Stuart Thompson

This is really beautiful work by PhD student Alexandre Porcher Fernandes (@alefern.bsky.social) on the evolution of reproductive strategies. I'm really keen to see where we can take this framework next!

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy: visualizing plant-macromolecule conformational transitions Single-particle (SP) cryo-electron microscopy (EM) resolves near-native macromolecular 3D structures without crystallization, directly revealing the original spatial conformations of proteins, nucleic acids, and their complexes at near-atomic resolution to clarify biological functions. Technically, SP cryo-EM automatically extracts protein particles from low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) raw images and then uses precise algorithms to align and classify them, separating and amplifying weak structural signals from noise to reconstruct 3–4 Å resolution 3D structures.

Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy: visualizing plant-macromolecule conformational transitions #plantscience

🔥Fantastic paper!🔥

TE with a role in vegetative phase change and gametogenesis, mediated by 24-nt siRNAs acting in trans to a wide range of genes. Found by GWAS in A. thaliana 🌱. Congratulations to the authors! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
#epigenetics #plantscience
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Next-generation proximity labeling: redefining protein interactomes Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to cellular function and metabolic regulation. Mapping these complex molecular networks is essential for understanding signaling pathways, yet it remains challenging due to their transient nature. We discuss how next-generation proximity labeling is evolving from bulk methods toward precise, dynamic PPI mapping, providing actionable biological insights.

Next-generation proximity labeling: redefining protein interactomes #plantscience

📢 Postdoc position in plant chromatin biology 🌱 (Strasbourg)
Apply before March 30
🔗 www.unistra.fr/fr/recruteme...
#PlantBiology #Postdoc

Maybe his narcissism runs so deep he doesn't know there is more than one size.

Read The Guardian article below.

The Tuskegee experiment is rightly invoked, which is horrifying.

Transposable elements contribute substantially to naturally occurring genetic lethality in Drosophila melanogaster Recessive lethal mutations are common and often persist at unexpectedly high frequencies due to diverse mutational causes. This study shows that many lethal alleles in Drosophila melanogaster arise…

In a new study, Sarah Marion &co use genetic mapping and whole genome sequencing in wild #Drosophila to reveal the genetic basis of naturally occurring lethal mutations and introduce a new model that could explain their frequencies in natural populations.
🧪 #genetics

Bioremediation of lunar regolith simulant through mycorrhizal fungi and plant symbioses enables chickpea to seed - Scientific Reports Food sustainability is a significant challenge for long-term space travel. Plants can provide fresh nutrition, reducing reliance on packaged foods. Using Lunar regolith simulant (LRS), we tested a methodology to create a productive growth medium for horticultural crops on the Moon. We leveraged chickpea (Cicer arietinum), Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), and Vermicompost (VC) to enhance plant stress tolerance, sequester contaminants, and improve substrate structure. Chickpeas were cultivated in LRS/VC mixtures, with or without AMF, under climate-controlled conditions. Plants seeded successfully in mixtures containing up to 75% LRS when inoculated with AMF. While the number of seeds declined with increasing LRS concentration, seed size remained stable. Higher LRS concentrations induced stress; however, plants grown in 100% LRS inoculated with AMF demonstrated an average extension of two weeks in survival compared to non-inoculated plants. AMF colonized roots across all mixtures, including 100% LRS, demonstrating the ability to establish symbioses under extreme conditions. We also observed improvement in the structural properties of LRS by forming aggregates capable of withstanding extreme conditions, potentially mitigating particle-related hazards. These results provide a baseline for chickpea establishment and yield in amended LRS while demonstrating biological improvements in regolith properties.

Treating simulated lunar soil with both symbiotic fungi and worm-produced compost can significantly improve the likelihood of reproduction for chickpea plants growing in the soil, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. 🧪

Human populations evolved in similar ways after we began farming An analysis of ancient and modern DNA suggests the extent of convergent evolution in different peoples around the world is even greater than we thought

An analysis of ancient and modern DNA suggests the extent of convergent evolution in different peoples around the world is even greater than we thought

The mechanical properties of Arabidopsis thaliana roots adapt dynamically during development and to stress Brillouin microscopy reveals in vivo dynamics of mechanical properties during plant development and response to stress.

How do plants actually sense water?🤔

This "simple" question is central to plant survival & crop resilience

In a new Science Advances paper, our NTNU team uncovers new insights into the mechanisms plants use to detect changes in water availability & translate them into stress signals

@science.org

Conceptual framework and theoretical expectations linking stem tissue functions to leaf area under varying climatic demands.

Canopy trees balance wood transport and storage tissues differently across climates

Zhang et al.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/YE7I83...

So that’s that, right? We don’t have to put up with endless drivel about how expensive it is to save the planet abd ourselves ever again? Cool.

Would aliens do physics, or is science a human invention? Shaped by a different biology or culture, other intelligent civilisations – if they’re out there – might understand the universe in a completely different way than we do. Physicist Daniel Whiteson explores what that could tell us about physics and ourselves

Shaped by a different biology or culture, other intelligent civilisations – if they’re out there – might understand the universe in a completely different way than we do. Physicist Daniel Whiteson explores what that could tell us about physics and ourselves

A foraging southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), which is currently ranked as “vulnerable” by NatureServe. CREDIT: Richard Hall (University of Georgia, Athens, GA).

