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Post-doc: theoretical research in the intersection between physics, biology, and population genetics - Academic Positions Join a theoretical-computational lab exploring fundamental questions in evolution using statistical physics, mathematics, and simulations. PhD and strong pro...

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searching a #postdoc for #theoretical research at the interface between #physics, #biology and #popgen to study the #evolution of plant self-incompatibility.
@hebrewuniversity.bsky.social
www.friedlander-lab.net
see application link in next post.
Please share with relevant candidates.

SMBE2026 Symposium 20 | Mapping fitness landscapes with mechanistic models, machine learning and experiments

SMBE2026 Symposium 20 | Mapping fitness landscapes with mechanistic models, machine learning and experiments

📨 Abstract submission
smbe2026.org/abstracts

📋 Programme details
smbe2026.org/programme

#SMBE2026

Climate change is expected to challenge plant populations and potentially impact their reproductive strategies. A better understanding of the factors affecting plant mating modes and the transitions between them should aid in minimizing their harmful effects on plant populations.

This mixed mode is long-lived and does not decay to either of the pure strategies even after long time. Mixtures of self-compatible and self-incompatible were found in natural population but previously considered a transitory state.

Besides the two pure strategies, where the entire population is either capable or not of self-fertilization, we find a third ‘volatile mixed’ regime. This mixed mode, which we describe for the first time, exhibits a mixture of both self-compatible and incompatible plants, in fluctuating proportions

we focus on ‘self-incompatibility,’ a widespread genetic mechanism that disables self-fertilization in bisexual plants and only allows cross-fertilization. This mechanism is vulnerable and often breaks down via various mutations, yielding plants capable of self-fertilization (‘self-compatible’).

🧵The plant’s reproductive mode has far-reaching implications for its fitness and survival. Self-fertilization plants do not depend on finding mating partners, which is advantageous when colonizing new territories. In contrast, cross-fertilizing plants are more genetically diverse and more adaptable

Many plants are bisexual and can opt between uniparental sexual reproduction via self-fertilization, and biparental reproduction via fertilization by others. In this manuscript led by Amit Jangid we studied the balance between these mating modes www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... @huji-pes.bsky.social

We found that these proteins combine two strategies: a ‘global’ strategy where proteins are broadly repulsive regardless of the partner, and a ‘local’ strategy where proteins specifically attract or repel only particular partners.

This system is based on molecular recognition (or lack of) between highly diverse proteins of two families, that are expressed in the plant reproductive organs. We studied how the molecular recognition domains of these proteins evolve, under pressures to match some partners and mismatch others.

How do biological systems reconcile multiple and possibly conflicting selection pressures?
I'm happy to share our new paper led by Amit Jangid in collaboration with Ohad Noy Feldheim.
journals.aps.org/prresearch/a...
where we investigated this question in the context of plant self-incompatibility.

In this picture you can see self-compatible (left) vs. self-incompatible (right) flowers of a wild tomato S. habrochaites.
The plants were grown by Ben Stescovich from my lab with the help of Menachem Moshelion, and thanks to Dani Zamir for providing us the seeds! @huji-pes.bsky.social

As self-compatible plants are guaranteed to be pollinated, they do not need to attract pollinating insects to visit the flowers. One of the changes known follow the transition to self-compatibility is the decrease of flower size relative to self-incompatible plants.

The "selfing syndrome" explained:
'Self-incompatibility' is a mechanism that prevents self-fertilization in plants, in order to maintain genetic diversity in the population. Self-incompatibility can be broken via various mutations, making the plant capable of self-fertilization, 'self-compatible'.

Hi there, blue-sky buddies, I'm excited to write my first post here!

congratulations!!