Roeland Berendsen
@rlberendsen.bsky.social
870 followers 300 following 18 posts
Assistant Professor in the Plant-Microbe Interactions group at Utrecht University, Managing director of NPEC Utrecht, interested in the molecular mechanisms by which plants recruit beneficial microbes and shape their microbiome.
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rlberendsen.bsky.social
Thanks! Great you like it.
rlberendsen.bsky.social
Really nice work from @jellespooren.bsky.social showing that disease-suppressive soils might sometimes be generated in the phyllosphere. Turning the concept of soilborne legacies upside down 🌱🦠 With @cornepieterse.bsky.social @svanwees.bsky.social and others @utrechtpmi.bsky.social
jellespooren.bsky.social
Proud to share our latest pre-print manuscript entitled 'Downy mildew disease-suppressive soils transmit a protective core microbiome to the phyllosphere' (lnkd.in/dBk28gnT). Super cool to see the final chapter of my PhD at the Plant-Microbe Interactions group of Universiteit Utrecht now online!
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
dejongepmi.bsky.social
One more week to apply for an open PhD position in my team at Utrecht University. Interested in genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, microorganisms and plant-microbiota interactions, don't hesitate and apply! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
PhD Position on Decoding Plant Microbiota–Host Specificity Using AI
Join us to generate data and build AI-driven models to decode plant–microbiota host specificity!
www.uu.nl
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
bspp.bsky.social
Dive into the plant root microbiome with Dr. Ronnie de Jonge (Utrecht Uni).
His team uses high-dimensional ‘omics and AI to understand how plant roots recruit beneficial microbes.
Don’t miss his talk at #PPATH2025

buff.ly/mJsUvUO

#AIinBiology #PlantScience
rlberendsen.bsky.social
@y-song.bsky.social doing a great job at explaining the importance of the potato microbiome at the @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social microbiome day! Hoping the medical and veterinary microbiome scientists in the audience enjoy the change in perspective.
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
utrechtpmi.bsky.social
🔬 Exciting #JournalClub in our group today by @nielsaerts.bsky.social! We discussed the immense and multilayered complexity of hormonal cross-regulation in plant immunity, based on this preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1.... 🌿🧬A must-read for those fascinated by plant defense and signaling!
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
tatsuyanobori.bsky.social
🚨 We’re hiring–please spread the word! 🚨 Our lab at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social is looking for a pre-doc intern to join our research on plant immunity. If you’re a current undergrad/master’s or recent graduate interested in gaining research experience, please apply! tatsuyanobori.com
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
karenkloth.bsky.social
@micropresearch.bsky.social starts the second phase in its journey to harness the plant microbiome for (a)biotic stress resilience. Stay tuned for PhD and Postdoc openings this spring! www.microp.org
Welcome Microp
www.microp.org
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
reeserichardson.bsky.social
It's not just PubMed. All NCBI services are down. This includes:

- RefSeq
- NCBI Gene Database
- NCBI BLAST Server
- NCBI Entrez

If this becomes permanent (or if servers slow down), this is a debilitating blow to genome and genomics research.
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
henryjvr.bsky.social
Excited to share my postdoctoral work from Basel! We discovered a “microbiota receptor” in Arabidopsis that optimises plant immunity, the root microbiome composition, eventually leading to enhanced plant growth.
kschlaeppi.bsky.social
Preprint alert: Here we report MMF1 - "a microbiota receptor” - through which Arabidopsis plants perceive their soil microbiome. Perception optimises root microbiome composition, immune status and ultimately leads to better growth.

Happy reading...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A TNL receptor mediates microbiome feedbacks in Arabidopsis
Plant performance depends on the soil microbiome. While microbiome feedbacks are well documented, the mechanisms by which plants perceive and mediate these feedbacks remain unclear. We established a f...
www.biorxiv.org
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
spun.earth
Our newest research on plant-fungal trade published today in @nature.com.

The work, led by scientists from Vrije Universiteit, Princeton University, SPUN & AMOLF combines robotics, mycology & biophysics to reveal underground supply-chain dynamics.

Open access:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A travelling-wave strategy for plant-fungal trade. An image of a microscopic view of fungi. Nature logo.
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
marionkoopmans.bsky.social
The European federation of Academies of Sciences has posted a statement of concern about the developments in the US. They now have added the option to endorse this statement as an organisation. Would be great if this could go viral. allea.org/portfolio-it...
ALLEA Statement on Threats to Academic Freedom and International Research Collaboration in the United States
allea.org
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
schwessinger.bsky.social
And folks warn that Chinese GenAI are a risk and manipulative.
andrewdessler.com
grok 2 vs grok 3
Grok 2's conclusion: Climate change is not a distant threat—it is happening now, and its impacts are intensifying. It threatens human health, economies, ecosystems, and global stability. While the challenge is immense, solutions exist, and immediate action can still make a difference. Governments, businesses, and individuals must act urgently to reduce emissions, adapt to changes, and build a sustainable future. The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action, and the time to act is now. conclusion: So, urgent threat? If you buy the consensus, yes-time's ticking, and impacts are already here. If you're skeptical, it's more of a manageable shift we're overreacting to. Data's there on both sides; it's about what risks you're willing to bet on. What do you think?
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
utrechtpmi.bsky.social
Interesting journal club by @mpapadopoulou.bsky.social about www.nature.com/articles/s41.... Evidence for the promotion of specific microbial ecological clusters to increase soybean plant fitness in response to nutrient deficiency. Also interesting for microbiomes4soy.eu
rlberendsen.bsky.social
We continue to build the Plant Microbiome Starter Pack. Please let us know if you or others are missing! go.bsky.app/QG4wCyf
rlberendsen.bsky.social
🌱🔬 Exciting to see Yang Song explain our Nature Microbiology paper in this video! Her work shows how the microbiome of seed potatoes can predict plant growth potential—offering a new way to assess tuber quality before planting. Check it out here: www.microp.org/news/168/new...
New video: research highlights from Yang Song Microp
www.microp.org
Reposted by Roeland Berendsen
utrechtpmi.bsky.social
Great talk by Heribert Hert on microbiomes in relation to drought resistance, regreening strategies and the orphan crop Fonio microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....