🌻 The Week in Botany October 2, 2023

Oct 02, 2023

I had an unpleasant surprise this week. One of the highlights of going to the Annals of Botany meetings in the summer has been talking with Philip White, one of the Annals editors. It’s wrong to say there’s no such thing as a stupid question, I’ve got stacks of them. But I was never worried about asking Philip something that might turn out to be a stupid question. I missed him this year, I assumed he was busy. Unfortunately, an obituary appeared in Plant and Soil this week.

For Botany One, his last item was on how bibliometrics could help research of the Ionome. I’ve been wary of bibliometrics in the past. I can see how they can be useful to librarians, and to anyone who wants to misuse impact factors, but I wasn’t sure how they could help working scientists. His post on using bibliometrics to work out how researchers are talking to each other, and what they might be missing, is an example of how he could read the scientific literature to see where it was going. He’s going to be missed. You can read more of his items here.

There will be another round up of the items you’re sharing on social media at the same time next week, assuming I stay COVID-free etc. Until then, take care.

Alun (webmaster@botany.one)

On Botany One

Increasing Carbon Dioxide Gives Seaweed a Bad Acid Trip
A recent study finds seaweeds are getting weaker under ocean acidification, threatening these foundational coastal species.

Drought Drives Rapid Evolution of Flower Size and Nectar in Common Morning Glory
Experiments with the common morning glory reveal drought drives faster evolutionary changes in floral signals and rewards critical for plant-pollinator interactions compared to pollinator declines.

Hotter Summers Could Break Up Forest Neighbourhoods
Spring wildflowers carpeting European forests could be in for an uncertain future due to climate change, according to new research.

Ancient Willow Clones in Italy Estimated to be Over 2000 Years Old
Botanists have found willows in Italy so old that they were standing when Caesar crossed the Rubicon.

The true cost of botanical knowledge
A valuable book for botany students, but exactly how valuable?

In Brief

News & Views

Reviewer: “Increase your sample size 10-fold”. Me: “Get lost.”
“I don’t do this terribly often, but I’m going to complain about peer review. OK, the first part of that sentence is a lie. In the privacy of my own head, I complain about peer review a lot.”

Novel plant pathogen discovered on world's northernmost island
Ellesmere Island (76°N–83°N) is one of the northernmost islands in the world, along with Greenland and Spitsbergen Island. More than 100 species of vascular plants are distributed across this island in the ice-free areas in summer. However, there has been little research on fungal diseases in these plants.

Earth’s stinkiest flower is threatened with extinction
Rafflesia, which smells like rotting flesh, is facing habitat loss.

First pinedrops flowers seen in Mass. discovered by amateur biologist
Fascinated with rare and unique plants, Skye van der Laan has bushwacked through bogs, waded through swamps and generally trekked off the beaten path in the hopes of getting a glimpse of a plant he has never seen before.

‘Nature embraces queer people’: inside the Kew show about the LGBTQ+ side of plants
Queer Nature celebrates the astonishing diversity of plants – and looks at how they have inspired LGBTQ+ groups. Our writer enters a world of bisexual flowers and asexual trees.

How Do So Many Species Of Plants Coexist In Tropical Rainforests?
Scientists have long been fascinated by how so many species coexist in the same geographic plot. Why doesn’t one tree that’s taller or more pest-resistant dominate the forest?

Lost in the coffee aisle? Navigating the complex buzzwords behind an ‘ethical’ bag of beans is easier said than done
You’re shopping for a bag of coffee beans at the grocery store. After reading about the effects of climate change and how little farmers make – typically $0.40 per cup – you figure it might be time to change your usual beans and buy something more ethical. Perusing the shelves in the coffee aisle, though, you see too many choices.

Exodus of life scientists from academia reaches historic levels, new data show
New data released Thursday by the National Science Foundation show the exodus of young life scientists from the Ivory Tower to industry has reached the highest level in nearly three decades, deepening concerns about the future of academic science in the U.S.

Natanella Illouz-Eliaz - Recipe for a plant biologist: tomatoes, failure, and perseverance
“Growing up, I wasn’t particularly interested in science,” says Natanella Illouz-Eliaz, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor Joseph Ecker. “But I had a passion for exploration and a curiosity about the world. Today, it feels strange to say I am a scientist—but I am one!”