Despite widespread concern about insect declines, the conservation status of 88.5% of insects and arachnids in the United States is unknown. Only 2.5% of at-risk species are federally protected, mostly showy species, such as butterflies. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/WLQM50YrkWE

Associate or Senior Editor, Communications Sustainability - Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Pune or New Delhi job with Springer Nature Ltd | 12855045 Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Communications Sustainability Location: Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Pune or New Delhi Application Deadline: Marc...

🚨We're hiring! 🚨Communications Sustainability is looking for a new Associate or Senior Editor (full-time, permanent position).
🌏 Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Pune or New Delhi
🗓️Apply by March 16

Want to shape influential science for a greener future? Join our team!

www.nature.com/naturecareer...

New on the Archive:

Berghofer, Philipp (2025) On the Relationship between Epistemology and Science: Synergies between Experience-First Epistemologies and Agent-Centered Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. Synthese. ISSN 1573-0964

https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/28470/

New on the Archive:

Berghofer, Philipp (2026) Scientific Realism and Anti-Realism. [Preprint]

https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/28471/

Unveiling links between phytohormone and abiotic stress signaling <p>Signal integration is essential for organisms to fine-tune their growth, development, and stress responses. Phytohormones, serving as endogenous signals, play important roles in mediating various p...

Unveiling links between #phytohormone and #abiotic stress signaling

www.maxapress.com/article/doi/...

#PlantScience #StressBiology #PlantStress @maxplanckcampus.bsky.social @maxplanck.de @canopyrobin.com @scottzona.bsky.social @plantricia.bsky.social @plantredox.bsky.social @mrillig.bsky.social

Understanding plant resilience by putting photosynthesis and photorespiration in the metabolic context - Planta Main conclusion Photorespiration is a dynamic metabolic process that contributes to energy balance, stress resilience, and nutrient flux, warranting its integration into genome-scale models to enhance...

Understanding plant #resilience by putting #photosynthesis and #photorespiration in the #metabolic context

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

#PlantScience #StressBiology #PlantStress @springernature.com @springer.springernature.com @mejorageneticaupm.bsky.social @photosynthesharpe.bsky.social

An Arabidopsis single-nucleus atlas decodes leaf senescence and nutrient allocation A comprehensive single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of Arabidopsis across multiple tissues enables the quantification of leaf cell aging state at a single-cell level, highlighting the senescence-relat...

An #Arabidopsis #single-nucleus atlas decodes leaf #senescence and #nutrient allocation

www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

#PlantScience @cp-cell.bsky.social @prepub-singlecell.bsky.social @singlecell.broadinstitute.org @plantcellatlas.bsky.social @libraryarablit.bsky.social @ensa-research.bsky.social

Briefing chat: What Galileo’s scribbled margin notes reveal about his scientific journey Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 6 March 2026

This week on the Nature Briefing Podcast, we discuss what Galileo’s scribbled margin notes reveal about his scientific journey.

go.nature.com/47skGJq

UK must stockpile food in readiness for climate shocks or war, expert warns Prof Tim Lang says country produces far less food than it needs to feed population and is particularly vulnerable

These warnings about food security are happening almost weekly now

But does anyone think the government is taking a blind bit of notice

The UKs 3 worst harvests have been in the last 5 years

By 2050, the number of calories per head globally could be halved

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Why ‘quantum proteins’ could be the next big thing in biology Nature - Fluorescent proteins with a quantum upgrade could offer unprecedented views inside cells.

Fluorescent proteins with a quantum upgrade could offer unprecedented views inside cells - the next big thing in biology?

go.nature.com/4llx0B5

Archaeological excavation at the Birds of Paradise site, showing the tops of preserved wood posts. CREDIT: Timothy Beach

A Maya settlement in today’s northwestern Belize persisted past the abandonment of many contemporaneous Classic Period urban centers. The community used raised earthen, stone, and wood structures to access the rich resources of the wetland. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/JKA250Yq7n2

Fig. 1 Interspecific hybrids in the sections Lemna and Alatae of the genus Lemna (Lemnaceae), and their female and male parents.

Do interspecific hybrids lead to new evolutionary avenues in the plant family Lemnaceae?

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

👆 A #Commentary by K. Sowjanya Sree & Klaus-J. Appenroth on this article by Lee et al.
👇

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#LatestIssue #PlantScience

I may be being too optimistic, but is there a droop to the right side of his face (his right, our left)?

A plant histone H3.3-specific amino acid safeguards the deposition of H3K36 methylation for proper development and stress responses Plant histone variant H3.3 uniquely carries T31 rather than the S31 found in animals. Li et al. demonstrate that T31 prevents plant-specific ATXR5/6-mediated H3K27me1 deposition, which would otherwise...

A plant #histone H3.3-specific #amino acid safeguards the deposition of H3K36 #methylation for proper #development and #stress responses

www.cell.com/developmenta...

#PlantScience #SciComm @cp-devcell.bsky.social @epigeneticspod.bsky.social @epigenometech.bsky.social @histone3.bsky.social

Bees flexibly adjust decision strategies to information content in a foraging task Bumblebees flexibly adjust their learning strategies to the sensory challenge, balancing costs and benefits of multicue learning.

A new #ScienceAdvances study finds bees balance the costs and benefits of learning different flower visual cues when foraging. https://scim.ag/46k1RrC

1908: the Lancet, one of the most respected scientific journals, calls for 18 age limit on reading in bed amidst a moral panic surrounding children becoming "addicted" to novels, which were "designed to keep kids hooked" and destroy their attention/mental health