Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
@plantteaching.bsky.social
Promoting SciComm, teaching, equity & inclusion in plant biology. #PlantScience
PI NSF RCN: ROOT&SHOOT. https://rootandshoot.org/
Features Editor ThePlantCell, PlantPhysiology
@[email protected]
https://linktr.ee/PlantTeaching 🏴
PI NSF RCN: ROOT&SHOOT. https://rootandshoot.org/
Features Editor ThePlantCell, PlantPhysiology
@[email protected]
https://linktr.ee/PlantTeaching 🏴
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Corn and crows. After I had a very bad day in the field, when crows had decimated nearly an entire plot of seedlings, my youngest surprised me with this drawing. Treasured artifact. In the end, probably worth the loss in the field.
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Corn and crows. After I had a very bad day in the field, when crows had decimated nearly an entire plot of seedlings, my youngest surprised me with this drawing. Treasured artifact. In the end, probably worth the loss in the field.
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Lots of my Twitter friends made the move here, but I can’t deny that Bluesky feels like a ghost town by comparison. Nothing could ever make me go back, though.
I really wish more scientists & artists were on here. When I go to in-person gatherings it’s really clear what a small sliver of us are here.
And I get it, how many social media collapses do you have to weather before you just give up?
But organizing would be so much easier if we were all here 😭
And I get it, how many social media collapses do you have to weather before you just give up?
But organizing would be so much easier if we were all here 😭
November 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Lots of my Twitter friends made the move here, but I can’t deny that Bluesky feels like a ghost town by comparison. Nothing could ever make me go back, though.
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Rush hour traffic in Utrecht.
Sound on 🔊 if you want to experience that rush hour IS possible without the constant, deafening noise of cars overpowering people talking.
Sound on 🔊 if you want to experience that rush hour IS possible without the constant, deafening noise of cars overpowering people talking.
November 25, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Rush hour traffic in Utrecht.
Sound on 🔊 if you want to experience that rush hour IS possible without the constant, deafening noise of cars overpowering people talking.
Sound on 🔊 if you want to experience that rush hour IS possible without the constant, deafening noise of cars overpowering people talking.
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
We (Nordborg & Weigel labs) need input on the next generation of genome browsers & data download modes for the #Arabidopsis #1001GenomesPlus project. We have now a curated collection of over 500 long read genomes.
Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Next generation of 1001 Genomes Plus browser and data download
Please indicate all features you would like to see in a browser that displays features of completely sequenced Arabidopsis thaliana genomes
docs.google.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
We (Nordborg & Weigel labs) need input on the next generation of genome browsers & data download modes for the #Arabidopsis #1001GenomesPlus project. We have now a curated collection of over 500 long read genomes.
Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Fell down a literature rabbit hole all day about the debate over protein degree/connectivity and evolutionary rate. Then, for fun, asked an LLM about it to see its answer. Wow, things predictably don't bode well for grad students who rely on those tools to do the reading and thinking for them
November 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Fell down a literature rabbit hole all day about the debate over protein degree/connectivity and evolutionary rate. Then, for fun, asked an LLM about it to see its answer. Wow, things predictably don't bode well for grad students who rely on those tools to do the reading and thinking for them
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Don’t invest in AI, invest in the future of the book
Why the publishing industry must back small presses, rather than LLMs.
www.thebookseller.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Stomata In-Sight: Integrating Live Confocal Microscopy with Leaf Gas Exchange and Environmental Control url: academic.oup.com/plphys/artic... @tombuckleylab.bsky.social @lawrensack.bsky.social @sheffieldpps.bsky.social @scottmcadam.bsky.social @stanfordstomata.bsky.social
Stomata In-Sight: Integrating Live Confocal Microscopy with Leaf Gas Exchange and Environmental Control
The development of a tool to simultaneously measure stomatal conductance and aperture enables investigation into the role of stomatal anatomy in controllin
academic.oup.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Stomata In-Sight: Integrating Live Confocal Microscopy with Leaf Gas Exchange and Environmental Control url: academic.oup.com/plphys/artic... @tombuckleylab.bsky.social @lawrensack.bsky.social @sheffieldpps.bsky.social @scottmcadam.bsky.social @stanfordstomata.bsky.social
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
✨ Excited to share our new In Brief article in The Plant Cell! Co-authored with Fabian and Bruno, our piece highlights work by Almeida-Silva and Van de Peer that uses spatial transcriptomics to uncover how gene and genome duplications shape plant evolution.
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 AM
✨ Excited to share our new In Brief article in The Plant Cell! Co-authored with Fabian and Bruno, our piece highlights work by Almeida-Silva and Van de Peer that uses spatial transcriptomics to uncover how gene and genome duplications shape plant evolution.
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
November 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
What's your absolutely unworkable plan to drop out of your current life (or at least work life) and do something completely different?
November 22, 2025 at 7:40 PM
What's your absolutely unworkable plan to drop out of your current life (or at least work life) and do something completely different?
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Image screening is going to fail. We need audit trails for data provenance.