Professor M. S. Swaminathan, a Legacy of Agricultural Innovation and Food Security and Inspiration to Agricultural Scientists
In the annals of India’s agricultural history, one name stands out brilliantly– Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, popularly known as MSS or Professor. His passing away, at 98 years, on Sept 28, 2023, at 11.15 a.m. in Chennai (India), has left a void that can never be filled, but his indomitable spirit and vision will continue to inspire future generations of young scientists and shape the course of agriculture for years to come.

Finally, the Sycamore at Sycamore Gap was cut down this week. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a tree that became famous for being in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, where it was hoped it would make Kevin Costner’s performance look less wooden.

Scientific Papers

OPEN leaf: an open-source cloud-based phenotyping system for tracking dynamic Swartz et al. changes at leaf-specific resolution in Arabidopsis
describe the design and implementation of OPEN leaf, an open-source phenotyping system with cloud connectivity and remote bilateral communication to facilitate data collection, sharing and processing. OPEN leaf, coupled with their SMART imaging processing pipeline was able to consistently document and quantify dynamic changes at the whole rosette level and leaf-specific resolution when plants experienced changes in nutrient availability.

The CAM lineages of planet Earth
Gilman et al. ound direct evidence – in the form of experimental or field observations of gas exchange, day–night fluctuations in organic acids, carbon isotope ratios, and enzymatic activity – for CAM in 370 genera of vascular plants, representing 38 families. Further assumptions about the frequency of CAM species in CAM clades, and the distribution of CAM in the Cactaceae and Crassulaceae, bring the currently estimated number of CAM-capable species to nearly 7% of all vascular plants.

Unenriched xylem water contribution during cellulose synthesis influenced by
atmospheric demand governs the intra-annual tree-ring δ¹⁸O signature
Martínez-Sancho et al. assessed the relative contribution of seasonal needle and xylem water δ¹⁸O variations to the intra-annual tree-ring cellulose δ¹⁸O signature of larch trees at two sites with contrasting soil water availability in the Swiss Alps. They combined biweekly δ¹⁸O measurements of soil water, needle water, and twig xylem water with intra-annual δ¹⁸O measurements of tree-ring cellulose, xylogenesis analysis, and mechanistic and structural equation modeling.

Cell cycle status of male and female gametes during Arabidopsis reproduction
Voichek et al. show that male and female Arabidopsis gametes are both arrested prior to DNA replication at maturity and initiate their DNA replication only during fertilization.

Back to the future: Using ancient Bere barley landraces for a sustainable future
This article reviews the recent revival of Bere, driven by its use in high-value food and drink products and multidisciplinary research into its genetics, valuable sustainability traits and potential for developing resilient barley varieties.

Rooting depth and xylem vulnerability are independent woody plant traits jointly selected by aridity, seasonality, and water table depth
Laughlin et al. synthesized global trait and vegetation plot datasets to examine how rooting depth and xylem vulnerability across 188 woody plant species interact with aridity, precipitation seasonality, and water table depth to influence species occurrence probabilities across all biomes.

Most of the world's largest flowers (genus Rafflesia) are now on the brink of extinction
Rafflesia is the genus that contains the world's largest flowers. Despite their global appeal, most of the 42 known species are now at risk of extinction. Urgent action is needed to protect these remarkable flowers.

Deletions within intronic T-DNA lead to reversion of T-DNA mutant phenotypes
Devendrakumar et al. report a phenomenon of reversion of intronic T-DNA mutant phenotypes. From a suppressor screen using intronic T-DNA pi4kβ1,2 double mutant, they recovered intragenic mutants of pi4kβ1, which suppressed the autoimmunity of the double mutant.

Population genomics identifies genetic signatures of carrot domestication and improvement and uncovers the origin of high-carotenoid orange carrots
Here an improved carrot reference genome and resequencing of 630 carrot accessions were used to investigate carrot domestication and improvement. The study demonstrated that carrot was domesticated during the Early Middle Ages in the region spanning western Asia to central Asia, and orange carrot was selected during the Renaissance period, probably in western Europe.

