Had such fun organising the sold-out Ticket Launch event at the Warwick Arms last week! Big thanks to Jonathan Kirby and Rebecca Casson for speaking and co-organisers Amy and Victoria!

The Norwich speakers this year look fantastic, definitely worth grabbing tickets while they are available!!

bioRxiv: A stage-resolved map of dynamic septin interactions required for infection by the rice blast fungus (2026) Septin GTPases are essential cytoskeletal regulators that organize membranes and scaffold protein complexes to control cytokinesis, polarity, and morphogenesis. How septins execute these functions remains poorly understood, and comprehensive, stage-resolved interaction maps are lacking. Here, we define a quantitative, time-resolved septin interactome in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae using immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry. We map more than 350 interactors of septins Sep3, Sep4, Sep5 and Sep6, revealing a dynamic network required for appressorium-mediated plant infection. Beyond canonical roles in cytoskeletal organisation and polarity, septins associate with proteins linked to membrane remodelling, metabolism, and virulence, deployed during host invasion. Integration with ultra-high-throughput yeast two-hybrid analysis defines a high-confidence septin interactome and identifies previously uncharacterised factors, including Msi1, a BAR domain protein required for invasive growth. Together, these findings establish septins as dynamic organisers of infection-related processes and provide a framework for understanding how cytoskeletal scaffolds coordinate fungal pathogenesis.

New Preprint: A stage-resolved map of dynamic septin interactions required for infection by the rice blast fungus (2026)

https://www.tsl.ac.uk/publications/166266

Strategies for achieving healthy, sustainable, and equitable dietary transitions The industrialization of global food systems has led to dietary changes that harm both health and the environment. If global food systems are to meet the needs of a growing population for healthy, env...

In a new #ScienceReview, researchers examine the evidence for how global diets have changed and strategies that could transition food systems toward a healthier future.

Learn more on #WorldHealthDay: https://scim.ag/4siRJaH

The Importance of the Black in Plant Science Network In October 2026 we held our second Black in Plant Science (BiPS) Conference at the University of Leeds. We asked the members of our community why BiPS is im...

In October 2026 we held our second Black in Plant Science (BiPS) Conference at the University of Leeds.

We asked the members of our community why BiPS is important to them, and here is what they had to say: buff.ly/OClLBP3

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this video.

Its been amazing building connections with fellow early career researchers at @cimmyt.bsky.social and @johninnescentre.bsky.social as part of the Rosalind Franklin Women in Wheat Champions programme! It's incredible when the wheat community comes together - super excited for tomorrow's sessions!

Photo of tomatoes and plants with text reading "Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 comes into force today"

Today is a big day as the Precision Breeding Act comes into force 🌱

@kamounlab.bsky.social: “This is a milestone for UK science and innovation. We now have the regulatory framework to translate discovery into impact — improving crops, strengthening food security, and benefiting society” 🌿

🌾 Excited for today’s training session with undergraduates exploring food security, wheat research & careers in plant science. #GreenHorizons #PlantScience #FoodSecurity #WheatResearch #Sustainability #STEMCareers #FutureOfFood

Super excited to see our bioRxiv paper out! It furthers our understanding of an FHB resistance locus in timopheevii with some DON resistance too!

Did you know 1 m^2 of wheat only produces enough grain for one loaf, and the UK buys 11M loaves every day?!
I loved chatting about the importance of making resilient wheat at the "Future of Farm and Agriculture" Farmers Weekly at New Scientist Live! Thanks Shannon Woodhouse for organising! 🌾

Fantastic to welcome so many early-career female researchers from across the UK wheat community to undertake #WomenInWheat leadership training provided by @hfpconsulting.bsky.social at the JIC field station this week! 🌾

@ukri.org @thesainsburylab.bsky.social @rothamsted.bsky.social