This column is a new iteration of the connection I made with my old hometown newspaper thanks to @sciencehomecoming.bsky.social, ahead of the McClintock Letters initiative rolling out next week — scientists, there's still time to write for this!

blogs.cornell.edu/asap/events-...

Drosophila Genetic Database The Drosophila Genetic Database, FlyBase, is on the brink of collapse due to the sudden termination of the FlyBase NIH grant, which includes salaries for 5 literature curators based at the University ...

Flybase lost all of the NIH support overnight - it is a disaster for the community. Please consider donating. I just did! www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-camb...

That ghost haunts every hallway with wood paneling and a smell that says “1994 committee meeting.” You hear the whisper, turn around—and somehow there's a binder labeled "Strategic Plan 2003-2008" sitting on your desk. Unopened. Dusty. Slightly judging you.

The Ghost of Land-Grant Past
Powers:

Appears whenever change is mentioned

Can summon ancient policy memos from the archives

Makes people say “we tried that once in ’87” with conviction

Welcome to the CSU College of Agricultural Sciences YouTube video by CSU College of Agricultural Sciences

Got a senior looking for their next home? Check us out at CSU! m.youtube.com/watch?v=W8oS...

So many stories! All tied up in beautiful plants!

5 thoughts for new college grads seeking to find the right balance between meaningful work and making money A philosopher and a psychologist break down the challenges of finding purposeful work that also pays well.

A philosopher and a psychologist share their 5 thoughts for upcoming college grads to consider as they head out into the “real world,” including:

#3: Seeking work with a purpose is a noble and understandable goal
And #4: It is also understandable to care about money

Carolyn Lawrence-Dill and Sally Jones-Diamond

Peter Kleinman and Carolyn Lawrence-Dill

Don Thorn, Austin Couch, Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, and Chris Pires (cows in background)

Carolyn Lawrence-Dill & I visited Akron to discuss projects with Sally Jones-Diamond & Peter Kleinman. A highight was seeing how the sawfly threat on winter wheat is being controlled with parisitoid bracon wasps as part of the "beneficial bug baler project" #Colorado #AgSky #Soil #Crops 🌾🌱🧪

The Colorado/Iowa Contingent! Welcome to CSU, Secretary Vilsack!

Going With the Grain: Pamela Ronald, Rice Savior. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of rice for the human species.  More than a fifth of all the calories consumed by humans are in the form of rice.  In terms of nutrition, it is the ...

On this #IWD we are happy to induct the great agricultural scientist Pamela Ronald into the Archive! Her work developing blight and flood resistant strains of rice has saved quite literally millions of lives in the past quarter of a century. Here is her story!

tinyurl.com/5xdk97pm

#WomenInSTEM 🌱

German and US flags

To US colleagues who have lost or are in imminent danger of losing their jobs: please DM whether we can accommodate your research.

Mu, Q., Guo, T., Li, X., & Yu, J. (2022). Phenotypic plasticity in plant height shaped by interaction between genetic loci and diurnal temperature range. New Phytologist, 233(4), 1768-1779.

"Don't worry about papers. There will always be more papers." Jianming Yu on 3D reaction norms to understand the functions of individual genes and how crops will perform in future, unobserved environments. Great plenary!

Ed Buckler awarded the 2025 McClintock Prize in absentia. Two thirds of the room standing by the end of “if you were trained by Ed, stand up. If you were trained by one of those people, stand up. If Ed’s work has shaped your career, stand up.”

The poster session of the 2025 maize genetics meeting is in full swing. #MGM2025

What an honor to receive the 2025 maize genetics cooperator award together with Caroline Marcon for our work on BonnMu and together with Karen Koch and Don McCarty for their UniformMu work.

First slide of the maize meeting.

Travel permits of all US government employees (USDA, NSF) have been revoked shortly before the the maize meeting affecting:
- The chair of the meeting
- The winner of the most prestigious McClintock award
- A plenary speaker
- Two short talk presenters
- 22 scientists presenting posters.
#MGM2025

Liuyang talking about her work.

Liuyang Chu from Michaela Matthes‘s group @unibonn.bsky.social gave a great talk about her work at the development and cell biology workshop prior to the maize genetics meeting in St. Louis. #MGM2025.

A new magnet for the fridge. #MGM2025.

#MGM2025 is about to begin.

Need a flyer to share or print for #MGM2025? Download it here: documents.maizegdb.org/maizemeeting...

Yaping talking at the development workshop.

Yaping closeup while talking.

Excellent talk by Yaping Zhou of @unibonn.bsky.social and @cerealcell.bsky.social at the development and cell biology workshop prior to the 2025 maize genetics meeting in St. Louis. #MGM2025.

[Image featuring Kierra Hamblin, Nick Colglazier, Tim Martin, Amy Kremen, and J. Chris Pires.]

Nick Colglazier, Executive Director of the #Colorado #Corn, extended invitations to our scientists and students at Colorado State University to participate in the Winter Roundup in Greeley yesterday. Sri Pinnamaneni, Tim Martin & Amy Kremen presented on #agriculture & #irrigation #agsky #edusky

Photo of screen in Nutrien Ag Sciences Building, Colorado State University. Shows the words, "Ag Needs Everyone"

Finally here, folks! Happy Valentine's Day from CSU College of Ag Sciences to you. #AgValentine