Michael Hothorn
@structplantbio.bsky.social
Structural biologist interested in all things green. Professor at University of Geneva, Switzerland. https://web.structplantbio.org/
Pinned
Plant Kelch phosphatases are Ser/Thr phosphatases involved in cell cycle regulation
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroid hormones sensed at the cell surface by the membrane receptor kinase BRI1. Activation of BRI1 leads to the dephosphorylation of BZR1/BES1 transcription factors ...
tinyurl.com
Our new year starts of course with new preprint on brassinosteroid signaling tinyurl.com/nhzcfkxd. We re-analyzed the function of Kelch phosphatases, which were previously characterized as protein tyrosine phosphatases that dephosphorylate the critical pTyr200 in the GSK3 kinase BIN2. (1/6)
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Happy to share the pre-print on GEMMIFER, a novel ERF required for the initiation of gemma in Marchantia. One of the coolest phenotypes that I have ever seen. Congratulations to Yuki and Go, who led this research. #PlantScience @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
January 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Happy to share the pre-print on GEMMIFER, a novel ERF required for the initiation of gemma in Marchantia. One of the coolest phenotypes that I have ever seen. Congratulations to Yuki and Go, who led this research. #PlantScience @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Excellente tribune de @torstenschwede.bsky.social à propos de l'importance de soutenir le @snf-fns.ch
www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv... www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv...
www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv... www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv...
Investir dans la recherche scientifique est dans l’intérêt de notre pays - Le Temps
OPINION. Le parlement se penche sur une potentielle baisse d’au moins 10% du budget du Fonds national suisse dès 2027. Si ce projet passe la rampe, la Suisse fragilisera sa capacité d’innovation, sa c...
www.letemps.ch
January 13, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Excellente tribune de @torstenschwede.bsky.social à propos de l'importance de soutenir le @snf-fns.ch
www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv... www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv...
www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv... www.letemps.ch/opinions/inv...
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Launch your own independent research group!
2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
📆 Apply by 30 Jan 2026
More info:
👉 www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/careers/grou...
Job details:
👉 www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Please share this post #PlantSciJobs #PlantSciJob
2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
📆 Apply by 30 Jan 2026
More info:
👉 www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/careers/grou...
Job details:
👉 www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Please share this post #PlantSciJobs #PlantSciJob
January 9, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Launch your own independent research group!
2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
📆 Apply by 30 Jan 2026
More info:
👉 www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/careers/grou...
Job details:
👉 www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Please share this post #PlantSciJobs #PlantSciJob
2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
📆 Apply by 30 Jan 2026
More info:
👉 www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/careers/grou...
Job details:
👉 www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Please share this post #PlantSciJobs #PlantSciJob
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
DFG erlaubt Einsatz von KI in der Begutachtung.
Wenn wir jetzt noch die AI dazu kriegen, die komplette Forschung zu machen, haben wir den Menschen komplett von der Last des Forschungsprozzeses befreit und er kann sich komplett auf wichtige Dinge wie Reisekostenerstattungsanträge konzentrieren.
Wenn wir jetzt noch die AI dazu kriegen, die komplette Forschung zu machen, haben wir den Menschen komplett von der Last des Forschungsprozzeses befreit und er kann sich komplett auf wichtige Dinge wie Reisekostenerstattungsanträge konzentrieren.
Künstliche Intelligenz in der Begutachtung
www.dfg.de
January 8, 2026 at 10:16 AM
DFG erlaubt Einsatz von KI in der Begutachtung.
Wenn wir jetzt noch die AI dazu kriegen, die komplette Forschung zu machen, haben wir den Menschen komplett von der Last des Forschungsprozzeses befreit und er kann sich komplett auf wichtige Dinge wie Reisekostenerstattungsanträge konzentrieren.
Wenn wir jetzt noch die AI dazu kriegen, die komplette Forschung zu machen, haben wir den Menschen komplett von der Last des Forschungsprozzeses befreit und er kann sich komplett auf wichtige Dinge wie Reisekostenerstattungsanträge konzentrieren.