Trichomes in the megadiverse genus Croton (Euphorbiaceae): a revised classification, identification parameters and standardized terminology
Pereira Pinto-Silva et al. focus on trichomes in Croton, a megadiverse genus (c. 1200 spp.) of Euphorbiaceae, in which these structures are ubiquitous and exhibit significant variation in form, location on the plant body, density and function. Owing to their functional and taxonomic relevance and the current need for further standardization of their terminology and classification, they revised previous trichome classifications used in the genus. They also provide new trichome data by expanding taxon sampling and using different methodological approaches in plant anatomy to improve understanding of the structural patterns of the trichome types present in the genus.

Scripting a new dialogue between diazotrophs and crops
The availability of nutrients such as nitrogen (N) affects crop productivity. Unfortunately, the intensive use of synthetic N fertilizers has detrimental economic and environmental consequences.

Peptides from conserved tandem direct repeats of SHORT-LEAF regulate gametophore development in moss P. patens
Tandem direct repeat (TDR)-containing proteins, present across all domains of life, play crucial roles in plant development and defense mechanisms. Through a series of protein domain deletion analyses, Palit et al. demonstrate the importance of the signal peptide and the conserved TDRs and report a minimal functional protein (miniSHLF) containing the N-terminal signal peptide and first two TDRs (N-TDR1-2).

The plant siRNA landscape
Focusing primarily on the model Arabidopsis, Vaucheret & Voinnet review the plant siRNA landscape, including transposable elements (TE)-derived siRNAs, a vast array of non-TE-derived endogenous siRNAs, as well as exogenous siRNAs produced in response to invading nucleic acids such as viruses or transgenes.

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Careers

Post-doc position: Non-linear temperature responses of plant and soil communities, Umeå
Terrestrial ecosystems are important in providing key services to humankind, but under global warming the provisioning of such ecosystem services is at risk. However, there is little consensus on how the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems will change under projected scenarios of global warming, or when we will reach or surpass thresholds and tipping points. In the ERC-funded project THRESHOLD, we will unravel ecosystem responses to increasing temperatures in terms of the underlying non-linear responses of plants, soil organisms (microbes, nematodes, and other fauna) and their communities.

Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Davis CA
The Department of Plant Sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, is recruiting an Assistant Professor of Horticulture with a preferred emphasis in horticulture in nursery, greenhouse, or controlled environment crop production systems. This is an academic year (9-month), tenure track Assistant Professor position that includes an appointment in the California Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Faculty members who hold an Agricultural Experiment Station appointment have a responsibility to conduct research and outreach relevant to the mission of the California Agricultural Experiment Station. Participation in outreach programs and performance of university service are also expected.

Assistant Professor × 2, North Carolina
The Department of Biology at UNC Chapel Hill (https://bio.unc.edu/) is searching for two tenure track Assistant Professors using genomics-informed methods to study critical questions in Plant and Microbial Biology.

Host-Microbe, Microbe-Microbe Interactions: Candidates focus on molecular mechanisms that mediate pathogenicity, symbiosis, microbial community assembly and dynamics, engineering microbiomes with useful phenotypes, and/or host responses to infection/colonization.

Plant Signal Networks: Candidates focus on deciphering how key properties of plants emerge from the integration of signaling networks controlling growth, development, responses to biotic or abiotic factors, or combinations of these.

Public Engagement Coordinator (Fixed Term), Cambridge
We are recruiting for a Public Engagement Coordinator to lead on the development and delivery of the Herbarium's outreach and public engagement programmes, ensuring that our local and regional communities and stakeholders are served and supported to a high standard. The coordinator will also contribute to welcoming the public to the Herbarium, and ensure visitor and staff safety and security, as well as the security of our collections.

Teaching Assistant Professor, North Carolina
The Department of Biology at East Carolina University (https://www.ecu.edu) seeks to fill a fixed-term faculty position (9-month appointment) at the Teaching Assistant Professor level with expertise in field botany, ecology and evolution, and evidence-based teaching practices.

Research Specialist - Pitkin Forest Nursery, Idaho
Performs research activities and analysis, recording observations and measurements, and reports results. Participates in analyzing and preparing results for publication. Works under general supervision.

Botanical Preparator, California
Provides instructional support, collection, preparation, and maintenance of materials for botany courses, including live plant, algal and fungal specimens.

