Robert Laport
@robertlaport.bsky.social
College of Idaho; Associate Professor & Director of the Herbarium; Plant Evolutionary Ecologist; Botanist; Polyploidy; Views my own
www.robertlaport.com
www.robertlaport.com
Reposted by Robert Laport
What can we do as scientists? One thing: mentor the habits of seeing and thinking scientifically, and cultivate interest in the world. From @botsocamerica.bsky.social Plant Science Bulletin, a clip of high-school students' responses to @plantingscience.bsky.social mentorship:
January 5, 2026 at 1:01 PM
What can we do as scientists? One thing: mentor the habits of seeing and thinking scientifically, and cultivate interest in the world. From @botsocamerica.bsky.social Plant Science Bulletin, a clip of high-school students' responses to @plantingscience.bsky.social mentorship:
Excited to have this paper out in the journal Castanea at the end of 2025! Lots of hard work and neat insights into Urban Forested Natural Areas around Memphis by former students Braxton Jeffcoat, Aidan Kron, & Jacob Spears at Rhodes College, and Eric Bridges at Overton Park Conservancy!
January 1, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Excited to have this paper out in the journal Castanea at the end of 2025! Lots of hard work and neat insights into Urban Forested Natural Areas around Memphis by former students Braxton Jeffcoat, Aidan Kron, & Jacob Spears at Rhodes College, and Eric Bridges at Overton Park Conservancy!
Reposted by Robert Laport
Some one wished me that “I hope next year will be even better than this one was.”
I grew all serious and said “It bloody well better be.”
I grew all serious and said “It bloody well better be.”
December 31, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Some one wished me that “I hope next year will be even better than this one was.”
I grew all serious and said “It bloody well better be.”
I grew all serious and said “It bloody well better be.”
Reposted by Robert Laport
The PBS shining a light on the best native fruit tree in North America, just outclassing sand plums. Both make superb ice creams and sorbets or are also good shoveled under the source tree directly.
Apples, oranges and bananas are sold in abundance in supermarkets throughout the country. But some say the most American fruit is one you’ll likely never see in the produce department, and it’s one you’ve probably never heard of. https://to.pbs.org/4o9epsl
The pawpaw: America's forgotten native fruit finds new popularity
Apples, oranges and bananas are sold in abundance in supermarkets throughout the country. But some say the most American fruit is one you’ll likely never see in the produce department, and it’s one yo...
www.pbs.org
December 26, 2025 at 12:40 AM
The PBS shining a light on the best native fruit tree in North America, just outclassing sand plums. Both make superb ice creams and sorbets or are also good shoveled under the source tree directly.
Common garden installed! Diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid Larrea tridentata planted out at Harvey Mudd College with collaborator Jessica Guo! Fun science will ensue!
December 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Common garden installed! Diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid Larrea tridentata planted out at Harvey Mudd College with collaborator Jessica Guo! Fun science will ensue!
Reposted by Robert Laport
Excited to share the first two publications from our PERSIST (Predicting Evolutionary Rescue of a Species in Space and Time) project. Thanks to NSF-DEB for supporting this work! (1/3)
December 22, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Excited to share the first two publications from our PERSIST (Predicting Evolutionary Rescue of a Species in Space and Time) project. Thanks to NSF-DEB for supporting this work! (1/3)
Reposted by Robert Laport
New paper just posted with @rschley.bsky.social et al: doi.org/10.1111/nph.... (1/n)
The frequency and importance of polyploidy in tropical rainforest tree radiations
The presence of two or more copies of the genome in an organism, termed ‘polyploidy’, is a crucial force in plant evolution, generating genetic, phenotypic and ecological diversity. The Amazonian tr...
doi.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
New paper just posted with @rschley.bsky.social et al: doi.org/10.1111/nph.... (1/n)
Reposted by Robert Laport
Ready for 2025? #plantsgivinfg
My #plantsgiving totals:
49 species in 25 different families!