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Our new year starts of course with new preprint on brassinosteroid signaling tinyurl.com/nhzcfkxd. We re-analyzed the function of Kelch phosphatases, which were previously characterized as protein tyrosine phosphatases that dephosphorylate the critical pTyr200 in the GSK3 kinase BIN2. (1/6)
Plant Kelch phosphatases are Ser/Thr phosphatases involved in cell cycle regulation
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroid hormones sensed at the cell surface by the membrane receptor kinase BRI1. Activation of BRI1 leads to the dephosphorylation of BZR1/BES1 transcription factors ...
tinyurl.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:48 AM
Our new year starts of course with new preprint on brassinosteroid signaling tinyurl.com/nhzcfkxd. We re-analyzed the function of Kelch phosphatases, which were previously characterized as protein tyrosine phosphatases that dephosphorylate the critical pTyr200 in the GSK3 kinase BIN2. (1/6)
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
A great tenure track position (Assistant Professor) of Sustainable Plant Nutrition @ethz.ch @usyseth.bsky.social @johansix.bsky.social ! Deadline to apply: 28/02/2026.
ethz.ch/en/the-eth-z...
ethz.ch/en/the-eth-z...
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) of Sustainable Plant Nutrition
ethz.ch
January 4, 2026 at 6:29 PM
A great tenure track position (Assistant Professor) of Sustainable Plant Nutrition @ethz.ch @usyseth.bsky.social @johansix.bsky.social ! Deadline to apply: 28/02/2026.
ethz.ch/en/the-eth-z...
ethz.ch/en/the-eth-z...
A 1.25 A!!! cryo EM structure of rubisco.
Atomic resolution structure of spinach rubisco reveals protons and dynamics www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.696010v1 #cryoem
December 24, 2025 at 11:15 AM
A 1.25 A!!! cryo EM structure of rubisco.
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
The SNSF is considering restrictions for its Project funding. Goal: to ensure the quality of evaluation & stable success rates despite an increasing number of applications and limited funding. The final decision will be made in January 2026.
👉 buff.ly/iGOCf7R
#research #science
👉 buff.ly/iGOCf7R
#research #science
Project funding restrictions envisaged
The SNSF is responding to increased demand from researchers in order to ensure evaluation quality and stabilise success rates.
buff.ly
December 18, 2025 at 10:30 AM
The SNSF is considering restrictions for its Project funding. Goal: to ensure the quality of evaluation & stable success rates despite an increasing number of applications and limited funding. The final decision will be made in January 2026.
👉 buff.ly/iGOCf7R
#research #science
👉 buff.ly/iGOCf7R
#research #science
My PhD supervisor Klaus Scheffzek (1958-2025) has passed away. tinyurl.com/3dcm73p6 Klaus was an expert structural biologist with degrees in physics and biology, an excellent scientist, a great teacher, and pianist. He made key contributions to G-protein signaling @embl.org @mpi-mr.bsky.social
December 12, 2025 at 12:16 PM
My PhD supervisor Klaus Scheffzek (1958-2025) has passed away. tinyurl.com/3dcm73p6 Klaus was an expert structural biologist with degrees in physics and biology, an excellent scientist, a great teacher, and pianist. He made key contributions to G-protein signaling @embl.org @mpi-mr.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Results of the @erc.europa.eu consolidator grants. 25 for🇨🇭👏
ETH-EPFL: 9
UNIZH-UNIBS: 12
UNIL: 1
UNIGE: 0
🥸
ETH-EPFL: 9
UNIZH-UNIBS: 12
UNIL: 1
UNIGE: 0
🥸
December 9, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Results of the @erc.europa.eu consolidator grants. 25 for🇨🇭👏
ETH-EPFL: 9
UNIZH-UNIBS: 12
UNIL: 1
UNIGE: 0
🥸
ETH-EPFL: 9
UNIZH-UNIBS: 12
UNIL: 1
UNIGE: 0
🥸
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Check out our latest paper. Very glad to see this one finally out. Fantastic work by @charlotte-dlslle.bsky.social . Learn more about MBAP proteins and their roles in brassinosteroid signaling. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 8, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Check out our latest paper. Very glad to see this one finally out. Fantastic work by @charlotte-dlslle.bsky.social . Learn more about MBAP proteins and their roles in brassinosteroid signaling. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Nice work by the Mayer and @jessenlab.bsky.social labs out in @elife.bsky.social. Inositol pyrophosphates regulate the vacuolar inorganic polyphosphate and Pi pools, allowing Pi to be re-imported into the cytosol when cells experience phosphate starvation. elifesciences.org/articles/108...
