đ» TWiB May 9, 2022
It wasn't so hard to find links that weren't papers this week, so there's a bit more balance in this collection of the top links shared by people following @BotanyOne on Twitter.
My target this week is to fix the translation management system. If I can get that done then next I'll... no I'll stop there as this is likely to be a big job and take the non-English posts offline for a few days.
However, one thing I will plan is to send another email at the same time next week. Until then, take care.
Alun (webmaster@botany.one)
In Botany One
Spring is coming a week earlier to European forests â botany.one Botanists found evidence for the effects of climate change stored in herbaria.
A new wearable technology â for plants â botany.one In the future, some plants may wear monitors to keep track of water loss.
There's more to tree spines than first thought â botany.one Analysis of 31 tropical woody species with spines on their trunk has uncovered new explanations for the presence of spines on trees.
News & Views
Developing your own academic âindexâ: An interview with Dr. Beronda Montgomery Here is an interview with Beronda particularly around her belief in defining oneâs own parameters in academic work.
GM barley trial to reduce synthetic fertiliser use gets go ahead â www.allaboutfeed.net The barley variety has been genetically modified to boost expression levels of the NSP2 gene and scientists will evaluate whether improved crop interaction with naturally occurring soil fungi can lead to more sustainable food production.
20 Random Reasons to Really Love Trees Itâs no secret that I go nuts for the trees. I talk to them, I pet them ... the Lorax is my spirit animal! So itâs no surprise that Arbor Day, generally observed on the last Friday of April, holds a special place in my heart.
The world is losing way too many trees It may be Arbor Day, but it's generally a tough time to be a tree lover. That's according to the latest edition of The World Resources Institute's Global Forest Review, which found that millions of trees were removed in 2021, potentially putting global climate goals at risk.
Toxic Algae Plagued Ancient Maya Civilization Toxic algae blooms found could have helped destabilize society
We're opening up our @weecology lab wiki where we collaboratively document how to navigate life in the lab (& beyond) from choosing and pursuing a career path, to writing and reviewing papers, to using the high performance computing system and the printer. The information in lab wiki's won't all be of broad interest but we hope that by making material on (our take on) things like careers, publishing, computing, etc. openly available we can help reveal some aspects of the hidden curriculum and other useful information.
Mow problem: gardeners encouraged not to cut lawns in May No Mow May scheme promotes letting wild plants thrive to provide nectar for insects
Drones fly in a tight swarm through a forest without crashing â www.newscientist.com A new navigation system for drones reduces the processing power needed to avoid obstacles, even in tricky environments like forests
How to make Africaâs âGreat Green Wallâ a success â www.nature.com One of the worldâs most ambitious plans to restore degraded land needs a more meaningful way to measure its achievements.
Polluters are using forests as âcarbon offsets.â Climate change has other plans. â www.nationalgeographic.com Billions of dollars hinge on forests soaking up CO2 for decades to come. What happens when drought and fire kill the trees?
International Day of Plant Health, 12 May â www.fao.org The United Nations designated 12 May the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect biodiversity and the environment, and boost economic development. The Day is a key legacy of the International Year of Plant Health 2020.Â
Call for Papers: CAM at the Crossroads: The Past and Future of CAM Photosynthesis The CAM flora is currently at a crossroads, where the high diversity of CAM species is under severe threat from human-caused global change, yet their utility for humanity is on the verge of rapid expansion. Our understanding of CAM is relatively recent, being just over 50 years old. Through-out most of the time humanity has known of CAM, Professor Klaus Winter has been a leading researcher of CAM biology. On the fiftieth anniversary of Klausâs first CAM publication, the Editors of the Annals of Botany have commissioned a special issue to honor his accomplishments in CAM research. Through a series of review papers, perspectives and original research reports, the Special Issue will consider CAM origins and the future of CAM. Â âCAM Originsâ will include reviews addressing the evolutionary diversification of CAM and the environmental imperatives favoring CAM evolution. âCAM Futuresâ will look at the impacts of global change on the CAM flora, and how humanity is developing new CAM varieties to address major challenges in food production, resource use on marginal lands, bioenergy, and climate change mitigation. Â
Scientific Papers
Kovaleski et al. use dynamics of bud cold hardiness (lowest survival temperature) for many species to show convergence in their response to winter chilling. Therefore, previous studies determining chilling requirement based on budbreak may describe adaptation to an environment but do not accurately describe physiological dormancy transitions. Further, cold hardiness dynamics can be used for field predictions of bud cold hardiness and budbreak.