49 species in 25 different families!
November 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Ready for 2025? #plantsgivinfg
Time to stratify the harvest from century+ old American chestnuts in Oregon and Washington! Preserving pre-blight genetics from an accidental genetic diversity repository! #TACF #americanchestnut #chestnutrestoration
October 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Time to stratify the harvest from century+ old American chestnuts in Oregon and Washington! Preserving pre-blight genetics from an accidental genetic diversity repository! #TACF #americanchestnut #chestnutrestoration
Reposted by Robert Laport
A small sample of oak heroes who have had a disproportionate influence on my thinking and work, from Mexico, France, and the U.S.
Names in the alt text; from the International Oak Society meeting last week in Oaxaca.
Join www.internationaloaksociety.org today!
Names in the alt text; from the International Oak Society meeting last week in Oaxaca.
Join www.internationaloaksociety.org today!
October 13, 2025 at 2:42 AM
A small sample of oak heroes who have had a disproportionate influence on my thinking and work, from Mexico, France, and the U.S.
Names in the alt text; from the International Oak Society meeting last week in Oaxaca.
Join www.internationaloaksociety.org today!
Names in the alt text; from the International Oak Society meeting last week in Oaxaca.
Join www.internationaloaksociety.org today!
Reposted by Robert Laport
Undergrads, grad students, professors, medical researchers, scientists in industry: help middle and high schoolers across the country understand what you *actually* do and why it matters! Be a source of inspiration amid all this chaos.
Scientists, here's your chance to remind the public about the beauty of science & why your work matters!
Make a 3min presentation with a template; cash prizes! 💰 Deadline extended to Oct 12. www.galacticpolymath.com/blog/my-scij... Funded by @ncse.bsky.social Plz repost! 🧪🪶🐸🔊 #scicomm #MySciJourney
Make a 3min presentation with a template; cash prizes! 💰 Deadline extended to Oct 12. www.galacticpolymath.com/blog/my-scij... Funded by @ncse.bsky.social Plz repost! 🧪🪶🐸🔊 #scicomm #MySciJourney
Win Cash, Save Science: Share Your SciJourney! — Galactic Polymath
Join the 2025 #MySciJourney Challenge! We are looking for scientists at all stages to share their journeys in science! Teachers: You and your students can help decide the winners! #scicomm #SaveNSF
www.galacticpolymath.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Undergrads, grad students, professors, medical researchers, scientists in industry: help middle and high schoolers across the country understand what you *actually* do and why it matters! Be a source of inspiration amid all this chaos.
Reposted by Robert Laport
In the most extreme case, an accession from Armenia (Ames 32873) has nearly unprecedented levels of genomic rearrangement: only 25% syntenic to the reference genotype. However, those rearrangements are entirely located in the pericentromeres and don't contribute to higher levels of gene PAV. 4/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
In the most extreme case, an accession from Armenia (Ames 32873) has nearly unprecedented levels of genomic rearrangement: only 25% syntenic to the reference genotype. However, those rearrangements are entirely located in the pericentromeres and don't contribute to higher levels of gene PAV. 4/
Reposted by Robert Laport
Genome size variation (455Mb-466Mb) and gene level presence/absence variation between genotypes was small (~80% core), but the pangenomic variation in genome graph was larger (~53% core), suggesting more going on beneath the surface. 2/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Genome size variation (455Mb-466Mb) and gene level presence/absence variation between genotypes was small (~80% core), but the pangenomic variation in genome graph was larger (~53% core), suggesting more going on beneath the surface. 2/
Reposted by Robert Laport
New — with @joannarifkin.bsky.social, @jotlovell.bsky.social, @spicybotrytis.bsky.social, and many more — we created seven new high-quality genomes and explored pangenomic variation in the emerging oilseed crop pennycress (Thlaspi arvense). 1/
Structure and sequence evolution in the pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) pangenome
Summary · Eukaryotic genomes harbor many forms of variation, including nucleotide diversity and structural polymorphisms, which experience natural selection and contribute to genome evolution and biod...