December 5, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Nice work by the Mayer and @jessenlab.bsky.social labs out in @elife.bsky.social. Inositol pyrophosphates regulate the vacuolar inorganic polyphosphate and Pi pools, allowing Pi to be re-imported into the cytosol when cells experience phosphate starvation. elifesciences.org/articles/108...
Our latest collaboration with Fiedler lab @fmp-berlin.de and Panse labs UZH out on @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social. Using bead-adsorbed, non-hydrolyzable inositol pyrophosphate (PP-InsP) analogs, we isolated many putative PP-InsP-binding proteins from Arabidopsis.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/6)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/6)
An inositol pyrophosphate interaction screen provides insight into the regulation of plant casein kinase II
Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) are key nutrient messengers in plants, but their protein receptors remain poorly defined. Using a systems-level affinity screen with biotinylated InsP₆, InsP₇, and I...
www.biorxiv.org
November 29, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Our latest collaboration with Fiedler lab @fmp-berlin.de and Panse labs UZH out on @biorxiv-plants.bsky.social. Using bead-adsorbed, non-hydrolyzable inositol pyrophosphate (PP-InsP) analogs, we isolated many putative PP-InsP-binding proteins from Arabidopsis.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/6)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... (1/6)
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
This year’s @embo.org Workshop is held at the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social. Open to 120 participants, it is over-enrolled with 180 attendees! Thank you to the organizers @isabelmonte.bsky.social, Aino Komatsu, @moodytomato.bsky.social, and Liam Dolan for making this event possible. #EMBOplantEvo
November 25, 2025 at 3:29 PM
This year’s @embo.org Workshop is held at the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social. Open to 120 participants, it is over-enrolled with 180 attendees! Thank you to the organizers @isabelmonte.bsky.social, Aino Komatsu, @moodytomato.bsky.social, and Liam Dolan for making this event possible. #EMBOplantEvo
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Sharing this important article... for no reason whatsoever.
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
November 23, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Sharing this important article... for no reason whatsoever.
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
"We must also continue to deepen and refine our understanding of fundamental biological processes because these details frequently hold the keys to major advances in applied research."
elifesciences.org/articles/102...
Very nice application of our constitutive active BIR3-RK chimera from @hohmannulrich.bsky.social (doi.org/10.1105/tpc....) to dissect the contribution of ERECTA to vascular differentiation. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.... Congrats to @lauraragni.bsky.social @bertderybel.bsky.social @bayerlab.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Very nice application of our constitutive active BIR3-RK chimera from @hohmannulrich.bsky.social (doi.org/10.1105/tpc....) to dissect the contribution of ERECTA to vascular differentiation. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.... Congrats to @lauraragni.bsky.social @bertderybel.bsky.social @bayerlab.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Finally out in @nature.com! We uncovered a mechanistic framework for a general and conserved mRNA nuclear export pathway. www.nature.com/articles/s41.... 1/
November 19, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Finally out in @nature.com! We uncovered a mechanistic framework for a general and conserved mRNA nuclear export pathway. www.nature.com/articles/s41.... 1/
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Our new review is out @theplantjournal.bsky.social! Christian (@unil.bsky.social) and I dive into brassinosteroid perception specificity and the importance of BRs in shaping vascular development. @ibmcp.bsky.social @upv.es @csic.es onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
November 15, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Our new review is out @theplantjournal.bsky.social! Christian (@unil.bsky.social) and I dive into brassinosteroid perception specificity and the importance of BRs in shaping vascular development. @ibmcp.bsky.social @upv.es @csic.es onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
The University of Toulouse has 44 postdoc positions to fill (Horizon Europe MSCA-COFUND). My lab is looking for candidates to apply and work on how plants regulate cell surface levels of receptors or transporters in response to heat. Please DM me if interested!
tiris.univ-toulouse.fr/en/programs/...
tiris.univ-toulouse.fr/en/programs/...