I tried an even harder example on Gemini Pro image generation and this is quite scary/amazing. I asked for a microscopy image of around 20 HeLa cells, GFP tagged 20% nuclear, 10% membrane, +1 nuclear staining, + overlap. Image below and prompt in the following post.
November 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Image screening is going to fail. We need audit trails for data provenance.
I'm a big fan of the "Around the world in 80 plants/trees" books, so was delighted to see that Jon Drori has a plant book developed for children. It arrived today & I love it, I can't wait to share it with my granddaughters.
Beautifully illustrated, factual, engaging 💚💚💚💚💚#PlantSci
@jondrori.co.uk
Beautifully illustrated, factual, engaging 💚💚💚💚💚#PlantSci
@jondrori.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I'm a big fan of the "Around the world in 80 plants/trees" books, so was delighted to see that Jon Drori has a plant book developed for children. It arrived today & I love it, I can't wait to share it with my granddaughters.
Beautifully illustrated, factual, engaging 💚💚💚💚💚#PlantSci
@jondrori.co.uk
Beautifully illustrated, factual, engaging 💚💚💚💚💚#PlantSci
@jondrori.co.uk
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
A future without chocolate seems almost unimaginable. But according to UC Berkeley’s Brian Staskawicz, it is a very real possibility.
Learn more in this thread.🧵
Learn more in this thread.🧵
November 21, 2025 at 11:27 PM
A future without chocolate seems almost unimaginable. But according to UC Berkeley’s Brian Staskawicz, it is a very real possibility.
Learn more in this thread.🧵
Learn more in this thread.🧵
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
CRISPR-Cas–mediated heritable chromosome fusions in Arabidopsis
The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana consists of 10 chromosomes. By inducing CRISPR-Cas–mediated breaks at subcentromeric and subtelomeric sequences, we fused entire chromosome arms, obtaining two eight...
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:20 AM
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Check out our story in @plosbiology.org about how a nonrandom, clustered giant cell pattern forms in the sepal and leaf epidermis! It has been a great journey with @gweissbart.bsky.social, Frances Clark, Xihang Wang, @roederlab.bsky.social and co-authors.
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
A common pathway controls cell size in the sepal and leaf epidermis leading to a nonrandom pattern of giant cells
Arabidopsis leaf epidermal cells have a wide range of sizes and ploidies, but the mechanisms patterning their size and spatial distribution remain unclear. This study shows that the pathway controllin...
journals.plos.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Check out our story in @plosbiology.org about how a nonrandom, clustered giant cell pattern forms in the sepal and leaf epidermis! It has been a great journey with @gweissbart.bsky.social, Frances Clark, Xihang Wang, @roederlab.bsky.social and co-authors.
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Bronze, russet, green, yellow ... November's palette. Often seen as a desaturated time, there is still colour to be seen, just as there is activity under the soil during this seemingly dormant month #ForestFriday
November 21, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Bronze, russet, green, yellow ... November's palette. Often seen as a desaturated time, there is still colour to be seen, just as there is activity under the soil during this seemingly dormant month #ForestFriday
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
November 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
About that exclusive, "closed-to-press" MAHA summit last week with RFK and JD Vance: I got in.
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Here's what I saw. 🧵 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
🌱 EXPERT VIEW 🌱
In all land plants, small secreted peptides belonging to the CLE family move from cell to cell and activate their cognate receptors to control a plethora of developmental processes - Cornelis & Hazak
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪 @hazaklab.bsky.social
In all land plants, small secreted peptides belonging to the CLE family move from cell to cell and activate their cognate receptors to control a plethora of developmental processes - Cornelis & Hazak
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪 @hazaklab.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
🌱 EXPERT VIEW 🌱
In all land plants, small secreted peptides belonging to the CLE family move from cell to cell and activate their cognate receptors to control a plethora of developmental processes - Cornelis & Hazak
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪 @hazaklab.bsky.social
In all land plants, small secreted peptides belonging to the CLE family move from cell to cell and activate their cognate receptors to control a plethora of developmental processes - Cornelis & Hazak
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪 @hazaklab.bsky.social
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
The fluorescent probe DISBAC2(3) provides a high-throughput screening tool for evaluating abiotic stress tolerance in plants (Caroline Ivsic, Ping Yun, Frances C Sussmilch, Sergey Shabala) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial
The fluorescent probe DISBAC2(3) provides a high-throughput screening tool for evaluating abiotic stress tolerance in plants
Rapidly screening for changes in membrane potential and for stress-tolerant crops is uncovered using the voltage-sensitive dye DISBAC2(3).
doi.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
The fluorescent probe DISBAC2(3) provides a high-throughput screening tool for evaluating abiotic stress tolerance in plants (Caroline Ivsic, Ping Yun, Frances C Sussmilch, Sergey Shabala) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
✨ Flash Talk Fundamentals for Applied Biologists ✨
An interactive online workshop for early career researchers & professionals - perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to deliver a great conference flash talk or 3MT!
