Amanda Rawstern
@arawstern.bsky.social
140 followers 250 following 5 posts
Post-Doctoral Researcher at University of Pittsburgh in Ashman lab. I study plant-microbe interactions and microbial ecology. arawstern.wixsite.com/home
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Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
plantevolution.bsky.social
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/...
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
hueihsuantsai.bsky.social
Very excited to see our @nikogeldner.bsky.social lab x Feng Zhou lab work featured on the cover of Science!
(1/5) We reveal how root architecture and nutrient leakage shape spatial patterns of microbial colonization, moving beyond traditional models of uniform exudation.
science.org
Using precise spatial and temporal analysis, researchers in Science provide insight into how bacteria around the root interact both with the plant and with each other.

Learn more in this week's issue: https://scim.ag/3WgNajk
A confocal microscopy image shows root-colonizing bacteria clustering around an emerging lateral root, where localized glutamine leakage induces spatially confined reporter activity.
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
eleanorhay.bsky.social
Come check out my talk at #ESA2025 today! I'll be chatting about some of my Postdoc research on mutualisms and how they impact niche breadth and diversification in the Eco-Evolutionary processes session in BCC344 at 1:45pm!
Powerpoint presentation slide for a talk titled "Hidden players in evolution: the impact of fungal endophytes on niche breadth and diversification across Poa (bluegrass)". Contains an image of a grass with a microscope image of an endophyte present in a grass seed.
arawstern.bsky.social
Come check out my presentation on what community properties can predict microbiome resistance to drought today! #ESA2025 COS 015 BCC 336 3:30-5:00
Picture of presentation title slide showing a soil landscape.
arawstern.bsky.social
Check out this video of our research on soil microbiomes at Archbold Biological Station!

news.miami.edu/stories/2025...
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
nashturley.bsky.social
Our guide to bees of Pennsylvania is available for free now, you can order print copy (just have to pay shipping) and/or download PDF from Penn State Extension page: extension.psu.edu/bees-of-penn...

For every one of the 47 bee genera we have beautiful photo(s) and natural history facts
two pages from our been book, lots of of images and a bit of text for each bee genera cover of our Bees of Pennsylvania book with photo of green sweat bee
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
yyachung.bsky.social
I'm jealous of whoever that got to watch hundreds of cat videos to collect data for this study!
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
ilafores.bsky.social
And that is a 🌯 for the plant-microbe symposium!

Thank you to Morgane & @mycocentriq.bsky.social for organizing!

@csee-scee.bsky.social
@csee-sceemtgs.bsky.social
#CSEE2025
arawstern.bsky.social
My 2nd dissertation chapter is out in Plant, Cell, & Environment!

We use a model legume to assess how plant host genotype and microbes non-additively interact to shape plant growth and disease ecology.

Check it out here: doi.org/10.1111/pce....
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
lmueller.bsky.social
Proud to present the first data paper from the lab, published today in @pnas.org.

We describe a new mechanism for CLE peptides as local symbiosis-amplifying signals, promoting plant interactions with beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Congratulations @sagarbashyal.bsky.social et al.!
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
anthomycota.bsky.social
Most surprising discover of my career to date 😲. Most assume mustard plants do not associate w/ AMF. Our research shows that AMF promote invasive mustard growth without forming arbuscules 🤯. This may be a new pathway in which AMF can enhance plant growth 🍄🌱

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Boost Development of an Invasive Brassicaceae
We show that an invasive, “nonmycorrhizal” Brassicaceae (Alliaria petiolata) can be colonised by AMF, and that this boosts its growth and nutrition even in the absence of classic nutrient exchange ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
arawstern.bsky.social
Check out our new paper on Everglades microbiomes!

doi.org/10.1002/eap....
arawstern.bsky.social
My dissertation chapter is in Ecology Letters!

We tested microbiome network theory empirically in nature and found central early colonisers significantly (1) enhanced biodiversity, (2) reshaped assembly trajectories and (3) increased recruitment of non-peripheral microbes.

doi.org/10.1111/ele....
Central Taxa Are Keystone Microbes During Early Succession
For decades, microbiome network theory has predicted that highly connected ‘hub’ taxa act as keystone species that disproportionately affect their communities. However, this has never been empiricall...
doi.org
Reposted by Amanda Rawstern
tobykiers.bsky.social
The rhizosphere has been called “one of the most complex ecosystems on earth”

But how do host plants control benefits derived from their microbial partners?

Read our paper in Nature Microbiology on how legumes mediate conflict & cooperation with N2-fixing symbionts.

Here: tinyurl.com/4y4tjx6k