Thea Kongsted
@theakongsted.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Fellow at the Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna
keywords - bryophytes, cell differentiation, pigmentation, evolution
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/gmi/member/thea-kongsted
keywords - bryophytes, cell differentiation, pigmentation, evolution
https://www.oeaw.ac.at/gmi/member/thea-kongsted
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado
In avocado and certain wild relatives in Lauraceae, pollination occurs via a synchronized rhythm of floral sex timing between two hermaphroditic flowering types. A-type plants present female-phase flo...
www.biorxiv.org
December 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Amazing lineup of speakers and free registration — now is the time to sign up if you’re interested in pangenome graphs! There’s also an option to present a poster
Are you excited about pangenomics? If so, join us in Edinburgh on 8-9th June to discuss the latest methods & insights from using these approaches across biodiversity! More details here:
royalsociety.org/science-even...
Organised together with @henrylnorth.bsky.social & @joanameier.bsky.social!
royalsociety.org/science-even...
Organised together with @henrylnorth.bsky.social & @joanameier.bsky.social!
Pangenomics transforms evolutionary biology | Royal Society
This Theo Murphy meeting organised by Dr Joana Meier, Dr Henry North and Dr Charlotte Wright, will showcase cutting-edge pangenome tools, applied uses of pangenomes which are transforming health and a...
royalsociety.org
December 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Amazing lineup of speakers and free registration — now is the time to sign up if you’re interested in pangenome graphs! There’s also an option to present a poster
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Made a site comparing the sizes of living things :)
The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used
> neal.fun/size-of-life/
The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used
> neal.fun/size-of-life/
December 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Made a site comparing the sizes of living things :)
The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used
> neal.fun/size-of-life/
The great Julius Csotonyi spent 5 months painting over 60 illustrations for the site, no ai used
> neal.fun/size-of-life/
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
🌱 2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
Unique opportunity for early-career researchers to launch their own independent research programme in quantitative plant development, with generous support & world-class facilities.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Unique opportunity for early-career researchers to launch their own independent research programme in quantitative plant development, with generous support & world-class facilities.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
December 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
🌱 2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social
Unique opportunity for early-career researchers to launch their own independent research programme in quantitative plant development, with generous support & world-class facilities.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Unique opportunity for early-career researchers to launch their own independent research programme in quantitative plant development, with generous support & world-class facilities.
www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
International Marchantia Workshop 2026
Nov. 27th – 29th, 2026
Kobe, Japan
sites.google.com/view/marchan...
Nov. 27th – 29th, 2026
Kobe, Japan
sites.google.com/view/marchan...
Marchantia Workshop 2026
News
sites.google.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:51 PM
International Marchantia Workshop 2026
Nov. 27th – 29th, 2026
Kobe, Japan
sites.google.com/view/marchan...
Nov. 27th – 29th, 2026
Kobe, Japan
sites.google.com/view/marchan...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
@stuartmcdaniel.bsky.social @fernway.bsky.social @jcarlosvillarreal.bsky.social @pierremarcdelaux.bsky.social ...know anyone who would like to come to #Copenhagen for 2 years to work with us on the evolution of symbioses? employment.ku.dk/all-vacancie...
Postdoc position in Terrestrial Ecology: Terrestrial Nitroplast in Moss-Cyanobacteria Interactions
employment.ku.dk
November 28, 2025 at 7:40 AM
@stuartmcdaniel.bsky.social @fernway.bsky.social @jcarlosvillarreal.bsky.social @pierremarcdelaux.bsky.social ...know anyone who would like to come to #Copenhagen for 2 years to work with us on the evolution of symbioses? employment.ku.dk/all-vacancie...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Grow your career with UBC Botany! The department is recruiting a assistant professor in non-seed plant diversity--researchers conducting innovative work in bryophyte, fern or lycophyte diversity are invited to apply: science.ubc.ca/about/careers @ubcbotany.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Grow your career with UBC Botany! The department is recruiting a assistant professor in non-seed plant diversity--researchers conducting innovative work in bryophyte, fern or lycophyte diversity are invited to apply: science.ubc.ca/about/careers @ubcbotany.bsky.social
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
The life of a plant scientist… In order of magnification: me taking some #Marchantia from my courtyard, the picture I took in that very moment, and the microscopy image of that sample sectioned through a gemma cup. Turquoise: chlorophyll, yellow: WGA-FITC (binds chitin of e.g. fungi)!
