some of my own working hours are going to become erratic, as I’ve become involved in a medical imaging project. However, I hope to have another email with you at the same time next week. Until then, take care,
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
News & Views
Researchers find pre-Columbian agave plants persisting in Arizona landscapes
A new paper in the Annals of Botany reveals that researchers have found unaltered agave plant species cultivated by several early cultures including the Hohokam people, a large Native American group in the Southwest that existed between 300 and 1500 CE.
Pressure on nature threatens many flowering plants with extinction
Forty-five per cent of the world's known flowering plants could be threatened by extinction, scientists have warned. Those under threat include orchids, varieties of pineapple, and many important crop species.
A Botanist’s Quest to Grow the World’s Largest Flower
Great Big Story visited Sofi Mursidawati of Bogor Botanical Gardens, who has been on a quest to understand the remarkable growth pattern of the Rafflesia, a parasitic plant that grows underground with no stems, no leaves, and no roots. What this plant does have to offer, however, are gorgeous flowers that are the largest flowers in the world. They are also very fussy.
Gravity Response: What Deformed 400 Trees In Poland's Crooked Forest?
The majority of them appear to bend towards the north.
Mummified poop reveals a diverse ancient Caribbean diet
Sweet potatoes, papayas, and maize were all on the menu.
Being Neurodivergent in Academia: Why Sparks of Change is publishing stories from neurodivergent researchers
What to expect from our new series of articles.
How do I discover accounts to follow on Mastodon and the Fediverse?
There are lots of ways to discover interesting accounts on topics you are interested in.
Key tropical crops at risk from pollinator loss due to climate change and land use – a new study just published
PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) is one of the most important sources of data for large-scale modelling of how changes in land use is impacting biodiversity. Marry that with future climate models and you have a powerful tool for understanding how these two major factors in global change will shape both biodiversity and human society over the coming decades.
Botanists fight removal of plant specimens from one of the world’s most spectacular gardens
Transfer of 7 million dried samples to distant site will hamper research, scientists say.
In a warming world, hunger stalks Guatemala's Mayan highlands
Crop failures are one reason an unprecedented number of migrants are heading to the U.S. border.
Things I wish I knew before entering the Academic Job Market
Looking for a job in academia can be a daunting task. Here, Meike van der Heijden talks about the highs and lows of her adventure looking for a job, as well as lessons she learnt at each stage of the process.
Facing racism in science, ‘I decided to prove them wrong’
Immunologist Dequina Nicholas shares why mentorship is crucial for first-generation scientists.
Scientific Papers
Unlocking the Ancient Origins of Cell Death (OA)
A commentary on Apoptotic Factors Are Evolutionarily Conserved Since Mitochondrial Domestication, also Open Access.
Water deficit changes patterns of selection on floral signals and nectar rewards in the common morning glory (OA)
GarcÃa et al. use the common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) to investigate the effects of experimental reduction in pollinator access and water availability on floral signals and nectar rewards and their effects on phenotypic selection on these traits.
Finding umbrella trees: Cultivating inclusion and more than survival in a post-affirmative action academy (OA)
Upon deplaning in Accra, Ghana, at the start of an overdue vacation in late June, 2023, I was greeted with the news that the United States Supreme Court had, as expected, voted to ban the use of race conscious affirmative action in college admissions.
Deciphering the hidden complexity of early land plant reproduction (OA)
A commentary on Hidden functional complexity in the flora of an early land ecosystem, which is Open Access.
Generation and characterisation of an Arabidopsis thaliana f3h/fls1/ans triple mutant that accumulates eriodictyol derivatives (OA)
Schilbert et al. describe the in planta multifunctionality of the three central flavonoid 2-ODDs from A. thaliana and identify a bypass in the f3h/fls1/ans triple mutant that leads to the formation of eriodictyol derivatives. As (homo-)eriodictyol are known as bitter taste maskers, the annotated eriodictyol (derivatives) and in particular the knowledge gained about their in planta production, could be used to genetically engineer the flavonoid composition of crops to improve the palatability of food produced from them.