Divergence in the ABA gene regulatory network underlies differential growth control â www.nature.com
To establish a comparative framework for understanding how stress hormone signalling pathways diverge across species, Sun et al. studied the growth response of four Brassicaceae species to ABA treatment and generated transcriptomic and DNA affinity purification and sequencing datasets to construct a cross-species gene regulatory network (GRN) for ABA. Comparison of genes bound directly by ABA-responsive element binding factors suggests that cis-factors are most important for determining the target loci represented in the ABA GRN of a particular species.
The Rysto immune receptor recognizes a broadly conserved feature of potyviral coat proteins
Grech-Baran et al. applied structural modelling, site-directed mutagenesis, transient overexpression, co-immunoprecipitation, infection assays and physiological cell death marker measurements to investigate the mechanism of Rysto-CP interaction.
Plant responses to climate change: metabolic changes under combined abiotic stresses â academic.oup.com
Zandalinas et al. examine recent studies of metabolomic changes under stress combination in different plants and suggest new avenues for the development of stress combination-resilient crops based on metabolites as breeding targets.
Floral humidity as a signal â not a cue â in a nocturnal pollination system
Although visual and olfactory floral signals attract pollinators from a distance, at the flowerâs threshold, pollinators can use floral humidity as an index cue for nectar presence. Dahake et al. evaluate the role of floral humidity in the Datura wrightii-Manduca sexta nocturnal pollination system. In addition to their finding that M. sexta shows strong innate attraction toward humid flowers, they identify the hygrosensing sensillum on their antennae, demonstrate its extreme sensitivity to minute changes in RH, and observe the elimination of mothsâ behavioral preference towards humid flowers following experimental occlusion of the sensilla.
Applying trait-based approaches to ecological research on mycorrhizal symbioses broadens ecological inferences, but there is no single unified framework to unite disparate language, terminology, and methods across the many multidisciplinary scientists studying mycorrhizas. Chaudhary et al. propose an inclusive framework for trait-based mycorrhizal ecology aimed to stimulate scientists around the world to collect and use more mycorrhizal trait data, particularly in understudied areas. This would widen our understanding regarding the ecological role of mycorrhizal symbioses at individual, species, community, and ecosystem scales.
Phytocytokine signalling reopens stomata in plant immunity and water loss â www.nature.com
Stomata exert considerable effects on global carbon and water cycles by mediating gas exchange and water vapour. Stomatal closure prevents water loss in response to dehydration and limits pathogen entry. However, prolonged stomatal closure reduces photosynthesis and transpiration and creates aqueous apoplasts that promote colonization by pathogens. How plants dynamically regulate stomatal reopening in a changing climate is unclear. Liu et al. show that the secreted peptides SMALL PHYTOCYTOKINES REGULATING DEFENSE AND WATER LOSS (SCREWs) and the cognate receptor kinase PLANT SCREW UNRESPONSIVE RECEPTOR (NUT) counter-regulate phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA)- and microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-induced stomatal closure.
Systematic characterization of gene function in the photosynthetic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii â www.nature.com
Most genes in photosynthetic organisms remain functionally uncharacterized. Here, using a barcoded mutant library of the model eukaryotic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, we determined the phenotypes of more than 58,000 mutants under more than 121 different environmental growth conditions and chemical treatments. A total of 59% of genes are represented by at least one mutant that showed a phenotype, providing clues to the functions of thousands of genes. Mutant phenotypic profiles place uncharacterized genes into functional pathways such as DNA repair, photosynthesis, the CO2-concentrating mechanism and ciliogenesis. Fauser et al. illustrate the value of this resource by validating phenotypes and gene functions, including three new components of an actin cytoskeleton defense pathway
Careers
Funded PhD Opportunity This project would suit a candidate interested in photosynthesis and metabolic regulation. Enthusiasm and a desire to learn are essential. Relevant training/experience in enzyme activity assays, photosynthesis, and molecular biology are desirable, but will be evaluated based on candidates experience and previous opportunities.