Assistant Professor of Biology (tenure track), Mississippi
The Biology Department at Millsaps College is seeking a broadly-trained Biologist to fill a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning August 2024. The successful candidate will offer an upper-level Cell Biology course with laboratory and should feel comfortable teaching one or more of the following core courses: Introductory Cell Biology, General Zoology, General Botany, and Genetics. The candidate will also develop upper-level courses in their area of expertise, and those courses should complement the current upper-level offerings in the department. The teaching load associated with this position is 16 credit hours per year.

Independent Research Fellowships Leading to Tenured Faculty Positions at the John Innes Centre, Norwich
The John Innes Centre (JIC), is a world leading centre of excellence in plant and microbial sciences based on the Norwich Research Park, UK. We are inviting applications from outstanding researchers who either hold, or wish to apply for Independent Research Fellowships (such as a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, or a Royal Society University Research Fellowship). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to give a seminar at the Fellows Conference, which will be held on 26 February 2024. During the conference, you will be able to discuss your proposals, the development of your group and your future career plans in depth with JIC Faculty in one-to-one meetings. After the conference, we will select and mentor outstanding candidates in writing Fellowship applications and/or offer the opportunity to move existing Fellowships to the JIC.

Forrest PhD Scholarships, Western Australia
The Forrest Research Foundation is offering up to 9 prestigious three-year PhD scholarships to outstanding researchers from around the world to conduct paradigm-shifting research at any of Western Australia’s five universities.

Botanical Horticulturist Technician, Bristol
Based at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden in Stoke Bishop, Bristol, the role holder will be involved in maintenance and development of the Botanic Garden to the highest standards. As a scientific and conservation collection of plants you will work to make the Botanic Garden accessible to the public throughout the year. You will work with the team of dedicated staff and volunteers to help facilitate access and use of the Botanic Garden.

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Exeter
This full-time UKRI funded post is available from 1st December 2023 to 30th November 2025 on a fixed-term basis. We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours. The Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the work of Dr. Mark Robinson in relation to the Biodiversity and the Legacy of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Environments in the Neotropics project. The successful applicant will conduct spatial analysis and modelling of project data.

Research Fellow - Palaeo-Climate Modeller, Scotland
The ERI’s ‘Peatlands” theme aims to study peatland resilience across scales and discipline boundaries, including through the Leverhulme-funded programme of research “Developing a new understanding of blanket bogs from molecules to landscapes”. We now seek a Research Fellow who will join our team and use a combination of palaeoecological techniques and climate modelling approach(es) to help predict how blanket bog processes and distribution may respond to the combined pressures of land-use and climate change.

Lecturer in Plant Science, Edinburgh
We are looking for a colleague with the potential to become a world-class researcher and inspiring teacher, and who uses molecular approaches to address fundamental questions or develop technologies that are relevant to plant sciences. The lectureship is in the Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, a community of 16 plant research groups within one of the UK’s largest and highest-rated biology departments, offering excellent facilities and a stimulating environment for research and teaching.

Digital Engagement Coordinator (Fixed Term), Cambridge
This new Digital Engagement Coordinator role is vital for the next phase of digitization, and is responsible for specimen imaging, database entry, managing online volunteers, the design of modules of images for curation, liaising with Zooniverse, and evaluating data derived from online volunteer teams. The coordinator will lead on collaborating with platforms such as GBIF and JStor to host our digitized collections and metadata. Measurable outcomes will include the number of fully databased images, the number of hosted imaged specimens, and statistics on their access and subsequent utilisation.

IAFRI PhD Studentship: Using Multiplex-amplicon Sequencing for Broad Spectrum Targeted Detection of Plant Viruses and Vectors, Newcastle, UK
Interested in understanding how rapid sequencing technology can help the UK protect against alien pests and diseases? Working in collaboration with Defra, this PhD will investigate the potential of nanopore sequencing to rapidly detect plant pathogens and their vectors.

Senior Post Doctoral Researcher, Biology, Maynooth
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to lead a research project focused on soil microbiome impacts on crop stress tolerance. Under PI Conor Meade, in the Biology Department, and Co-PI Gerry Lacey at the Dept. of Electronic Engineering, Maynooth University, the appointed researcher will be responsible for the establishment and management of a crop/ soil growth array, involving microbiome analysis and automated sensor analysis of plant health.

The Week in Botany