A meta-analysis highlights globally widespread potassium limitation in terrestrial ecosystems ($)
Chen et al. present a global meta-analysis aimed at quantifying the response of aboveground production to K addition. This analysis is based on 144 field K fertilization experiments.
Replicated radiations in the South American marsh pitcher plants (Heliamphora) lead to convergent carnivorous trap morphologies ($)
Liu & Smith used comparative morphometric approaches to quantify the shape space occupied by Heliamphora pitchers and to trace evolutionary trajectories through this space to examine patterns of divergence and convergence within the genus. They also investigated pitcher development, and, how the packing of pitchers is affected by crowding, a common condition in their natural environments.
Darwin’s Overlooked Radiation: genomic evidence points to the early stages of a radiation in the Galápagos prickly pear cactus (Opuntia, Cactaceae) (OA)
Zapata et al. present evidence of the early stages of a radiation in prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia, Cactaceae), a plant lineage widespread across the archipelago. Phylogenomic and population genomic analyses show that notwithstanding overall low genetic differentiation across populations, there is marked geographic structure that is broadly consistent with current taxonomy and the dynamic paleogeography of the Galápagos.
Cell layer-specific expression of the homeotic MADS-box transcription factor PhDEF contributes to modular petal morphogenesis in petunia (OA)
Floral homeotic MADS-box transcription factors ensure the correct morphogenesis of floral organs, which are organized in different cell layers deriving from distinct meristematic layers. How cells from these distinct layers acquire their respective identities and coordinate their growth to ensure normal floral organ morphogenesis is unresolved. Chopy et al. studied petunia (Petunia x hybrida) petals that form a limb and tube through congenital fusion.
The long and the short of it: Adaptation of carbon uptake and metabolic flux to different daylengths (OA)
Plants grow in diverse environments, on freezing islands close to the Antarctic, in sweltering deserts or humid tropical rainforests. In contrast to animals such as migratory birds, they are sessile and must adapt to environmental changes including differences in temperature, rainfall or changes in daylength (photoperiod) throughout the seasons of the year. This ability to adapt can be controlled by diverse mechanisms, and could provide potential targets to improve crop performance.
Phytochrome B phosphorylation expanded: site-specific kinases are identified (OA)
This review summarizes our recent views about the roles of the identified phosphorylated phyB residues, what we know about the enzymes that modulate the phospho-state of phyB, and how these recent discoveries impact future investigations.
Flowering also has to end: knowns and unknowns of reproductive arrest in monocarpic plants (OA)
Flower initiation is controlled by a myriad of intensively studied factors, so it can occur in the most favorable conditions. However, the end of flowering is also a controlled process, required to optimize the size of the offspring and to maximize resource allocation. Reproductive arrest was described and mainly studied in the last century by physiological approaches, but it is much less understood at the genetic or molecular level. Balanzà et al. present an overview of recent progress in this topic, fueled by highly complementary studies that are beginning to provide an integrated view of how the end of flowering is regulated.
PANOMICS meets germplasm (OA)
Weckwerth et al. propose three fundamental pillars for future breeding strategies in the framework of Green Systems Biology: (i) combining genome selection with environment-dependent PANOMICS analysis and deep learning to improve prediction accuracy for marker-dependent trait performance; (ii) PANOMICS resolution at subtissue, cellular and subcellular level provides information about fundamental functions of selected markers; (iii) combining PANOMICS with genome editing and speed breeding tools to accelerate and enhance large-scale functional validation of trait-specific precision breeding.
Mutation in Polycomb repressive complex 2 gene OsFIE2 promotes asexual embryo formation in rice (OA)
Prevention of autonomous division of the egg apparatus and central cell in a female gametophyte before fertilization ensures successful reproduction in flowering plants. Wu et al. show that rice ovules of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) Osfie1 and Osfie2 double mutants exhibit asexual embryo and autonomous endosperm formation at a high frequency, while ovules of single Osfie2 mutants display asexual pre-embryo-like structures at a lower frequency without fertilization.
Strategies for breeding crops for future environments ($)
Salse et al. propose scientific avenues to be reinforced in selecting varieties, including crop wild relatives, either for monoculture or mixed cropping systems, taking advantage of plant–microbial interactions, while considering the diversity of organisms associated with crops and unlocking combinatorial nutritional stresses.