AToUT – TIRIS – Toulouse's Science In and For Society
tiris.univ-toulouse.fr
November 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The University of Toulouse has 44 postdoc positions to fill (Horizon Europe MSCA-COFUND). My lab is looking for candidates to apply and work on how plants regulate cell surface levels of receptors or transporters in response to heat. Please DM me if interested!
tiris.univ-toulouse.fr/en/programs/...
tiris.univ-toulouse.fr/en/programs/...
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
957 proposals were submitted in the latest round of ERC Synergy applications. They expect to fund 50 which means around 5% success rate. This is really not sustainable and a lot of people are likely avoiding doing this knowing how poor the chances are.
erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
Applications for ERC Synergy Grants 2026: Facts and figures
The ERC Synergy Grants 2026 call closed for applications on 5 November 2025. These are the preliminary data on the submitted proposals:
erc.europa.eu
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
957 proposals were submitted in the latest round of ERC Synergy applications. They expect to fund 50 which means around 5% success rate. This is really not sustainable and a lot of people are likely avoiding doing this knowing how poor the chances are.
erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
erc.europa.eu/news-events/...
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
🌱 Postdoc position in Plant Genomics/Bioinformatics!
Love genome plasticity, computational methods, and solving big questions in plant biology? Join our newly established Institute for Crop Biology at HHU Düsseldorf.
More info on schneebergerlab.org/career/
Apply by Nov. 30 | 3-year position
Love genome plasticity, computational methods, and solving big questions in plant biology? Join our newly established Institute for Crop Biology at HHU Düsseldorf.
More info on schneebergerlab.org/career/
Apply by Nov. 30 | 3-year position
Career – Schneeberger Lab
schneebergerlab.org
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
🌱 Postdoc position in Plant Genomics/Bioinformatics!
Love genome plasticity, computational methods, and solving big questions in plant biology? Join our newly established Institute for Crop Biology at HHU Düsseldorf.
More info on schneebergerlab.org/career/
Apply by Nov. 30 | 3-year position
Love genome plasticity, computational methods, and solving big questions in plant biology? Join our newly established Institute for Crop Biology at HHU Düsseldorf.
More info on schneebergerlab.org/career/
Apply by Nov. 30 | 3-year position
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
🇨🇭 🇪🇺 Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and EU Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva signed the Swiss-EU Programme Agreement (#EUPA) in Bern. This means that Switzerland is once again definitively associated with #HorizonEurope, the world's largest research programme.
➡️ sohub.io/4tjw
📷 WBF/DEFR
➡️ sohub.io/4tjw
📷 WBF/DEFR
November 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
🇨🇭 🇪🇺 Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and EU Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva signed the Swiss-EU Programme Agreement (#EUPA) in Bern. This means that Switzerland is once again definitively associated with #HorizonEurope, the world's largest research programme.
➡️ sohub.io/4tjw
📷 WBF/DEFR
➡️ sohub.io/4tjw
📷 WBF/DEFR
Reposted by Michael Hothorn
Another great collaboration with @trevormnolan.bsky.social and @nvukas.bsky.social where we give our vision on how brassinosteroid research can pave the way to precision plant engineering www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Unlocking the potential of brassinosteroids: A path to precision plant engineering
Brassinosteroids are essential plant hormones that play a central role in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Their impact on plant architecture and productivity makes them attractiv...
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Another great collaboration with @trevormnolan.bsky.social and @nvukas.bsky.social where we give our vision on how brassinosteroid research can pave the way to precision plant engineering www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Researchers use less and less hedges (may, might, perhaps, probably ...) in their papers. Or in other words papers are becoming more like biblical texts.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Promoting research by reducing uncertainty in academic writing: a large-scale diachronic case study on hedging in Science research articles across 25 years - Scientometrics
Hedges are important in academic writing since they indicate uncertainty and tentativeness about academic knowledge. However, few studies explore how hedges have changed in academic writing overtime. ...
link.springer.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Researchers use less and less hedges (may, might, perhaps, probably ...) in their papers. Or in other words papers are becoming more like biblical texts.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...