Funded PhD Opportunity This project is suitable for students interested in crop improvement, photosynthesis and adaptation to climate change. Enthusiasm and a desire to learn are essential. It is anticipated that the student will be primarily based at Lancaster and spend two periods of ~3 months in Tamale for field trials, therefore an ability to travel is highly desirable.
Science Project Intern Based at Wakehurst, home of the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, we are seeking a Science Project Intern who will support a new project under the banner of Ecosystem Stewardship - Native Seeds for Restoration: diversity and resilience in the UK.
Research Fellow (Multiple Positions) The Research School of Biology seeks to recruit three new continuing faculty with expertise in molecular and/or cell biology that aligns with, or enhances, RSBâs research strengths in Plant Sciences (2 positions) and Biomedical Science & Biochemistry (1 position). We seek early career scientists who can demonstrate outstanding achievement relative to opportunity. With the aim of increasing diversity of staff in this area, at least 2 of the 3 appointees will identify as women or as gender diverse.
Research Intern wanted The UW Fruit Crops Pathology Program is looking for a highly motivated researcher to conduct lab and field studies on wood-infecting fungi in Wisconsin apple orchards. This research will involve evaluating pathogen inoculum dispersal, pruning wound susceptibility, and conditions for canker development and expansion. Opportunities for publication of extension articles and peer-reviewed papers, research presentations, and travel to scientific meetings.
Research Technologist A Research Technologist position is available at The Pennsylvania State University beginning in May 2022, with a flexible start date. The successful candidate will provide research support and perform organizational activities in the laboratory of Dr. Jesse Lasky, Assistant Professor of Biology.
Plant Physiology is recruiting Assistant Features Editors for 2023 Our Assistant Features Editor program greatly advances young scientistsâ careers. Plant Physiology Assistant Features Editors receive professional advice on scientific writing from our seasoned editors and the Assistant Features Editors have abundant opportunities to network with our regular editors.
Editorial Internships â Call for Applicants JXB is excited to announce that we are inviting applications for six part-time Editorial Internships. The aim of these internships is to provide early career researchers with experience of scientific publishing from the editorial side, as an opportunity for career development as a researcher or with a view to a career in scientific publishing.
Assistant Professor in Plant Biology The Salk Institute for Biological Studies seeks applicants at the assistant professor level who study the molecular, genetic, and environmental interactions that determine the interactions of plants and other organisms or organismal communities in their biomes (e.g. microbes, fungi, animals, or other plants). We seek scientists who are addressing critical biological questions that lead to mechanistic insights.  Areas of research interest should include but need not be limited to, biome-plant-soil interactions, plant-biome-soil carbon transfer, plant-biome above ground interactions, and immunity and host-defense related interactions.Â
Postdoc Associate / Plant Ecophysiologist We are seeking to hire a lead Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead a National Science Foundation funded project to identify adaptive water use strategies to cope with extreme thermal stress across a wide range of plant functional types. The project will be based at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ, where the postdoc will work closely with a team of scientists with expertise in plant ecophysiology, thermal ecology and Earth systems modeling, and will be co-mentored by Drs. Kevin Hultine (DBG), Luiza Aparecido (Arizona State Univ. / Univ. of Utah) and Benjamin Blonder (Univ. California at Berkeley). Collaboration will also be possible with Drs. Martijn Slot, Klaus Winter, Sean Michaletz, Danica Lombardozzi, and Chonggang Xu, as well as with another project postdoctoral research associate focused on mathematical modeling.Â
Postdoctoral positions available There are currently four postdoc positions available within the Training Centre for Future Crop Development. All four positions will be employed through the Australian National University, one will be seconded to the Department of Primary Industries in Wagga Wagga.
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