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The life of a plant scientist… In order of magnification: me taking some #Marchantia from my courtyard, the picture I took in that very moment, and the microscopy image of that sample sectioned through a gemma cup. Turquoise: chlorophyll, yellow: WGA-FITC (binds chitin of e.g. fungi)!
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Not one, but two microscopy masters from @slcuplants.bsky.social speaking at Flora in Focus: A Microscopy Conference for Plant Scientists - Raymond Wightman and How-Wei Wu!
#NikonMicroscopy #microscope #lightmicroscopy #plantscience #FLIM #confocal #biology
#NikonMicroscopy #microscope #lightmicroscopy #plantscience #FLIM #confocal #biology
Flora in Focus: A Microscopy Conference for Plant Scientists
Date: Wednesday 7th January, 2026
Time: 9:15 – 17:00
Location: Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, Clerici Building, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP
Date: Wednesday 7th January, 2026
Time: 9:15 – 17:00
Location: Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, Clerici Building, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP
November 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Not one, but two microscopy masters from @slcuplants.bsky.social speaking at Flora in Focus: A Microscopy Conference for Plant Scientists - Raymond Wightman and How-Wei Wu!
#NikonMicroscopy #microscope #lightmicroscopy #plantscience #FLIM #confocal #biology
#NikonMicroscopy #microscope #lightmicroscopy #plantscience #FLIM #confocal #biology
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Next year's Sainsbury PhD studentships have now gone live! 📢
Find out the details about each of the eight exciting opportunities:
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
Find out the details about each of the eight exciting opportunities:
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
FindAPhD : Prestigious Sainsbury PhD Studentships in plant sciences at Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Apply for a PhD: Prestigious Sainsbury PhD Studentships in plant sciences at Gatsby Charitable Foundation
www.findaphd.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Next year's Sainsbury PhD studentships have now gone live! 📢
Find out the details about each of the eight exciting opportunities:
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
Find out the details about each of the eight exciting opportunities:
www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Modestly, we decided to review a century's worth of theories of balancing selection :) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
A century of theories of balancing selection
Traits that affect organismal fitness are often highly genetically variable. This genetic variation is vital for populations to adapt to their environments, but it is also surprising given that natur...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Modestly, we decided to review a century's worth of theories of balancing selection :) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
We’re hiring! 📣
DEEP at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social is looking for a tenured Associate Professor in Plant Ecology. Join a vibrant research & teaching community in the heart of Sweden’s capital.
Learn more and apply below by 16 Nov.👇
DEEP at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social is looking for a tenured Associate Professor in Plant Ecology. Join a vibrant research & teaching community in the heart of Sweden’s capital.
Learn more and apply below by 16 Nov.👇
DEEP seeks Associate Professor in Plant Ecology – apply now! - Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences
DEEP seeks Associate Professor in Plant Ecology – apply now! - Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences
www.su.se
September 25, 2025 at 10:17 AM
We’re hiring! 📣
DEEP at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social is looking for a tenured Associate Professor in Plant Ecology. Join a vibrant research & teaching community in the heart of Sweden’s capital.
Learn more and apply below by 16 Nov.👇
DEEP at @stockholm-uni.bsky.social is looking for a tenured Associate Professor in Plant Ecology. Join a vibrant research & teaching community in the heart of Sweden’s capital.
Learn more and apply below by 16 Nov.👇
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
This is a remarkable study describing a new fungal species in a 407 million year old plant - Rugososporomyces lavoisierae Strullu-Derrien and Schornack sp. nov - using some amazing technology. Worth a read 👇
Confocal scanning laser microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging & Raman analyses allowed @nhm-london.bsky.social, @slcuplants.bsky.social & @cambridge-ee.bsky.social researchers to resolve plant & fungal structures fossil
Read in @newphyt.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
@dromius.bsky.social
Read in @newphyt.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/nph....
