Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by John Fowler (he/him)

MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 8h

We're excited to welcome Christopher Topp to the Plant Resilience Institute! Dr. Topp uses powerful imaging tools to envision the future of sustainable agriculture, and he will soon bring his expertise in root biology to MSU. Read the full story: plantresilience.msu.edu/pri-news/202...

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Joshua G. Schraiber @jgschraiber.bsky.social · 2d

Just an absolutely horrific self own, depleting the US of amazing students from all over the world who contributed to what used to make America great: its diversity, its openness, and its leadership in education.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

The number of international students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 19% this year compared with last year — the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic.

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

nyti.ms

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Lauren Kuehne @omfishient.bsky.social · 1d

🧪Excited to co-present this @standupforscience.bsky.social event next week with UW's Dr. Ryan Kelly

We'll cover how to effectively engage in public comments, to help shape public policy at all levels, federal to local. Attend in person or virtually!

RSVP: act.standupforscience.net/events/power...

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 2d

The number of international students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 19% this year compared with last year — the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic.

Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

nyti.ms

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Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io

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Reposted by John Fowler (he/him)

Carolyn Rasmussen @carolynplants.bsky.social · 1d

Excited to share this preprint on the microtubule severing protein Katanin, and its role in cell elongation and division in maize. First author Stephanie Martinez worked collaboratively with many folks to bring you this preprint. Check it out! 🔬🌽 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

KATANIN promotes cell elongation and division to generate proper cell numbers in maize organs

Microtubule severing is essential for proper eukaryotic cell elongation and division. Here we show that the microtubule severing protein, KATANIN, is encoded by two genes in Zea mays (maize) called Di...

www.biorxiv.org

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ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 2d

this felt too informative not to share

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Kate Riga @kateriga.bsky.social · 2d

Judge will hand down new TRO that "prohibits the relocation, federalization, or deployment of any National Guard under federal command" "within the state of Oregon"

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Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield @agdanrayfield.bsky.social · 3d

BREAKING NEWS: We just secured a court order blocking the president’s order to deploy federalized National Guard troops to Portland when a federal judge granted our request for a Temporary Restraining Order. Read our statement.

#orpol #nationalguard #portland #portlandoregon

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Kirk Amundson @kirkamundson.bsky.social · 4d

UMass Amherst Biology is recruiting a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the area of Plant Physiology. Deadline Nov 1. Please spread the word and apply!

careers.massachusetts.edu/mob/en-us/jo...

Assistant Professor - Plant Physiology

The Department of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of Plant Physiology. The successful can...

careers.massachusetts.edu

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Reposted by John Fowler (he/him)

Gautam Dey @gautamdey.bsky.social · 4d

If you’re applying to your dream lab for an internship/PhD/postdoc, always send a second email 1-2 weeks after the first one if you don’t hear back.

I promise we will be grateful rather than annoyed. My email inbox is a disaster and I’m quite junior - and very few of us have secretarial support

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John Fowler (he/him) @jefowlerjr.bsky.social · 5d

This was fun; very much appreciate the interest and questions; Thanks @jghodge.bsky.social ! Happy for feedback or questions from anyone, BlueSky chat is easy!

Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra @jrossibarra.bsky.social · 5d

Cool presentation by @jefowlerjr.bsky.social using high-throughput GFP transposon tagging to identify genes that affect pollen viability/competition, from this week's #Zeavolution youtu.be/BxiT2MCNYUQ

Successfully Predictive Modeling of Pollen Fitness Is Enabled by Measures of Expression Specificity

YouTube video by Zeavolution

youtu.be

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Liz Haswell @ehaswell.bsky.social · 6d

"What is happening in this country is happening because science is bad for tyrants, and always has been"

Science Vs @sciencevs.bsky.social · 7d

This moment from our latest episode with science writer @edyong209.bsky.social is 🔥

We asked Ed — how do we talk up the benefits of science in the face of government cuts? He told us that's the wrong approach. 🧪

Listen wherever, or watch on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/7Evh...

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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 7d

In all the chaos, I would urge folks to remember that a lot of folks now don’t know when their next check will come.

