students and the cherry trees in summer

Four amazing summer interns got the work done, and did a great job applying modern genomic technologies!

A fun way to connect to the heritage of our favorite trees 🌸🌸

Read more here:
facilities.uw.edu/blog/posts/2...

map of our trees in japan

Our tree was most closely related to a lineage of trees sampled in Tokyo (Ueno park), Okayama, and Shimane University.

We hope as additional trees are sequenced we will find even closer relatives.

diagram of phylogenetic inference

Students used simple phylogenetic inference to determine relatedness based on the very small number of SNP difference among trees of the Somei-Yoshino variety.

A recently published resequencing study made the comparisons possible

academic.oup.com/dnaresearch/...

map of the UW quad with trees numbered

tree #1 on the right

Our trees were moved to the UW quad in the 1960s from their original (1930s) arboretum location. But planting records haven't been found, so their origin is unknown.

To investigate, we collected leaves of the northernmost tree outside Raitt hall and performed PacBio sequencing.

The UW quad with cherries in bloom

This cherry blossom season is extra fun for us.🌸

Students sequenced the genome of one of the iconic Yoshino cherry trees on the University of Washington quad, and found nearly identical clonal relatives in Japan!

A great project with Alex Harkess and the American Campus Tree Genomes (ACTG) project

NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics?
1) Write NSF
2) Write your Congressperson
3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up

Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter

A multi-plant transcriptomic atlas reveals conserved and lineage specific defense architectures in response to Botrytis cinerea Generalist pathogens pose a challenge to plant immunity by infecting diverse hosts while harboring extensive intraspecific genetic variation. Whether evolutionary distant plant lineages rely on a shar...

Ever wondered if diverse plant species respond similarly when infected by the same exact pathogen? Infect different asterids and rosids with the same Botrytis genotypes and teh short answer, quite differently.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

@annajomu.bsky.social @ccaseys.bsky.social

(1/3)

This position is still open. The Weisberg lab is recruiting a postdoc or Ph.D. student to study horizontal gene transfer in plant-associated microbial communities. Please see the job ad for more information and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

The Weisberg Lab at Oregon State University is recruiting a postdoctoral scholar in molecular microbiology to study mobile genetic element host range and transmission in microbial communities. Please see the full job description here: files-dev.cqls.oregonstate.edu/Weisberg_Lab...

Pan-family pollen signals control an interspecific stigma barrier across Brassicaceae species Pre-zygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species limiting interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompatibil...

Out First Release in @science.org
A pollen ligand, SIPS, binds to the female receptor, SRK. SIPS binds to a conserved region of SRK, for interspecific incompatibility, unlike the self-incompatibility factor, which binds to a different, variable region
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience

Next generation of 1001 Genomes Plus browser and data download Please indicate all features you would like to see in a browser that displays features of completely sequenced Arabidopsis thaliana genomes

We (Nordborg & Weigel labs) need input on the next generation of genome browsers & data download modes for the #Arabidopsis #1001GenomesPlus project. We have now a curated collection of over 500 long read genomes.

Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A staggering statistic: "North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year." What are we doing?

Congratulations to Joe Felsenstein on being awarded the 2026 Mendel Medal!

U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students

“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”

Now that Im finally here, I'm excited to announce that I've joined @salkinstitute.bsky.social as a postdoc with @lmueller.bsky.social Keep your eyes open for everything AMF symbiosis, peptide biogenesis, and the apoplast!

My lab at Indiana University is searching for a *postdoc* and *technician* to contribute to our work studying the evolution of social behavior using fruit flies as a model system. Details below, feel free to email me with any questions! More info on our research: saltzlab.com

It's grad school application season! My lab (cxli233.github.io/cxLi_lab/ ) will be recruiting a PhD student via the MPS program at MSU (mps.natsci.msu.edu) for Fall 2026.

Happy to take inquires via email (which can be found in the lab website) if you are applying this cycle.

📢Announcement!
The call for 𝐓𝐏𝐉 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 is now open! 🌟
It is designed to offer support and mentorship to researchers transitioning from post-doctoral scientists to principal investigators

Info: 👉onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/ho...
& in 🧵

🧪 Were you one of the many thousands of STEM students (and mentors) impacted by the sudden change in #NSF #GRFP eligibility last week?

We created a petition to NSF leadership and Congress to reverse the changes - please sign and share your stories here!!

laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

Happy to support this letter. My grad's situation here: bsky.app/profile/did:...

The GRFP announcement from NSF cuts out an entire cohort of 2nd year students from consideration, without warning. This is so deeply unfair that it warrants a formal protest from the scientific community. If someone wants to work with me to craft an open letter and solicit signatures, LMK.

Very frustrated with NSF GRFP. A 2nd year grad now ineligible after postponing last year.

Her pre-grad app was rejected without review for mentioning crop impacts.

I'm a previous recipient and served many years as a reviewer. The fellowship needs serious reform, not half-baked solicitation changes

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.

Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

My department at UC Davis is hiring a mycologist, broadly interpreted. Please repost, share, and consider applying. recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339

This looks like a great opportunity: #Tenure-track assistant #professor position at University of Lausanne on #MPMI
career5.successfactors.eu/career?caree...

Happy to share this review on the diversity of resistance in Triticeae. I learned a lot writing it. Heavy lifting by Yinghui Li, Liubov Govta, and @yichangsung.bsky.social with our long-time collaborator Tzion Fahima.
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Flyer with a green leafy background announcing the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Workshop for Plant Researchers. Large bold text at the top reads: “We need your help!” The flyer asks graduate students who have received a GRFP award, as well as postdocs, research scientists, and faculty PIs, to sign up as mentors for the Botanical Society of America’s GRFP Workshop. Section titled What does mentoring require? lists two points: Read statements from 4–6 students applying for the GRFP. Provide feedback and facilitate two 1.5-hour meetings for your group. On the right, a QR code and link direct potential mentors to register. Logos at the bottom include NSF GRFP and the Botanical Society of America.

Mentors needed for BSA’s GRFP Workshop! 🌱

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Workshop for Plant Researchers is returning in 2025. With NSF’s 2026 GRFP deadline set for Oct 27, we’re looking for mentors to guide student applicants.

Learn how you can help!
mailchi.mp/botany.org/b...

Assistant Professor Plant-Microbe Interactions We seek a creative, collaborative, and visionary plant biologist to establish an internationally recognized research program at the forefront of plant-microbe interactions aimed at understanding how t...

The Department of Biology at Colorado State University is hiring an Assistant Professor in the area of plant-microbe interactions! Please spread the word!

jobs.colostate.edu/postings/165...

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

While full solicitation isn’t up, looks like we have 2025 proposal deadlines for the GRFP: www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

We hope the work is interesting to those trying to translate PAMP responses to pest and pathogen resistance!