March 28, 2022

🌻 TWiB March 28, 2022

Here's another collection of links. The way I select them is I look at which stories are most people with the people following @BotanyOne on Twitter. It's been a good week for New Phytologist this week, and I could easily have included more stories from them. To give a bit more variety, I've trimmed a few of them out, but there's still a fair amount from them in this week.

As far as languages go, the languages we use for blog posts depends on what languages we receive a post in. This week we have our first German-language post. In the longer term, we are considering using DeepL for machine translation if there's an interest in it. Your opinion is welcome, but whatever we decide is not likely to happen before the end of the year. In possibly related news, my Spanish is coming along slowly.

I'll be back next week either an hour later or earlier next week as the clocks will change for me. Until then, take care.

Alun (webmaster@botany.one)

In Botany One

Ecologists learn how to increase thieving by bumblebees — www.botany.one Bees are more likely to turn to robbery if there are plenty of flowers that they don’t have to rob in an area.

What makes bees feel at home in the city? — www.botany.one A study of the bees of Toronto aimed to uncover what factors help or hinder urban pollinators.

Root water relations and drought tolerance — www.botany.one Findings could help wine industry adapt to climate change

Plants Don't Want Their Children to Starve — www.botany.one

There's more to seed survival than just seed mass.

Also in Spanish.

Simulating mangrove light interception — www.botany.one

3D reconstruction of mangrove tree phyllotaxis from digitized plants yields novel data.

Also in Spanish and German.

News & Views

How climate change is turning once green Madagascar into a desert | Euronews — www.euronews.com With precious few trees left to slow the wind in this once fertile land, red sand is blowing everywhere: onto fields, villages and roads, and into the eyes of children waiting for food parcels.

Tracy Lawson

A New Phytologist profile.

How do plants sense the world around them? — www.jic.ac.uk Plants may seem static, rooted to the ground and unaware of what’s happening around them. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  

The genome that fuelled a Mexican scientific revolution Life on Earth is precious, and incredibly resourceful. There are a few crucial biochemical adaptations that allowed early organisms to survive by taking advantage of their surroundings. These include photosynthesis, cellular respiration and nitrogen fixation.

Do funny titles increase or decrease the impact of scientific papers? New preprint!

"Is science a laughing matter? That could mean a lot of things, I guess, but one place the question gets raised is around the construction of titles for scientific papers. Is it OK for a title to be funny?"

Redwoods Have Specialized Leaves That Allow Adaptation to Both Wet and Drier Climates The tallest trees in the world continue to offer insights to scientists, with a new study revealing that redwoods have functionally distinct leaves that allow them to thrive in both wet and dry areas.

I’m a scientist from Kenya—not the ‘third world’ or a ‘developing country’ A few years ago, I sat down to read a paper in Science. I was fascinated by the findings because they were relevant to my research in public health. But I also felt a sting of annoyance. The researchers stated they’d done their work in “developing countries”—a hierarchical term that, to me, is a slight to many parts of the world, including my native country, Kenya.

The rise of citational justice: how scholars are making references fairer — www.nature.com An emerging movement aims to push researchers to pay more heed to inequities in scholarly citations.

Where are Earth’s oldest trees? Far from prying eyes — www.nature.com A comprehensive tally identifies 30 trees more than 2 millennia old, almost all growing at high altitudes.

Scientific Papers

Automatic identification and annotation of MYB gene family members in plants MYBs are among the largest transcription factor families in plants. Consequently, members of this family are involved in a plethora of processes including development and specialized metabolism. The MYB families of many plant species were investigated in the last two decades since the first investigation looked at Arabidopsis thaliana. This body of knowledge and characterized sequences provide the basis for the identification, classification, and functional annotation of candidate sequences in new genome and transcriptome assemblies.

Evolutionary biology of lichen symbioses Lichens are the symbiotic outcomes of open, interspecies relationships, central to which are a fungus and a phototroph, typically an alga and/or cyanobacterium. The evolutionary processes that led to the global success of lichens are poorly understood. In this review, we explore the goods and services exchange between fungus and phototroph and how this propelled the success of both symbiont and symbiosis.

Contrasting effects of nectar yeasts on the reproduction of Mediterranean plant species

de Vega et al. inoculated the nectar of six plant species in the field with the cosmopolitan yeast Metschnikowia reukaufii to analyze the direct and indirect effects on female reproductive success over 2 years. The pollinator assemblage for each species was recorded during both flowering years.