www.biorxiv.org
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
New — with @joannarifkin.bsky.social, @jotlovell.bsky.social, @spicybotrytis.bsky.social, and many more — we created seven new high-quality genomes and explored pangenomic variation in the emerging oilseed crop pennycress (Thlaspi arvense). 1/
Reposted by Robert Laport
Whole-genome alignments revealed pennycress has nearly dichotomous genome compartmentalization: huge gene-poor pericentromeric regions (~300Mb; <1% genic) with frequent rearrangements and highly syntenic gene-rich chromosome arms (~150Mb; ~20% genic). What we call a "two-speed" genome structure. 3/
September 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Whole-genome alignments revealed pennycress has nearly dichotomous genome compartmentalization: huge gene-poor pericentromeric regions (~300Mb; <1% genic) with frequent rearrangements and highly syntenic gene-rich chromosome arms (~150Mb; ~20% genic). What we call a "two-speed" genome structure. 3/
Reposted by Robert Laport
Please repost and amplify !
We are hiring a faculty position in Evolutionary Genetics in the Biology Department at U of South Carolina!
Check us out and come be our colleague!
sc.edu/study/colleg...
Deadline for applications is Oct 1
#AcademicJobs #EvoBio
We are hiring a faculty position in Evolutionary Genetics in the Biology Department at U of South Carolina!
Check us out and come be our colleague!
sc.edu/study/colleg...
Deadline for applications is Oct 1
#AcademicJobs #EvoBio
Assistant Professor position in Evolutionary Genetics - Department of Biological Sciences | University of South Carolina
sc.edu
August 12, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Please repost and amplify !
We are hiring a faculty position in Evolutionary Genetics in the Biology Department at U of South Carolina!
Check us out and come be our colleague!
sc.edu/study/colleg...
Deadline for applications is Oct 1
#AcademicJobs #EvoBio
We are hiring a faculty position in Evolutionary Genetics in the Biology Department at U of South Carolina!
Check us out and come be our colleague!
sc.edu/study/colleg...
Deadline for applications is Oct 1
#AcademicJobs #EvoBio
Reposted by Robert Laport
Why are you a naturalist? What does natural history do for us?
Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1750) claimed that American adults take “little account of Natural History… that science being… looked upon as a mere trifle, and the pastime of fools.”
Still true?
www.plantlovestories.com/post/plants-...
Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1750) claimed that American adults take “little account of Natural History… that science being… looked upon as a mere trifle, and the pastime of fools.”
Still true?
www.plantlovestories.com/post/plants-...
Plants and Places
by Andrew Hipp"And so, when his prescribed devotion to boyish beauties has carried our candidate so far that the universal beauty dawns upon his inward sight, he is almost within reach of the final re...
www.plantlovestories.com
August 7, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Why are you a naturalist? What does natural history do for us?
Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1750) claimed that American adults take “little account of Natural History… that science being… looked upon as a mere trifle, and the pastime of fools.”
Still true?
www.plantlovestories.com/post/plants-...
Swedish botanist Peter Kalm (1750) claimed that American adults take “little account of Natural History… that science being… looked upon as a mere trifle, and the pastime of fools.”
Still true?
www.plantlovestories.com/post/plants-...
Reposted by Robert Laport
Did you see @racheljabaily.bsky.social new open educational resource "Biology of Plants" coloring textbook when you were at #Botany2025 ? No? WELL GO CHECK IT OUT: oercommons.org/courses/the-... Gorgeous illustrations by MGB Hurst 😍
The Biology of Plants Coloring Textbook
The Biology of Plants Coloring Textbook was created by Dr. Rachel S. Jabaily (Colorado College Dept. Organismal Biology & Ecology) and M.G.B. Hurst (Colorado College class of 2025) with a grant from t...
