Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 20h

MIT President Sally Kornbluth just issued a statement to the campus community saying NO to Trump’s authoritarian compact

“And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

Dear Madam Secretary,
I write in response to your letter of October 1, inviting MIT to review a "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." I acknowledge the vital importance of these matters.
I appreciated the chance to meet with you earlier this year to discuss the priorities we share for American higher education.
As we discussed, the Institute's mission of service to the nation directs us to advance knowledge, educate students and bring knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. We do that in line with a clear set of values, with excellence above all. Some practical examples:
• MIT prides itself on rewarding merit.
Students, faculty and staff succeed here based on the strength of their talent, ideas and hard work. For instance, the Institute
was the first to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement after the pandemic. And MIT has never had legacy preferences in admissions.

• MIT opens its doors to the most talented students regardless of their family's finances. Admissions are need-blind. Incoming undergraduates whose families earn less than $200,000 a year pay no tuition. Nearly 88% of our last graduating class left MIT with no debt for their education. We make a wealth of free courses and low-cost certificates available
to any American with an internet
connection. Of the undergraduate degrees we award, 94% are in STEM fields. And in service to the nation, we cap enrollment of international undergraduates at roughly
10%.
• We value free expression, as clearly described in the MIT Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom. We must hear facts and opinions we don't like - and engage respectfully with those with whom we disagree.

These values and other MIT practices meet or exceed many standards outlined in the document you sent. We freely choose these values because they're right, and we live by them because they support our mission - work of immense value to the prosperity, competitiveness, health and security of the United States. And of course, MIT abides by the law.
The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific
funding should be based on scientific merit alone.
In our view, America's leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that tree marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences.
Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.

As you know, MIT's record of service to the nation is long and enduring. Eight decades ago, MIT leaders helped invent a scientific partnership between America's research universities and the
U.S. government that has delivered extraordinary benefits for the American people.
We continue to believe in the power of this partnership to serve the nation.
Sincerely,
Sally Kornbluth
CC
Ms. May Mailman
Mr. Vincent Haley

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Biodiversity Heritage Library @biodivlibrary.bsky.social · 3d

BHL has retrospectively assigned DOIs to 50,000+ historic journal articles These articles, which include the first scientific description of the Platypus (1799), are now part of the great linked network of scholarly research: doi.org/10.5962/p.30... #ILoveBHL #RetroPIDs 🧪
@crossref.bsky.social

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) @tairnews.bsky.social · 1d

Did you know...TAIR offers no-cost access for teachers, and for HBCU, TCU and institutions based in Research4Life countries. Contact us to get TAIR access for your institution!

READ MORE ▶️ bit.ly/4ob0xxs

#Research4Life #plantscience #plantbiology #Arabidopsis #scisky #HBCU #TCU

HBCU TCU Research4Life

Did you know that access to the “world’s most valued plant database” (Nature, 2009) is free for all teachers, historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), tribal colleges and universities (TCU...

bit.ly

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 1d

Nature’s survey of PhD candidates reveals hard-won wisdom on choosing supervisors, managing mental health and surviving academic culture. "27 things we wish we’d known when we started our PhDs"
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

27 things we wish we’d known when we started our PhDs

Nature’s survey of PhD candidates reveals hard-won wisdom on choosing supervisors, managing mental health and surviving academic culture.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Carolyn Rasmussen @carolynplants.bsky.social · 4d

Excited to share this preprint on the microtubule severing protein Katanin, and its role in cell elongation and division in maize. First author Stephanie Martinez worked collaboratively with many folks to bring you this preprint. Check it out! 🔬🌽 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

KATANIN promotes cell elongation and division to generate proper cell numbers in maize organs

Microtubule severing is essential for proper eukaryotic cell elongation and division. Here we show that the microtubule severing protein, KATANIN, is encoded by two genes in Zea mays (maize) called Di...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 2d

We're excited to welcome Christopher Topp to the Plant Resilience Institute! Dr. Topp uses powerful imaging tools to envision the future of sustainable agriculture, and he will soon bring his expertise in root biology to MSU. Read the full story: plantresilience.msu.edu/pri-news/202...