Trimeric Photosystem I facilitates energy transfer from phycobilisomes in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Akhtar et al. compared the composition and light-harvesting function of phycobilisomes in cells of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which has primarily trimeric PSI, and the ΔpsaL mutant, which lacks the PsaL subunit of PSI and is unable to form trimers. They also investigated a mutant additionally lacking the PsaJ and PsaF subunits of PSI. Both strains with monomeric PSI accumulated significantly more allophycocyanin per chlorophyll, indicating higher abundance of phycobilisomes.

The evidence contained in the P-value is context dependent — www.cell.com

In a recent opinion article, Muff et al.recapitulated well-known objections to the Neyman-Pearson Null-Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) framework and called for reforming our practices in statistical reporting. Hartig and Barraquand agree with them on several important points: the significance threshold P < 0.05 is only a convention, chosen as a compromise between type I and II error rates.

(Might be accessible here for a short while)

Seed microbiota revealed by a large-scale meta-analysis including 50 plant species

Seed microbiota constitutes a primary inoculum for plants that is gaining attention owing to its role for plant health and productivity. Simonin et al. performed a meta-analysis on 63 seed microbiota studies covering 50 plant species to synthesize knowledge on the diversity of this habitat.

Townsendia lemhiensis (Asteraceae, Astereae): A narrowly endemic new species from Idaho, USA — phytokeys.pensoft.net Townsendia lemhiensis (Asteraceae) is described from the Lemhi Valley of east-central Idaho. From a genus with weak intrinsic isolating barriers, T. lemhiensis remains distinct apparently due to apomixis and to its isolation and habitat specialization on spatially limited occurrences of ashy white soils in the Lemhi Valley. Despite similarities to T. spathulata, this new species differs in its persistent pappus, fewer series of phyllaries and sericeous rather than long woolly hairs.

Meta-Research: Author-level data confirm the widening gender gap in publishing rates during COVID-19

Publications are essential for a successful academic career, and there is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified existing gender disparities in the publishing process. Bargmann Madsen et al. used longitudinal publication data on 431,207 authors in four disciplines - basic medicine, biology, chemistry and clinical medicine - to quantify the differential impact of COVID-19 on the annual publishing rates of men and women. In a difference-in-differences analysis, they estimate that the average gender difference in publication productivity increased from –0.26 in 2019 to –0.35 in 2020; this corresponds to the output of women being 17% lower than the output of men in 2109, and 24% lower in 2020.

Specification of leaf dorsiventrality via a prepatterned binary readout of a uniform auxin input — www.nature.com

Developmental boundaries play an important role in coordinating the growth and patterning of lateral organs. In plants, specification of dorsiventrality is critical to leaf morphogenesis. Despite its central importance, the mechanism by which leaf primordia acquire adaxial versus abaxial cell fates to establish dorsiventrality remains a topic of much debate. Burian et al. combine time-lapse confocal imaging, cell lineage tracing and molecular genetic analyses, to demonstrate that a stable boundary between adaxial and abaxial cell fates is specified several plastochrons before primordium emergence when high auxin levels accumulate on a meristem prepattern formed by the AS2 and KAN1 transcription factors.

ReadCube: https://rdcu.be/cJPcu

Plant-Microbiota Interactions in Abiotic Stress Environments

Omae and Tsuda summarize recent progress on how abiotic stress affects plants, microbiota, plant-microbe interactions, and microbe-microbe interactions and how microbes affect plant metabolism and physiology under abiotic stress conditions with a focus on drought, salt, and temperature stress. They also discuss important steps to utilize plant microbiota in agriculture under abiotic stress.

An engineered prime editor with enhanced editing efficiency in plants — www.nature.com

Prime editing is a versatile genome-editing technology, but it suffers from low editing efficiency. Zong et al. introduce optimized prime editors with substantially improved editing efficiency. They engineered the Moloney–murine leukemia virus reverse transcriptase by removing its ribonuclease H domain and incorporated a viral nucleocapsid protein with nucleic acid chaperone activity. Each modification independently improved prime editing efficiency by ~1.8–3.4-fold in plant cells.

Convergent selection of a WD40 protein that enhances grain yield in maize and rice

Chen et al. examined the genomes of accessions of domestic maize and its wild relative, teosinte, for evolutionary signals of selection. From these sequences, the authors identified a quantitative trait locus in maize that increased kernel row number.

Chemical phenotype as important and dynamic niche dimension of plants

Müller and Junker integrate frameworks from niche theory with chemical ecology and argue that plants use their individual-specific diversity in phytochemicals (chemodiversity) for different niche realization processes. Their concept has important implications for ecosystem processes and stability and increases the predictive ability of chemical ecology.