@dromius.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 9:37 AM
This is a remarkable study describing a new fungal species in a 407 million year old plant - Rugososporomyces lavoisierae Strullu-Derrien and Schornack sp. nov - using some amazing technology. Worth a read 👇
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
*Postdoc in Evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University*
We are recruiting a postdoc for a large interdisciplinary project to investigate evolutionary drivers and genomic consequences of pollen evolution in response to pollination mode shifts in flowering plants. 1/5
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
We are recruiting a postdoc for a large interdisciplinary project to investigate evolutionary drivers and genomic consequences of pollen evolution in response to pollination mode shifts in flowering plants. 1/5
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
September 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
*Postdoc in Evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University*
We are recruiting a postdoc for a large interdisciplinary project to investigate evolutionary drivers and genomic consequences of pollen evolution in response to pollination mode shifts in flowering plants. 1/5
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
We are recruiting a postdoc for a large interdisciplinary project to investigate evolutionary drivers and genomic consequences of pollen evolution in response to pollination mode shifts in flowering plants. 1/5
su.varbi.com/what:job/job...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Marchantia berteroana at 3000 meters above the sea level. Vallecitos, Mendoza.
September 12, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Marchantia berteroana at 3000 meters above the sea level. Vallecitos, Mendoza.
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Very important paper and resource. Bryophyte genomes expanded by one order of magnitude. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Bryophytes hold a larger gene family space than vascular plants - Nature Genetics
A super-pangenome analysis incorporating 123 newly sequenced bryophyte genomes reveals that bryophytes exhibit a larger number of unique and lineage-specific gene families than vascular plants.
www.nature.com
September 22, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Very important paper and resource. Bryophyte genomes expanded by one order of magnitude. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Oxford Biology is growing 📢
We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology
3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.
Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3
We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology
3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.
Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3
September 15, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Oxford Biology is growing 📢
We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology
3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.
Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3
We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology
3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.
Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Out after peer review, collaborative study from Nordborg & Weigel labs with help from many others. Not the largest collection of new Arabidopsis thaliana genomes, but we hopefully put forward some good ideas for how to think about pangenomes and their analysis!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
August 20, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Out after peer review, collaborative study from Nordborg & Weigel labs with help from many others. Not the largest collection of new Arabidopsis thaliana genomes, but we hopefully put forward some good ideas for how to think about pangenomes and their analysis!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Are you interested in plant evolution? 🦠🌱🫛
Join us @gmivienna.bsky.social for the 4th #EMBO Workshop "Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land" on November 25-27 2025
Submit your abstract by August 25!
#algae #bryophytes #nonseedplants #plantevodevo
Join us @gmivienna.bsky.social for the 4th #EMBO Workshop "Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land" on November 25-27 2025
Submit your abstract by August 25!
#algae #bryophytes #nonseedplants #plantevodevo
The GMI announces a new EMBO workshop titled "Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land" - right here in Vienna. The hybrid event will be held on November 25-27 at the Vienna BioCenter. Register by August 25 at meetings.embo.org/event/25-plant-evolution.
Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land
The evolution of plants – photosynthetic eukaryotes resulting from the endosymbiosis of a cyanobacterium and a non-photosynthetic host cell – transformed the earth system by reducing the amount of CO…
meetings.embo.org
February 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Are you interested in plant evolution? 🦠🌱🫛
Join us @gmivienna.bsky.social for the 4th #EMBO Workshop "Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land" on November 25-27 2025
Submit your abstract by August 25!
#algae #bryophytes #nonseedplants #plantevodevo
Join us @gmivienna.bsky.social for the 4th #EMBO Workshop "Plant evolution: from origins to diversification on land" on November 25-27 2025
Submit your abstract by August 25!
#algae #bryophytes #nonseedplants #plantevodevo
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Today @englishse.bsky.social will be at #ESEB2025 discussing the challenges and opportunities for flexible and inclusive working patterns in academia💪🏼Join in the discussion on S11 Room 122+123 @ 2.30pm! @eseb2025.bsky.social
To be, or not to be, part-time in academia?
This is a tricky question that has faced many of us and in @elife.bsky.social we discuss the benefits and challenges of being part-time. With @emiliapsantos.bsky.social and a fantastic, interdisciplinary team!
