Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · 5d

At the #STSForum2025 in Kyoto. an incredible gathering of scientists, policymakers, and innovators from around the world. The opening was graced by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, a reminder of how deeply science and society are connected.
@leibnizatb.bsky.social @barbara-sturm.bsky.social

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

SeedCon2026 @seed-con.bsky.social · 9d

🚨We’re beyond excited to announce that registration for #SeedCon2026 is now OPEN! seedcon.org
SeedCon 2026 will be the very first conference dedicated entirely to the #seed #microbiome and microbial inheritance. Mark your calendars: May 5–7, 2026 in beautiful Potsdam, Germany.

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

SeedCon2026 @seed-con.bsky.social · 14d

Exciting things are coming at #SeedCon2026! 🎉
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news, speaker updates, and conference highlights seedcon.org
#microbiome #conference

SeedCon 2026: Conference Event Page

SeedCon is the first International Conference On Seed Microbiome And Microbial Inheritance At ATB Potsdam, May 5–7, 2026. Dedicated To Advancing Research On The Seed Microbiome And Microbial Inheritan...

seedcon.org

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · 21d

We are very excited to make the first announcement of SeedCon 2026. Please mark your calendars and look out for further updates on seedcon.org #SeedCon2026 #SeedMicrobiome #MicrobialInheritance #PlantMicrobiome #Conference

SeedCon2026 @seed-con.bsky.social · 21d

Save the Date!
Join us for SeedCon 2026 – The First International Seed Microbiome Conference in Potsdam, Germany.
📅 May 5–7, 2026
More details coming soon: seedcon.org
#SeedCon2026 #SeedMicrobiome #MicrobialInheritance #PlantMicrobiome #Conference

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Jul 8

I’m very excited to join this meeting and looking forward to hearing about the exciting research #microbiome

New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · Jul 8

We're delighted to welcome delegates to Tartu, Estonia, for the New Phytologist Editor-in-Chief Symposium, 'Microbes as hidden or prominent players in plant life.'

www.newphytologist.org/symposia/eic

#PlantScience

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Jun 6

What a beautiful picture! I would like a copy for my presentations

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Jun 6

Happy have joined the run with ATB team. Looking forward to the next 🏃‍♂️

Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie (ATB) @leibnizatb.bsky.social · Jun 5

Starke Leistung! 14 ATBler beim IKKBB Firmenlauf Potsdam 2025! 🏃
Herzlichen Glückwunsch an unser Team für sportlichen Ehrgeiz & tollen Zusammenhalt: 74. Platz in der Mixed Wertung & 70. Platz bei den Männern 🎖️
Wir freuen uns schon auf 2026!
#FirmenlaufPotsdam #ATBTeam #Teamgeist

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Dinesh Ramakrishnan @dineshkrishna.bsky.social · Jun 5

Excited to share my 2nd paper in Environmental Microbiome! "Mosses as extraordinary reservoir of microbial diversity: a comparative analysing of co-occurring ‘plant-moss twins’ in natural alpine ecosystem"
Thanks! #Prof.Dr.GabrieleBerg, @aabdelfattah.bsky.social @leibnizatb.bsky.social

Mosses as extraordinary reservoir of microbial diversity: a comparative analysing of co-occurring ‘plant-moss twins’ in natural alpine ecosystem - Environmental Microbiome

The decline in plant biodiversity is evident at global scale, but little is known about the loss of microbial diversity associated with diverse plant phyla and their influencing factors. This study in...

doi.org

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Mar 26

Intrinsic and Acquired Antimicrobial Resistomes in Plant Microbiomes: Implications for Agriculture and Public Health”
This review explores how plant microbiomes harbor antimicrobial resistance genes, affecting both agriculture and public health.
Read more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Intrinsic and Acquired Antimicrobial Resistomes in Plant Microbiomes: Implications for Agriculture and Public Health

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to both human and environmental health. Before human intervention, the natural resistome existed in a relatively balanced state, mainly regul...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Mar 26

New paper on how altitude and #apple genotype influence the fruit’s #microbiome. the study reveals significant effects of these factors on microbial communities. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Exploring the impact of altitude variability and apple genotype on the epiphytic microbiome

Studying fruit microbial communities has been instrumental in understanding how this plant-associated microbiome influences key host functionalities. However, the impact of environmental changes an...

www.tandfonline.com

Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Mar 24

New group paper on Antimicrobial resistance in the #microbiome fresh produce!

Prof Braj Singh @prof-braj-singh.bsky.social · Mar 24

New pub in Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment-

Intrinsic and Acquired Antimicrobial Resistomes in Plant Microbiomes: Implications for Agriculture and Public Health

by Denis Kiplimo, Mwirichia, Wicaksono, Berg, Abdelfattah

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology 🌱🧪 @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social · Mar 10

Did you know that plant hormones determine whether a symbiosis with a fungus will be formed? 🍄 The lab of @carogutj.bsky.social was able to decipher how plants control symbioses and what exactly happens when stressors like flooding inhibit these.

