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Marc Somssich

@somssich.bsky.social

3.1K followers 650 following 2.4K posts

Trait Program Manager (Biotic Stress) @KWSGroup.bsky.social Author @preLights.bsky.social Editor @ThePlantCell.bsky.social Web: https://linktr.ee/somssich Personal Account

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · Jun 6

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 and 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞! 👋

Here's some content you might find interesting:

𝟏) My chapters of "𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞"
𝟐) My 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 threads
𝟑) My threads on 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬
𝟒) My Bluesky 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬
𝟓) Some info on 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

See all compiled Below 👇🧵

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 10h

...but then, just as you're about to drift off into sleep, the color-commentary kicks in and makes it FUN again!! 😉

Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 12h

I wish I was that talented. 🙂

Reposted by Marc Somssich

Mary Williams @PlantTeaching @plantteaching.bsky.social · 13h

I was a member of a scientific society for many years before joining the staff nearly 20 years ago, and I endorse this position!
I encourage everyone to find and join a relevant scientific society (or several). You can engage with their programs and benefit directly, or just support their mission.

The Global Plant Council @globalplantgpc.bsky.social · 14h

Why do scientific societies matter now more than ever?

Scientists board explore how societies support researchers, foster global collaboration, & shape the future of science. A must-read for all career stages 👍

🔗 buff.ly/YW2XUN3

#plantscience #science

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Stuart McDaniel @stuartmcdaniel.bsky.social · 13h

Lingua wanka is a hilarious moniker for scientific writing

Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 14h

Fantastic editorial on #ScientificWriting. 👇

Malick Mbengue @malick-mbengue.bsky.social · 16h

I wished I could have written something like this. Rude, fun and meaningful.
static1.squarespace.com/static/686d9...

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 13h

Coincidentally, for our "Guns in Rosettes" article,we actively tried to use a more plain language for the exact reasons discussed in the editorial. Here are real Reviewer Comments:
"It sounds a bit immature"
"I find the tone too popular"
"This style may raises concern about the quality of the paper"

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 13h

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 14h

Fantastic editorial on #ScientificWriting. 👇

Malick Mbengue @malick-mbengue.bsky.social · 16h

I wished I could have written something like this. Rude, fun and meaningful.
static1.squarespace.com/static/686d9...

static1.squarespace.com

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 17h

It was great fun to write this article with Dan and Tonni, and I have learned a LOT in the process of writing it.

I hope you enjoy reading it too! 🍻

Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 17h

This Ultra-Limited Edition Six-Colored-LP Box Set included a full-length live-recording of Co-Author @spicybotrytis.bsky.social reading the entire thing while simultaneously providing color-commentary and criticism. There may even be a special appearance of Co-Author @tonnigrubeandersen.bsky.social!

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 17h

Our article "Guns in Rosettes: The Arabidopsis chemical weapons arsenal" is finally published @plantphys.bsky.social!
You can download the #OpenAccess PDF here:

doi.org/10.1093/plph...

But real connoisseurs of #AntimicrobialCompounds will want to get the vinyl boxset: #PlantScience #PlantImmunity

A vinyl box with six colored vinyl LPs sticking out of its right side. The Title "Guns in Rosettes" is on top, with the subtitle "The Arabidopsis chemical weapons arsenal" just below. Then there is an Arabidopsis plant with machine guns sticking out. Below is the statement "6-LP LIMITED EDITION COLORED VINYL BOX SET"

The back cover of the vinyl box set showing the tracklist:
1. Methionine-derived compounds
Aliphatic GSLs
2. Tryptophan-derived compounds (trptonites)
Indolic GSLs
Camalexin
Hycanite (4-OH-ICN)
3. Phenylalanine-derived compounds (phenylpropanoids)
Benzenic GSLs
Coumarins
Hydroxycinnamates
Flavonoids
4. Terpenoids
(E)-β-caryophyllene
α- and β-pinene
Thalianin, arabidin, and DMNT

And the statement "Recorded live in front of an audience in 2025"

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 20h

Max Koch's paper "On the popping sound and liquid sloshing when opening a beer bottle":
pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/arti...

And some media coverage:
scitechdaily.com/scientists-r...

Scientists Reveal What’s Behind the “Pop and Slosh” When Opening a Swing-Top Beer

Researchers analyze the acoustics and physics behind the sloshing and popping sounds that occur when opening a swing-top beer bottle. In a fun experiment, Max Koch, a researcher at the University of G...

scitechdaily.com

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 20h

Headliner at the #KWSScienceSlam was Max Koch from @uni-goettingen.de, talking about how he accidentally became famous with beer.

As a side-project, the physicist studied how the POPP! sound is produced when a swing-top beer bottle is opened. #BeerScience

See below for his paper & media coverage.

Max Koch on stage at the KWS ScienceSlam with Host Gina Wied. The Title slide for his presentation shows himself and the headline/title: Visiting Talk: Max Koch - How we became famous with beer.

Max Koch presenting. The slide titled "Autumn 2024 -- new 'test case' for our code: homebrewed ginger beer".
It shows his lab group in their lab with Max holding up a swing-top beer bottle to a high-speed camera and microphone, about to open it. The other team members use the equipment, such as the computer for the documentation. Next to the photo is a still shot from the video, showing the moment the swing top lid is lifted off the bottle, with gas vapours escaping the bottle.

