Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Jim Rowe @botanicaljim.bsky.social · 1d

I was tremendously lucky to be in @xanderjones.bsky.social's lab to watch @bijuntang.bsky.social move from technician to PhD to Postdoc and produce this magnum opus. #SalicS1 is the just reward for years of brilliance and hard work.Well done Bijun, Xander, Jing, and everyone involved! #SalicylicAcid

Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) @slcuplants.bsky.social · 1d

Salicylic acid biosensor, SalicS1, tracks the plant immune hormone salicylic acid in real time - revealing propagation of hormone surge during plant pathogen advance

Latest biosensor from @xanderjones.bsky.social team
In Science doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Summary www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/news/new-bio...

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Hee-Kyung Ahn @hee-kyung-ahn.bsky.social · 2d

Congrats to Menke Zhou in Halliday lab! @instmolplantsci.bsky.social

bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 3d

PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 7 moderates the activity and the cytosolic-nuclear shuttling of PHYTOCHROME A https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.07.680213v1

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

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 · 2d

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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Eirini Kaiserli @ekaiserli.bsky.social · 1d

Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD position in our lab @uofglasgow.bsky.social on Enhancing Climate-Resilient Crops by Innovative Priming Strategies. A network led by @goetheuni.bsky.social
cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101227217
International applicants are eligible. Application form:
pollenbiology.cz/page-2

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Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) @slcuplants.bsky.social · 1d

Salicylic acid biosensor, SalicS1, tracks the plant immune hormone salicylic acid in real time - revealing propagation of hormone surge during plant pathogen advance

Latest biosensor from @xanderjones.bsky.social team
In Science doi.org/10.1126/scie...
Summary www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/news/new-bio...

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bioRxiv Plant Bio @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social · 3d

Synthetic pectin-cellulose nanofiber capsule provides minimal model capturing mechanics of a regenerating plant cell wall https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.07.680914v1

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Katherine Brown @katherine-brown.bsky.social · 3d

Very saddened to hear of John Gurdon’s passing. I’ve been lucky enough to interact with him at multiple points through my career - from undergrad lectures, through his position as former Chair of @biologists.bsky.social’s Board of Directors, and as an author at @dev-journal.bsky.social.

Nobel Laureate Professor Sir John Gurdon dies aged 92

It is with great sadness that the University shares the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, founder of the Gurdon Institute.

www.cam.ac.uk

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Sophien Kamoun @kamounlab.bsky.social · 4d

What would aliens take home from Earth? Asks Mary Williams @PlantTeaching

Hint: 🌱 🪴 🌱 🪴

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 4d

#NBIAST2025
Designer flowers for art and education
@nickdesnoyer.bsky.social
Combining art, design, and science.

Nick Desnoyer presenting his talk on art and flowers

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PlantEvolution 🌱🌾 @plantevolution.bsky.social · 4d

Game changer for cell-based plant genetics: the labs of Caixia Gao & Jin-Long Qiu have developed very efficient self-replicating vectors and they just published a very nice proof-of-concept paper.
#plantscience
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 4d

#nbiast2025 We are getting started! It's great to see how well these institutes support equity and inclusion 🏳️‍🌈.

The chair of the LGBTQ + group in front of her stand.

The Race, Ethnicity, Equality and Diversity stand and the host.

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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 5d

Did you miss our webinar with 2024 New Phytologist Tansley Medal winner Matthew Naish?

We've got you! Watch the webinar for free here: doi.org/10.52843/cas...

Q&A is open until 10 October - a great opportunity for asking Matthew about his #TansleyMedal-winning research!

#PlantScience

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Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 5d

Some good advice in here but one critical piece I always give is this:

Get a hobby. Preferably a mildly social one. One that has NOTHING TO DO WITH SCIENCE. NOTHING.

You need friends. Not colleagues. FRIENDS. Friends who will love you no matter your research prospects...

Nature @nature.com · 5d

What's one piece of advice you'd give to someone considering a PhD?

We asked 3785 doctoral candidates across 107 countries for their hard-won wisdom
go.nature.com/4nDjJ7t

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.

go.nature.com

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Kris Stern @goldenzgirl.bsky.social · 6d

This is actually her final interview, recorded in September by Wall Street Journal podcast. More once point without the nonsense. May she rest in peace and may her legacy endure: youtu.be/4oshFOK9-sk?...