The vast majority are good people who love this nation deeply, and many of them are still working despite not knowing when they’ll be paid

Have compassion.

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Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 7d

Once again, it is *faculty*—not administrators—who brought this case and won. Including UC Faculty Association chapters of the AAUP.

Court Rules in AAUP v Rubio: Trump Admin Violated First Amendment

The AAUP and partners sued to block the Trump administration from carrying out large-scale arrests, detentions, and deportations of noncitizen students and faculty members for ideological reasons.

www.aaup.org

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 8d

In any other country, if federal agents fired upon journalists when unprovoked — what would we call it?

If federal agents marched down streets demanding papers — what would we say?

Authoritarianism — let’s not pretend it’s something else when it happens in our American cities.

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Beyond X&Y @beyondxandy.bsky.social · 9d

This is a moment where all cis people need to be calling their elected officials and demanding they protect trans healthcare, even if it means shutting down the government

It doesn't matter if you live somewhere red or blue - everyone needs to hear this

PinkNews @pinknews.bsky.social · 9d

Trump threatens to shut down US government unless Democrats agree to ban all trans health care
https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/09/29/trans-care-ban-government-shutdown/?utm_content=1759153201&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

Trump threatens to shut down US government unless all trans health care is banned

The US government's looming shutdown hinges on anti-trans measures after Donald Trump refused to speak to Democrats unless they were passed.

www.thepinknews.com

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John Fowler (he/him) @jefowlerjr.bsky.social · 8d

Who wouldn't want to hear about the wonders of maize pollen? Looking forward to talking about this fun collaborative project with Molly Megraw's group, what can machine learning do with a pollen phenotyping dataset?

John Hodge @jghodge.bsky.social · 9d

This week we’ll be continuing #Zeavolution with @jefowlerjr.bsky.social presenting on the often forgotten generation with his talk “Successful Predictive Modeling of Pollen Fitness Phenotypes Is Enabled by Measures of Expression Specificity”. See everyone on Wednesday!

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Cris Argueso @cargueso.bsky.social · 9d

I attended a really inspiring talk by Jose Dinneny today as the Thornton-Massa speaker at Colorado State University. His vision for the future of agriculture with synthetic biology was really thought-provoking. It’s great to learn AND get inspired! @josedinneny.bsky.social @csuagbio.bsky.social

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Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 10d

Now out in @plantphys.bsky.social
"Illuminating Growth: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Joanne Chory"
A summary of the recent Joanne Chory Symposium, which featured talks and photos from her former mentees.
doi.org/10.1093/plph...
(Photo shows an excited Joanne on a roller coaster).

A young woman with dark hair is on a roller coaster. She is looking over her shoulder at the camera behind her, clearly screaming. Whether she is screaming from fear, excitement, or both is unclear.

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Nature Biotechnology @natbiotech.nature.com · 12d

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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Sascha Stronach🏳️‍⚧️, The Sunforge out now @understatesmen.bsky.social · 12d

every trans person I've spoken to is feeling the Drag Down right now. not everybody has fallen into despair but we're all feeling it creeping in around the edges, doing our best to fight it. things are bad. if you know a trans person, look after them.

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Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 13d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

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Reposted by John Fowler (he/him)

plantpostdocs.bsky.social @plantpostdocs.bsky.social · 12d

Announcing the 2025 Future Faculty Academy cohort! Congratulations to Dr. Arpita Yadav, Dr. Erika Moore-Pollard, Dr. Kirk Amundson, and Dr. Rajnandani Kashyap. See thread for their bios!

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Morgan Carter @morgancarterphd.bsky.social · 12d

I hate this for the second years who had already been working on applications.

Also the USDA fellowship RFA has still not been issued for this year.

It is harder and harder to find fellowships to support the newest generation of scientists. 🧪

We are shortchanging our future.

Laura Williams @laurawilliams.bsky.social · 12d

NSF GRFP solicitation out.
App deadlines now in November.
As others noted, eligibility rules for current graduate students now exclude 2nd year grad students. See the solicitation - they’ve emphasized “first year” and “less than one academic year” in grad program.

www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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