Careers

Plant Taxonomy Skills for Ecology and Conservation This expert-led course for botany students from Africa covers taxonomy skills for conservation​ to enable the ability to independently conduct taxonomic work.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Research Fellow Plant architecture is a key target of agriculture improvement programs because a plant’s size, shape, and patterns of branches, leaves, and flowers determine how much of the desired crop it will yield. This position will work with ARC Laureate Professor Christine Beveridge FAA, her colleagues and team on fundamental cell biology aspects of this project. The team forms a critical mass of researchers centred around how the growth of vegetative shoot buds is controlled.

Research Assistant (Crop Transformation Group) The main purpose of this position is to provide support for the transformation / genome editing of Brassica crops within the transformation platform. This will include Agrobacterium-mediated transformation from preparation of explants through to regeneration of transgenic plants, checking of constructs, molecular analysis of regenerated plants, media and stock solution preparation, and plant work including harvesting and threshing.

Postdoctoral Researcher (Dodd Group) The purpose of this project is to conduct research into physiological and molecular processes of circadian rhythms in bacteria and plants. The project will involve experimental design, data collection from time-series experiments, interpretation of the data (including the use of computational tools), and presentation and preparation of findings for oral presentations and publication.

PhD: EPS-based solutions to increase soil structure and resilience to drought - EPSO The PhD project aims to elucidate the effect of different types of soil amendments (complex as well as more readily biodegradable substrates), and of varying carbon to nitrogen ratio’s on the development of microbial communities in the soil, particularly on EPS producing and degrading microbes. The ultimate goals of the project is to develop nature-based solutions to increase soil structure and resilience to drought. To reach this goal we will identify key microbial groups responsible in soils for EPS production. We will test abiotic conditions (i.e. C:N ratio, nutrient availability) that may trigger EPS formation and thus influence soil properties.

Plant-based Protein Research Scientist In this role, you will be responsible for conducting innovative research leading to scientific achievements that are aligned with CSIRO’s strategies. You will also collaborate with various, multidisciplinary internal and external stakeholders, and national & international agribusiness partners, to develop a “make no waste” circular farming model for more sustainable crop production capturing additional value from growers in Australia. The initial focus of your role will be on canola, however in the long term, you will be involved in various exciting science projects managing the fundamental research activities and playing a key role in securing project funding to pursue new ideas and concepts. 

Assistant engineer in plant biology/ pathology

The position is part of a research project aimed at developing new alternative solutions to pesticides for protection against seed-borne pathogens (SUCSEED project: https://www6.inrae.fr/cultiver-proteger-autrement/Les -Projects/SUCSEED).

The recruited person will conduct plant pathology experiments focusing on the bean-Xanthomonas interaction, in support of a doctoral student and a research engineer. She will participate in setting up and monitoring experiments, as well as collecting, formatting and presenting the results.

Technical Officer A skilled Technical Officer with skills spanning molecular biology, biochemistry and plant physiology is required to provide general technical support for the ANU node of the C4 Rice consortium within the Furbank laboratory.

Vegetation Management Member ACE Members will join a team made up of biologists, biological technicians, volunteers, and interns. Projects will take place in both districts of Saguaro National Park in Tucson. ACE Members will be provided training in plant identification, plant removal, herbicide use and mixing, mapping with GPS and GIS, data collection, and specialized backcountry survey techniques. Occasional backcountry work will be done in the upper elevations of the park (up to 8,600') and involve camping. Duties will also include backcountry surveys for non-native plants, springs/wetlands, cultural resources, and forest health indicators.

Research Assistant (Crop Transformation Group) The main purpose of this position is to provide support for the transformation / genome editing of Brassica crops within the transformation platform. This will include Agrobacterium-mediated transformation from preparation of explants through to regeneration of transgenic plants, checking of constructs, molecular analysis of regenerated plants, media and stock solution preparation, and plant work including harvesting and threshing.

Post doc Position to work with tree breeding The postdoc will join an EU project within the program Forest Value to work on existing data obtained in Norway spruce breeding material for phenology, growth, wood quality and pest resistance to assess trade-offs and potentials for breeding. The same tree material has been already genotyped to conduct Genome Wide Association Studies and to develop Genomic Selection models. A new common garden experiment to assess resilience and adaptability to spring frost tolerance will also be conducted in Scots pine and Norway spruce.

Privacy Policy

We store your email in order to know who to send the emails to. We have to share that list with Revue because they’re the company that actually sends the emails out. We get information about how many emails open, so it might be 50% one week, but we wouldn’t be able to tell if you were in the half that opens the email or the half that didn’t. Revue have their own longer privacy policy.

The email is funded by the Annals of Botany Company.