JANE GOODALL'S LAST INTERVIEW Recorded on 9/23/25

YouTube video by dreamlion

youtu.be

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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 6d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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闵娅(Min Ya; Minya) PhD @minyaaa.bsky.social · 6d

And look at this graphic abstract….. 😱🤯

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Gatsby Plant Science Education Programme @gpsep.bsky.social · 8d

Next year's Sainsbury PhD studentships have now gone live! 📢
Find out the details about each of the eight exciting opportunities:
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...

FindAPhD : Prestigious Sainsbury PhD Studentships in plant sciences at Gatsby Charitable Foundation

Apply for a PhD: Prestigious Sainsbury PhD Studentships in plant sciences at Gatsby Charitable Foundation

www.findaphd.com

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Sam Bagenstos @sbagen.bsky.social · 8d

These people are heroes. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘We called ourselves the lifeboat crew’: how fired USAID workers launched a rescue project ‘to save as many babies as we can’

After the Trump administration closed the organisation down, a group of former staff secured new funding for almost 80 programmes, benefiting an estimated 40 million people

www.theguardian.com

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Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 22d

🌱 Toby Coombe-Tennant (@instmolplantsci.bsky.social) presenting “Investigating the potential role of riboregulation in paclitaxel biosynthesis” 🌿

Toby recently published a review on paclitaxel synthesis in our Medicinal Plants special issue:
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae240

#JXB75 #PlantScience 🧪

Toby Coombe-Tennant (University of Edinburgh, UK) presenting his talk, “Investigating the potential role of riboregulation in paclitaxel biosynthesis,” with slides projected behind him at the JXB 75th Anniversary Conference. He recently published a review on paclitaxel synthesis in the JXB Medicinal Plants special issue (doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae240).

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 11d

Excellent!
"We must focus on process over product. We must explore the complex, intricate, dynamic connection between the writing process and the thinking process and reflect on what it means and what it feels like when we outsource these processes."

North West Bylines @northwestbylines.co.uk · 11d

Writing lecturers will not reach students by simply talking down AI, but we might reach them by embracing our expertise and engaging in the politics of resistance
northwestbylines.co.uk/news/educati...

The craft and politics of academic writing in the AI universe

Writing lecturers will not reach students by simply talking down AI, but we might reach them by embracing our expertise and engaging in the politics of resistance

northwestbylines.co.uk

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North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee @naascarabidopsis.bsky.social · 12d

this year's applicants - now limited to 1st YEAR GRAD STUDENTS- “will have just over 6 weeks—& that’s only after earlier this week the agency extended the posted deadlines by about 2 weeks, from late October to early November, with no announcement or explanation.”
www.science.org/content/arti...

‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry

The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded

www.science.org

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Dr. Jennifer Glass (she/her) @methanojen.bsky.social · 13d

A reminder to please support non-profit publishers.

It’s good for science and scientists.

It’s a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

It requires resisting peer pressure to submit to Nature journals.

Thanks @bacteriality.bsky.social for this helpful slide for microbiology journals.

Slide with text “Support Society Journals:
Society-based journals help build and advocate for our scientific communities” showing the logos for non profit publishers ASM, ACS, ASBMB. microbiology society, Science, and ISME. Underneath “for-profit journals do not” showing logos for Nature, Elsevier, Frontiers, CellPress, and MDPI.

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Nature Biotechnology @natbiotech.nature.com · 14d

A tiny white-petalled weed beloved of plant biologists has received a CRISPR-fueled makeover, turning it into a supersized ruby-colored bloom www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Blooms supersized - Nature Biotechnology

Nature Biotechnology - Blooms supersized

www.nature.com

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Loic Lepiniec @lepiniec.bsky.social · 26d

Arabidospis ... the last annual MASC (Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee) report (2024-2025) is available ! – Arabidopsis, arabidopsisresearch.org/masc-publica...

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 15d

I can't help it, I just think they are so cute.
Living in Scotland means I'm constantly lagging behind on our walks as I stop to get a closer look.
Does everyone react that way when they see a bryophyte? 💚
Nice work here 👇
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bryophyte gene family space

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