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
This is a tricky question that has faced many of us and in @elife.bsky.social we discuss the benefits and challenges of being part-time. With @emiliapsantos.bsky.social and a fantastic, interdisciplinary team!
elifesciences.org/articles/106...
Point of View: To be, or not to be, part-time in academia
Part-time working can be beneficial for individual academics, and also for academia as a whole.
elifesciences.org
August 19, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Today @englishse.bsky.social will be at #ESEB2025 discussing the challenges and opportunities for flexible and inclusive working patterns in academia💪🏼Join in the discussion on S11 Room 122+123 @ 2.30pm! @eseb2025.bsky.social
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
1/ How do animals develop immunity against a newly encountered transposable element from scratch? Our study reveals that the mobility of TEs is their Achilles heel, allowing hosts to develop a powerful small RNA-mediated silencing response.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
August 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
1/ How do animals develop immunity against a newly encountered transposable element from scratch? Our study reveals that the mobility of TEs is their Achilles heel, allowing hosts to develop a powerful small RNA-mediated silencing response.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
Some positive stories 👇🏾
“Countries with widespread HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screenings are already seeing dramatic reductions in cancer rates. They demonstrate that it’s possible to effectively eliminate the disease”
@scientificdiscovery.dev
ourworldindata.org/hpv-vaccinat...
“Countries with widespread HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screenings are already seeing dramatic reductions in cancer rates. They demonstrate that it’s possible to effectively eliminate the disease”
@scientificdiscovery.dev
ourworldindata.org/hpv-vaccinat...
HPV vaccination: How the world can eliminate cervical cancer
HPV vaccines offer a rare opportunity to effectively eliminate one type of cancer. By taking this opportunity, it’s possible to save hundreds of thousands of women each year.
ourworldindata.org
August 12, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Some positive stories 👇🏾
“Countries with widespread HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screenings are already seeing dramatic reductions in cancer rates. They demonstrate that it’s possible to effectively eliminate the disease”
@scientificdiscovery.dev
ourworldindata.org/hpv-vaccinat...
“Countries with widespread HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screenings are already seeing dramatic reductions in cancer rates. They demonstrate that it’s possible to effectively eliminate the disease”
@scientificdiscovery.dev
ourworldindata.org/hpv-vaccinat...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
After a lot of work, we are finally able to share this project about the cell cycle in Marchantia from the Haseloff lab. If you want to find out how cell division is controlled, you can’t miss out this one… #PlantScience #Synbio #EvoDevo
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The minimal cell-cycle control system in Marchantia as a framework for understanding plant cell proliferation
The regulation of cell division is broadly conserved across eukaryotes, governed by cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) to coordinate progression through the cell cycle. Plants have evolved a ...
www.biorxiv.org
March 14, 2025 at 9:16 AM
After a lot of work, we are finally able to share this project about the cell cycle in Marchantia from the Haseloff lab. If you want to find out how cell division is controlled, you can’t miss out this one… #PlantScience #Synbio #EvoDevo
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
First Ma lab #GMI paper is now online! It‘s a mini-review on insect-induced plant #galls —their coolness and research potential! Plant galls induced by insects: Coordinated developmental reprogramming and defence manipulation www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
July 21, 2025 at 12:06 PM
First Ma lab #GMI paper is now online! It‘s a mini-review on insect-induced plant #galls —their coolness and research potential! Plant galls induced by insects: Coordinated developmental reprogramming and defence manipulation www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Thea Kongsted
OrthoFinder just dropped a major update
It’s faster, more accurate, and ready for thousands of genomes
Let’s break it down (1/10)
github.com/OrthoFinder/...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It’s faster, more accurate, and ready for thousands of genomes
Let’s break it down (1/10)
github.com/OrthoFinder/...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
July 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
OrthoFinder just dropped a major update
It’s faster, more accurate, and ready for thousands of genomes
Let’s break it down (1/10)
github.com/OrthoFinder/...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It’s faster, more accurate, and ready for thousands of genomes
Let’s break it down (1/10)
github.com/OrthoFinder/...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...