🔗 More on this: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Ethylene promotes SMAX1 accumulation to inhibit arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis - Nature Communications

The authors provide a molecular explanation for how a plant stress hormone called ethylene suppresses root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi. These fungi form symbioses with most land plants...

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Marie Simonin @microbialmarie.bsky.social · Mar 6

📢 Open PhD Position
With @fly-florian.bsky.social, we are recruiting a PhD student to develop CRISPR-Based Microbiome Editing to Study Microbial Interactions in Early Plant Life 🧬 🌿
Join us in Angers, France in the @emersys-irhs.bsky.social at @inrae-france.bsky.social
🗓️ Deadline 03/31
More info 👇

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Ruairi Robertson @ruairirobertson.bsky.social · Nov 26

☕ Drinking coffee is associated with significant changes the gut microbiome, particularly increased Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus, & elevated quinic acid in blood. Importantly, this is replicated across geographies. Interesting work from @cibiocm.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts - Nature Microbiology

Coffee consumption is associated with the presence and abundance of a specific member of the human gut microbiome, Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus, and changes to the plasma metabolome.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Nature Reviews Microbiology @natrevmicro.nature.com · Feb 20

New online! The role of bacterial metabolism in antimicrobial resistance

The role of bacterial metabolism in antimicrobial resistance

Nature Reviews Microbiology, Published online: 20 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41579-025-01155-0In this Review, Ahmad et al. examine how antibiotics influence bacterial metabolism and how metabolism, in turn, affects drug efficacy and the emergence and…

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Ahmed Abdelfattah

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · Feb 23

A study in Nature Communications found that insecticides, fungicides and herbicides have negative effects on non-target plants, animals and microorganisms within terrestrial and aquatic systems. https://go.nature.com/4aY865i 🧪

This is figure 1, which shows the global distribution of study locations of pesticide impact on non-target organisms.

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 21

New preprint on the contribution of flower to the #seed #microbiome of watermelon
The study demonstrates that bacteria transmitted via flowers significantly influence the composition of seed microbiota

Contribution of floral transmission to the assembly and health impact of bacterial communities in watermelon seeds

Flower-sourced assembly of seed microbiota remains an understudied ecological process. Here, we investigated the floral transmission pathway for bacterial acquisition by developing seeds of watermelon...

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 17

A recent study shows that prenatal probiotic intake can prevent autistic-like behaviors in offspring caused by early-life stress. Do plants have similar mechanisms? https://buff.ly/3ECeAed
#Microbiome #Probiotics #EarlyLifeStress

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 14

Analyzing this effect of this MOOC, we now published a paper "#Microbiome Literacy: Enhancing Public and Academic Understanding Through the 'Microbiome & Health' Online Course" https://buff.ly/4k9IV46. Congratulations to everyone!

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 14

In collaboration with colleagues @tugraz @GBerg_ubt, @TomiSci1 Wassermann, and Schweitzer, we made a #MOOC on Microbiome & Health https://buff.ly/42WTMbb
Please feel free to share it with anyone interested in learning about the #microbiome

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 14

#Seed #microbiomes promote Astragalus mongholicus seed germination through pathogen suppression and cellulose degradation. Microbiome 13, 23 (2025).

Seed microbiomes promote Astragalus mongholicus seed germination through pathogen suppression and cellulose degradation - Microbiome

Background Seed-associated microorganisms play crucial roles in maintaining plant health by providing nutrients and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their functions in seed…

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 13

Boosting #soil health—naturally and artificially! Artificial humic acid, produced via hydrothermal humification, mimics natural humic substances that enhance nutrient availability, soil structure, and microbial activity. 🌿 Could this be the next big step in sustainable farming?

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 13

The use of fungal #endophyte Colletotrichum tofieldiae Ct0861 reduces mycotoxigenic Aspergillus fungi in maize grains

Plant Growth Promoting fungal endophyte Colletotrichum tofieldiae Ct0861 reduces mycotoxigenic Aspergillus fungi in maize grains

Background Maize ( Zea mays L.) is a globally critical crop that faces numerous challenges, including contamination by mycotoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus spp., which threaten food safety and…

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 12

Does #climate #warming and #drought affect the# microbiome assembly of oak seedlings? This study shows that temperature significantly influenced fungal diversity, and that this effect is even more pronounced in the phyllosphere under drought conditions. Read more here:

Oak seedling microbiome assembly under climate warming and drought - Environmental Microbiome

Despite that climate change is currently one of the most pervasive challenges, its effects on the plant-associated microbiome is still poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact…

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Ahmed Abdelfattah @aabdelfattah.bsky.social · Feb 12

Seed storage in #seed banks reduces microbial diversity and changes its community composition
https://buff.ly/411ishw
#microbiome

Seed banking impacts native Acacia ulicifolia seed microbiome composition and function - Environmental Microbiome

Background Seed banks are a vital resource for preserving plant species diversity globally. However, seedling establishment and survival rates from banked seeds can be poor. Despite a growing…

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