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 20h

Nataliia Rybchenko from @kwsgroup.bsky.social Ukraine presented her 'Sunflower' documentary at the #KWSScienceSlam.
Ukraine is the global leader in sunflower oil production, but amid the war, the sunflower has also become a symbol of freedom for Ukraine.

Documentary:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u2U...

Nataliia Rybchenko on stage presenting her documentary on Sunflower production in Ukraine. The slide behind her shows Sunflowers on the right, and text on the left. The text says: "The idea behind the film: The sunflower is more than a strategic crop, it's a symbol of resilience, heritage, and life - a land that keeps giving, even in dark times. Stories of science, business, culture, and emotion reveal its meaning. Our film's title, 'Sunflower: Meanings that seed the future', reflects this.

Nataliia Rybchenko on stage. The slide behind her shows a sunflower field and the the title 'Sunflower in Ukraine: A pillar crop amid challenges' Below are some facts: Sunflower is among Ukraine's top 3 profitable crops, Ukraine is global leader in sunflower oil production and exports, 27 % of the arable land is no longer available due to occupation, landmines, active war, 30 % of sowing area is at risk because of proximity to the active combat zones of the war.

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

KWS Group @kwsgroup.bsky.social · 1d

Our KWS colleague Anja Matzk will speak at an event organised by Plants for the Future ETP and co-hosted by three MEPs, discussing how #NGTs can help make European farming more resilient and competitive.
Looking forward to the interesting exchange! 💡

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 5d

People: "Things used to be better."

Scientist: "When did it start getting worse?"

People: "When I was born."

From "The illusion of moral decline" by Adam Mastroianni.
shorturl.at/FFEDV

A graph showing violin plots. On the y axis is the perceived morality of people from 0 to 8. On the x axis the time points 40 years before my birth, 20 years before my birth, at my birth, 20 years past my birth, today. The morality value is constant until birth, and then declines.

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Ralf Reski @reskilab.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting review in JXB:
How and why plants came to smell green: the origins, biosynthesis, and roles of green leaf volatiles
#plantscience
academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-...

How and why plants came to smell green: the origins, biosynthesis, and roles of green leaf volatiles

Rapidly released from damaged cells, green leaf volatiles exemplify an evolutionary adaptation conserved across terrestrial plants, serving as essential de

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

PlantEvolution 🌱🌾 @plantevolution.bsky.social · 2d

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/...

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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 5d

People: "Things used to be better."

Scientist: "When did it start getting worse?"

People: "When I was born."

From "The illusion of moral decline" by Adam Mastroianni.
shorturl.at/FFEDV

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Hadas Weiss @hadas.bsky.social · Jul 26

a data breach revealing peer reviewer identities would really spice things up for academia

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

GeminiTeamLab @geminiteamlab.bsky.social · 6d

How do geminiviruses maximize their limited coding capacity? Our recent preprint uncovers splicing of viral transcripts as one more strategy used by this viral family. We show that RNA splicing is prevalent in the geminivirus TYLCV — and required for infectivity! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Pervasive splicing in a plant DNA virus

Viruses maximize their limited coding space through strategies that increase transcript and protein diversity. In mammalian viruses, splicing is a well-established mechanism for proteome expansion, ye...

www.biorxiv.org

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

nikogeldner.bsky.social @nikogeldner.bsky.social · 6d

A long road to the Cover of Science!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Localized glutamine leakage drives the spatial structure of root microbial colonization

Plant roots release exudates to encourage microbiome assembly, which influences the function and stress resilience of plants. How specific exudates drive spatial colonization patterns remains largely ...

www.science.org

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Oxford Academic @oxfordacademic.bsky.social · 6d

Celebrate 75 years of pioneering plant science research! 🪴🎉

@jxbotany.bsky.social marks this important milestone with a collection of new Darwin Reviews from leading plant scientists.

Take a snapshot of plant science today: oxford.ly/4gSKOB1

A celebratory graphic for the Journal of Experimental Botany's 75th anniversary. Oxford University Press.

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

Dan Kliebenstein @spicybotrytis.bsky.social · 7d

Anyone have any literature on how yeast or other fungi detect plant phytohormones? I know they respond to them but am struggling with the search terms to find the genes that allow fungi to respond to plant compounds.

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

KWS Group @kwsgroup.bsky.social · 7d

Why does it take years to develop new crop varieties?
Each variety is the result of extensive research, close collaboration, and must undergo rigorous trials and testing. 📝🌱
This summary from the GeneSprout Initiative explains it well:
🔗 www.linkedin.com/posts/genesp...

#ngts #genomeediting #plantscience #fieldtrials #ecrvoices #sustainableagriculture #genesprout #genesproutinitiative #plantscience #biology #crispr #earlycareerresearchers #sciencecommunication… | Gen...

🌾 From lab to field: Why testing crops takes decades, not days Did you know it can take 20+ years for a new crop variety to reach your plate? Before a New Genomic Technique (NGT) plant can be consid...

www.linkedin.com

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Reposted by Marc Somssich

MagdalenaMarek @magdamarek.bsky.social · 7d

“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.”
www.reuters.com/business/env...

Wildlife advocate, primate expert Jane Goodall dies at 91

Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, died on Wednesday at the age of 91, the institute she founded said.

www.reuters.com

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