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Indrani Kakati @indranik18.bsky.social · 4d

plantae.org/announcing-t...

Announcing the Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship Program | Plantae

A message from Silvia Restrepo, President, Boyce Thompson Institute As the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) embarks on our second century of plant science innovation, I’m deeply honored to announce the…

plantae.org

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 1d

In honor of my post-doc supervisor, Ian Sussex. I learned so much from him!

Yale MCDB @mcdb-yale.bsky.social · 1d

🌿 Calling All Plant Enthusiasts! 🌺

Join us at the Sussex Symposium this Friday for a day dedicated to plant biology! 🌳

🎙️ Don't miss the keynote by Dr. Ken Birnbaum!

🗓️ 9 AM - 5 PM 📍 Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Yale MCDB @mcdb-yale.bsky.social · 1d

🌿 Calling All Plant Enthusiasts! 🌺

Join us at the Sussex Symposium this Friday for a day dedicated to plant biology! 🌳

🎙️ Don't miss the keynote by Dr. Ken Birnbaum!

🗓️ 9 AM - 5 PM 📍 Jones Auditorium, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 1d

I was a member of a scientific society for many years before joining the staff nearly 20 years ago, and I endorse this position!
I encourage everyone to find and join a relevant scientific society (or several). You can engage with their programs and benefit directly, or just support their mission.

The Global Plant Council @globalplantgpc.bsky.social · 1d

Why do scientific societies matter now more than ever?

Scientists board explore how societies support researchers, foster global collaboration, & shape the future of science. A must-read for all career stages 👍

🔗 buff.ly/YW2XUN3

#plantscience #science

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

The Global Plant Council @globalplantgpc.bsky.social · 1d

Why do scientific societies matter now more than ever?

Scientists board explore how societies support researchers, foster global collaboration, & shape the future of science. A must-read for all career stages 👍

🔗 buff.ly/YW2XUN3

#plantscience #science

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Thibault (Tibo) Leroy @tiboleroyinen.bsky.social · 2d

Delighted to see our work on the evolution of roses during the 19th century featured on this month’s Genetics cover! 😍

Feel free to let your curiosity guide you to our recent article!
academic.oup.com/genetics/art...
🌹🧬

Genetics Society of America @genetics-gsa.bsky.social · 2d

The October #GENETICS cover shows phenotypic variation in rose flowers across different periods of 19th-century breeding history, illustrated with some of the rose varieties preserved in the ancient rose garden Roseraie Loubert.🌹 Read the full issue: buff.ly/BYzknt9

📸: @tiboleroyinen.bsky.social

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

BioClocks UK @bioclocksuk.bsky.social · 2d

Find out what the UK #chronobiology community has been up to and how we're working to bring science out of the lab in our newsletter:
heyzine.com/flip-book/a3...

Online Flipbook

Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker

heyzine.com

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

SPS Saclay Plant Sciences @spsplantsciences.bsky.social · 2d

International Master in Plant Sciences will soon be launching (September 2026).

International Master in Plant Sciences will soon be launching (September 2026). F

International Master in Plant Sciences track of the Biology AgroSciences master degree https://www.master-sciences-du-vegetal.fr/eng We are delighted to share that the International Master in Plant Sciences track of the Biology AgroSciences Master degree will soon be launching (September 2026). Fully taught in English (First and second year) and embedded in the Saclay Plant Sciences Excellence Network, this program will train a new generation of talented students to tackle the most pressing challenges in plant research — from climate resilience to sustainable agriculture.

www.master-sciences-du-vegetal.fr

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 2d

It's interesting that everyone knows about the finches but nobody knows about the canary grass!? What's with these people 😂. #PlantAwarenessDisparity

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 2d

Bringing Darwin’s Botanical Work Into the Spotlight share.google/pmabhSuaMRZ1...