📆 12th December, 1pm GMT
Register now 👉 buff.ly/OiDYE93
An interactive online workshop for early career researchers & professionals - perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to deliver a great conference flash talk or 3MT!
📆 12th December, 1pm GMT
Register now 👉 buff.ly/OiDYE93
November 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
✨ Flash Talk Fundamentals for Applied Biologists ✨
An interactive online workshop for early career researchers & professionals - perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to deliver a great conference flash talk or 3MT!
📆 12th December, 1pm GMT
Register now 👉 buff.ly/OiDYE93
An interactive online workshop for early career researchers & professionals - perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to deliver a great conference flash talk or 3MT!
📆 12th December, 1pm GMT
Register now 👉 buff.ly/OiDYE93
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
📢Registrations open next week!
Join the mailing list for first access👉 forms.gle/YznZ1unBeNzQ...
Learn more: yrspp.github.io
#YRSPP2026 #PlantScience #Photobiology
Join the mailing list for first access👉 forms.gle/YznZ1unBeNzQ...
Learn more: yrspp.github.io
#YRSPP2026 #PlantScience #Photobiology
November 20, 2025 at 3:05 PM
📢Registrations open next week!
Join the mailing list for first access👉 forms.gle/YznZ1unBeNzQ...
Learn more: yrspp.github.io
#YRSPP2026 #PlantScience #Photobiology
Join the mailing list for first access👉 forms.gle/YznZ1unBeNzQ...
Learn more: yrspp.github.io
#YRSPP2026 #PlantScience #Photobiology
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
🔔 C-SPIRT Member Talk Tomorrow! Featuring Dr. Cobus Smit from the University of York 🧬
📣 Title: Untangling the threads that shaped plant biosynthetic gene clusters
🗓️ When: Friday, November 21 | 12-1 pm ET
🔗 Zoom: ubc.zoom.us/j/6739059915... (passcode 784447)
#PlantScience
📣 Title: Untangling the threads that shaped plant biosynthetic gene clusters
🗓️ When: Friday, November 21 | 12-1 pm ET
🔗 Zoom: ubc.zoom.us/j/6739059915... (passcode 784447)
#PlantScience
November 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
🔔 C-SPIRT Member Talk Tomorrow! Featuring Dr. Cobus Smit from the University of York 🧬
📣 Title: Untangling the threads that shaped plant biosynthetic gene clusters
🗓️ When: Friday, November 21 | 12-1 pm ET
🔗 Zoom: ubc.zoom.us/j/6739059915... (passcode 784447)
#PlantScience
📣 Title: Untangling the threads that shaped plant biosynthetic gene clusters
🗓️ When: Friday, November 21 | 12-1 pm ET
🔗 Zoom: ubc.zoom.us/j/6739059915... (passcode 784447)
#PlantScience
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
A new fossil fungus discovered in Scotland shows evidence of plants and fungi sharing nutrients to survive on land.
The fossil, more than 400 million years old, offers hints about the origin of one of the greatest partnerships in the history of life on Earth.
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
The fossil, more than 400 million years old, offers hints about the origin of one of the greatest partnerships in the history of life on Earth.
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Ancient fossil reveals how plants and fungi first developed on land | Natural History Museum
A new fossil fungus discovered in Scotland shows evidence of plants and fungi sharing nutrients to survive on land.
www.nhm.ac.uk
November 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
A new fossil fungus discovered in Scotland shows evidence of plants and fungi sharing nutrients to survive on land.
The fossil, more than 400 million years old, offers hints about the origin of one of the greatest partnerships in the history of life on Earth.
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
The fossil, more than 400 million years old, offers hints about the origin of one of the greatest partnerships in the history of life on Earth.
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/new...
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
I highly recommend the #MBP2026 #PlantScience Meeting in Hennef, especially if you're an ECR or #NewPI trying to connect to the German Plant Science Community.
It's interactive, fun and relaxed.
Unfortunately, I won't be there this year, but I'll be back in 2027 👍
It's interactive, fun and relaxed.
Unfortunately, I won't be there this year, but I'll be back in 2027 👍
👀 Early Career Researchers in #PlantSci:
There are only 4 days left ... if you want to join
Molecular Biology of Plants (#MBP2026) Conference in Hennef, Germany
Registration + abstract submission end on
🗓️ 23rd November 2025
www.pflanzen-molekularbiologie.de/en/conferenc...
There are only 4 days left ... if you want to join
Molecular Biology of Plants (#MBP2026) Conference in Hennef, Germany
Registration + abstract submission end on
🗓️ 23rd November 2025
www.pflanzen-molekularbiologie.de/en/conferenc...
November 20, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I highly recommend the #MBP2026 #PlantScience Meeting in Hennef, especially if you're an ECR or #NewPI trying to connect to the German Plant Science Community.
It's interactive, fun and relaxed.
Unfortunately, I won't be there this year, but I'll be back in 2027 👍
It's interactive, fun and relaxed.
Unfortunately, I won't be there this year, but I'll be back in 2027 👍