Careers
Seeking a Team Leader (Principal Investigator) (indefinite-term employment position), Saitama
The successful candidate will lead a research team that focuses on the understanding of key factors involved in plant-microbiota interactions. The resulting research is expected to develop digital transformation of multi-omics data on plant, microbe, and soil in the ecosystem. Interdisciplinary and cutting-edge technologies leading to integrated models of biogeochemical cycle, plant growth, and environmental impact are highly anticipated for efficient food and biomaterial production.
Doctoral student (m/f/d), Potsdam
The project aims at understanding the role of karrikin signalling, a plant hormone signaling pathway, in the development of a plant-fungal symbiosis called arbuscular mycorrhiza, in which plants and fungi exchange nutrients. Interestingly, the impact of this pathway on the symbiosis differs among plant species, and we want to understand the molecular basis for this phenomenon. The project will focus on the mechanistic function of one protein in symbiosis. The work will involve handling of plants and fungi and have a focus on protein biochemical methods as well as a number of molecular biology and microscopy techniques.
Postdoc (m/f/d), Potsdam
The project aims at understanding the role of a receptor and its ligand in the development of a plant-fungal symbiosis called arbuscular mycorrhiza, in which plants and fungi exchange nutrients. The project will focus on the mechanistic function of the receptor and ligand in the symbiosis. The work will involve handling of plants and fungi and have a focus on protein biochemistry and small molecule function.
Group Leader in Synthetic Biology, Norwich
The Earlham Institute is seeking a high-quality researcher to join the Research Faculty as a new Group Leader. We invite applications from those working in research focused on synthetic or systems biology to establish and lead an internationally recognised programme of innovative research.
PhD candidate Microbial metabolism of plant rhizosphere signals, Amsterdam
You will isolate and identify the microbe(s) that are involved in the production of the triterpenoid signaling molecule. Microbiome sequencing and big data analysis and integration will be used to identify candidate microbes. You will isolate these candidates and use bioassays to validate their function. Together with the other PhD in the project you will study the biological function of this triterpenoid in the plant-microbe-nematode interaction.
PhD on dissecting the temporal and functional dynamics of the plant clock interactome, Leuven
The lab of Prof. Devang Mehta conducts research in experimental plant systems biology in the Division of Crop Biotechnics (Department of Biosystems) at KU Leuven (Belgium). We have an open full-time PhD position in Bioscience Engineering to study the temporal & functional partitioning of Arabidopsis clock protein complexes using interactomics.
Applications in Plant Sciences Recruiting Editor
Applications in Plant Sciences is seeking a Recruiting Editor to assist the Editor-in-Chief in continuing to advance the journal as a publication outlet for novel methods and resources in the plant sciences. The Recruiting Editor will identify and recruit potential authors for individual submissions, with a particular focus on Review Articles, and for special issues.
Assistant Professor of Biology (Botany), Alabama
The Department of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science at the University of Montevallo is seeking a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biology. The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in Biology, Botany, Forestry, Horticulture, or a related field. Duties and responsibilities include teaching 12 credit hours per semester (three 4 credit hour laboratory science courses), maintaining an active research program, and service to the department, college, and university.
University Faculty Plant Population Genetics, Utah
The Department of Botany and Plant Ecology at Weber State University invites applications for a tenure-track position, with the appointment to begin in July 2024. We seek a person broadly trained in plant population genetics with research specialties that may include phylogeography, community genetics, or conservation genetics.
Assistant/Associate Professor in Biodiversity Change, Helsinki
The Finnish Museum of Natural History, Luomus, and the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences invite applications for the position of Assistant/Associate Professor in Biodiversity Change. The appointment will begin on 1 March 2024 at the earliest or as agreed and is initially for three to five years with a possibility for promotion and tenuring following successful evaluation.
Assistant/Associate Professor in Plant Systematics, Helsinki
The Finnish Museum of Natural History, Luomus, and the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences invite applications for the position of Assistant/Associate Professor in Plant Systematics. The appointment will begin on 1 March 2024 at the earliest or as agreed and is initially for three to five years with a possibility for promotion and tenuring following successful evaluation