Bringing Darwin’s Botanical Work Into the Spotlight

Surveying visitors at a major botanical garden reveals a surprising gap in plant evolution knowledge, and a clear opportunity to close it.

share.google

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Plant Physiology @plantphys.bsky.social · 2d

Beautiful and delicious mutants: The origins, fates, and benefits of molecular sequence variation in plant evolution and breeding (Thomas L Slewinski, Sarah Turner-Hissong, Tomasz Paciorek, Brent Brower-Toland, Christine Shyu) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience

Beautiful and delicious mutants: The origins, fates, and benefits of molecular sequence variation in plant evolution and breeding

Genetic mutations that result from spontaneous errors, random induction, or localized genome editing can produce functionally equivalent outcomes that are

doi.org

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Bryony Jacobs @bryonyjacobs.bsky.social · 3d

Super excited to share that our most recent work in the Davies Lab (@camplantsci.bsky.social) has been published in @newphyt.bsky.social... check it out 👉 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/ZNKWEJ... #plantscience #plantresearch #calcium

Arabidopsis thaliana Cyclic Nucleotide‐Gated Channel 19 is involved in root extracellular ATP and Pep1 signalling

You have to enable JavaScript in your browser's settings in order to use the eReader.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 2d

Very pleasant, mostly dry, high 18/17, low 8/9. Beautiful leaf colours coming in, it's perfectly autumnal 🍁🍂.

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 2d

My new boots arrived whilst I was in Norwich, I had worn a hole in the sole of the last pair.
Hooray, no more wet feet 😁

A boot-wearing leg resting on a car dashboard.

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

SEBiology @sebiology.bsky.social · 3d

Curious how AI can transform student feedback and assessment?

Join us in one week to hear from experts Nigel Francis and Jordon Millward + open discussion.

Free webinar on 15 October 2025, 13:00-14:00 BST.

Sign up now:
www.sebiology.org/events/ems-e...

#Education #AI #Webinar

Using AI in student assessment, marking, and feedback

Nigel Francis and Jordon Millward will discuss their work on AI in student assessment, marking, and feedback, followed by an open floor for audience discussion. The first webinar in our new Outreach E...

www.sebiology.org

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Research Culture Leeds @researchcultureuol.bsky.social · 3d

Dr Raysa Rocha delivered a lightning talk on generating actionable insights to support neurodivergent workers and their wellbeing. We at Leeds are having conversations on how to support neurodivergent people in the research community, so this is exciting!

Dr Raysa Rocha standing in a lecture theatre in front of a slide titled "Neurodivergent workers and wellbeing".

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Katherine Denby 🌱🥬 @katherinedenby.bsky.social · 3d

Delighted to be able to support two early career group leaders with this award - and look forward to seeing exciting work coming from their labs!

The Plant Journal @theplantjournal.bsky.social · 3d

Meet the 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐓𝐏𝐉-𝐏𝐒𝐍𝐀 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 🏆
This award recognizes outstanding postdocs and research scientists, with preference for early-career researchers ready to launch independent labs:
💠Ryo Yokoyama @yokoyama-ryo.bsky.social
💠 Boaz Negin
CONGRATULATIONS!

@psna-official.bsky.social
⬇️

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Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Justus Hennecke @henneckejustus.bsky.social · 4d

Super excited to see that the last chapter of my PhD on root trait - ecosystem functioning relationships is now published in @newphyt.bsky.social!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Rooting for function: community‐level fine‐root traits relate to many ecosystem functions

Humans are driving biodiversity change, which also alters community functional traits. However, how changes in the functional traits of the community alter ecosystem functions—especially belowground...

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 3d

Thanks for inviting me, it's such a pleasure to spend time with so many exciting and excited plant biologists 💚

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