oercommons.org
August 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Did you see @racheljabaily.bsky.social new open educational resource "Biology of Plants" coloring textbook when you were at #Botany2025 ? No? WELL GO CHECK IT OUT: oercommons.org/courses/the-... Gorgeous illustrations by MGB Hurst 😍
Reposted by Robert Laport
#Botany2025 was fabulous! I'm SO proud of these undergrads, who did a fantastic job presenting their work! It is so gratifying to make and strengthen connections with my Botany fam. 💖 you all! Unfortunately, my sore throat on Thurs morning was not karaoke related...I have COVID, so test yourself :(
August 1, 2025 at 4:50 PM
#Botany2025 was fabulous! I'm SO proud of these undergrads, who did a fantastic job presenting their work! It is so gratifying to make and strengthen connections with my Botany fam. 💖 you all! Unfortunately, my sore throat on Thurs morning was not karaoke related...I have COVID, so test yourself :(
Reposted by Robert Laport
#Botany2025… the comedown is real.
a man in a black jacket and white pants is standing on a dirt field near the ocean .
Alt: a man in a black jacket and white pants is standing on a dirt field near the ocean .
media.tenor.com
August 2, 2025 at 3:15 AM
#Botany2025… the comedown is real.
Reposted by Robert Laport
#Botany2025 was a blast! So much cool botanical science to learn from.
Also, very happy to present our work on the genetics of Saguaro 🌵
Looking forward to the next one!
Also, very happy to present our work on the genetics of Saguaro 🌵
Looking forward to the next one!
August 3, 2025 at 12:26 AM
#Botany2025 was a blast! So much cool botanical science to learn from.
Also, very happy to present our work on the genetics of Saguaro 🌵
Looking forward to the next one!
Also, very happy to present our work on the genetics of Saguaro 🌵
Looking forward to the next one!
Reposted by Robert Laport
#botany2025 was incredible! Thank you to all the organizers, speakers, and conference center staff!
I loved seeing old seeing old friends and making new ones! I always come home inspired and renewed!
See you all in Tucson in 2026!
I loved seeing old seeing old friends and making new ones! I always come home inspired and renewed!
See you all in Tucson in 2026!
August 3, 2025 at 9:37 PM
#botany2025 was incredible! Thank you to all the organizers, speakers, and conference center staff!
I loved seeing old seeing old friends and making new ones! I always come home inspired and renewed!
See you all in Tucson in 2026!
I loved seeing old seeing old friends and making new ones! I always come home inspired and renewed!
See you all in Tucson in 2026!
Reposted by Robert Laport
Had such a great time at #botany2025! Hearing about everyone's research was very inspiring and generated some new ideas for my own work.
See you all in Tucson next year!
See you all in Tucson next year!
August 3, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Had such a great time at #botany2025! Hearing about everyone's research was very inspiring and generated some new ideas for my own work.
See you all in Tucson next year!
See you all in Tucson next year!
Reposted by Robert Laport
This story is not new but a presentation at #Botany2025 raised awareness on the impact of avocado production on biodiversity. U.S. demand is driving deforestation in rich Mexican cloud forests which also support monarch butterflies. www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/u...
Americans Love Avocados. It’s Killing Mexico’s Forests. (Published 2023)
www.nytimes.com
August 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
This story is not new but a presentation at #Botany2025 raised awareness on the impact of avocado production on biodiversity. U.S. demand is driving deforestation in rich Mexican cloud forests which also support monarch butterflies. www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/u...
Reposted by Robert Laport
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
What’s the first thing I did after I got back home from #Botany2025?
Showed off that sweet bulbous @ijpsjournal.bsky.social journal cover to my mom, which prompted her to then read the article!
The bulbous propaganda spreads!!
✌️😎🧅 #PlantPeopleFTW
Showed off that sweet bulbous @ijpsjournal.bsky.social journal cover to my mom, which prompted her to then read the article!
The bulbous propaganda spreads!!
✌️😎🧅 #PlantPeopleFTW
August 1, 2025 at 10:35 AM
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️