I'm back for a couple of weeks at least. This week we're having a meeting to discuss how things are working since we moved the site to Ghost, and what we can improve. One of the things that will come up is the email. The email has issues. One is that it's too long for many mailboxes, so it gets cut off, and that can affect deliverability. Another is that it can take quite a while to compile.

Easiest way to reduce the length would be to remove the Careers section, and post the jobs as their own item on a Saturday afternoon. I realise that might not be popular. Instead I'm going to look at reducing some of the formatting. I might also cut the Scientific Papers section down, and make a longer version of that as a Saturday afternoon post instead.

Another problem with the Careers section is that it takes a long time to compile. I've made changes to help with that. During the week I plan to post jobs to Bluesky and Mastodon using the #BotanyJobs hashtag. At the weekend a machine will hoover up all the botany job posts and format them for me to paste into the email. As Bluesky is very searchable the same machine can add other job posts that people have posted and credit them. If you're wondering what that would look like, you can see it below, perhaps. You might have to view this on the web, rather than just read the email, as the extra jobs included this week comfortably blasts past the length limit.

There'll be another issue of The Week in Botany, with what you're sharing on Mastodon and Bluesky each week at the usual time. Until then, take care.

Alun (webmaster@botany.one)

On Botany One

Can a Garden Change How You Feel About Wildlife?
New research suggests that gardens and green spaces may quietly reshape how we feel about animals, including species many people overlook or dislike.

Mosses Also Master Aluminium Storage
Mosses from Brazil's rocky savannas are quietly doing something we usually associate with shrubs and trees: taking up and safely storing aluminium from the soil.

Jeanmaire Molina: "Biodiversity Matters"
Botany One interviews Dr Jeanmaire Molina, a plant biologist fascinated with "plants that challenge the definition of plant life", specially the record-breaking Rafflesia.

Ancient Sacred Stories Shed Light on the Long-debated Ecological Value of Indian Savannas
By tracing the plants featured in local literary traditions, researchers have uncovered new clues to the controversial history of tropical savannas in India—offering a widened biocultural perspective to better inform conservation policies.

The Invisible Cost of Seed Ageing
Researchers found that ageing Brassica napus seeds lose not only vigour, but also microbial diversity, raising new questions about how we store seeds for the future.

This week the Sudoku Garden commemorates the Carnation Revolution. The Plant Hunt visits South Africa (almost) for Freedom Day. This week's Plant of the Week is Parinari capensis, an African tree that's difficult to see.

There was also last weeks's Week in Botany, with the next generation of plant scientists, a Kelp Quest, the botanical power of cellphone snapshots, and more.

News & Views

World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns
Severe heatwaves in commonly hot regions could leave farmers unable to work outside, with livestock mortality rates expected to rise.
The Guardian
Request for orchid photos
"It is now 75 years since Summerhayes’ (1951) seminal book about orchids, and I have been given the honour (and mammoth task) of writing a new book on British orchids for the New Naturalist series. This book will be illustrated with around 300 photographs, covering all species found in Britain and Ireland, plus occasionally those found further afield, where these are needed to tell the story. While I have some good photos, I do not have enough to fill the book, and I also know that there are many better photographers than me out there. So, I am putting out a request for high quality digital images of British and Irish orchid species, and if it is an image that illustrates something interesting about the plant or shows off its habitat, all the better."
bsbi.org
Biology PhD Stipends
What is your Biology or EEB departments minimum PhD stipend? Update it here:
mlgaynor.com
Leave the red shirt out: Scientists, stop complicating the story
Scientists are brilliant at finding details. We are less brilliant at knowing which details to shut up about.
medium.com
Preserved orchids show pollination has fallen 60% since the 1970s
Orchids aren’t just beautiful or rare – they’re ecological time capsules that offer clues to the long-term health of ecosystems.
The Conversation
New genomic techniques: Council adopts new rules to boost sustainable and competitive EU food systems
The Council formally adopts new rules on new genomic techniques (NGTs), supporting innovation, resilient crops and sustainable food systems, with strong safety measures in place.
Consilium
Cherry blossom time
Since BSBI trustee Nicola Tainton signed up for Identiplant, our online plant identification course, earlier this year. When the cherry blossom was at its peak. she took a day off to enjoy some hanami or flower viewing.
bsbi.org
Forest interactions
Forests are one of our most precious natural resources, providing habitat and sustenance for a myriad of organisms that interact with one another, and with abiotic factors, in complex and fascinating ways. Submit an abstract by 20 May to be considered for an oral or poster presentation at NPS 48.
New Phytologist Foundation
The 12th European Paleobotany and Palynology Congress
Abstract submission is now opened for the 12th European Paleobotany and Palynology Congress : 🌿⛏️ Deadline is May 31.
uni-muenster.de
The What, Why and How of Hackathons
In September 2025 we ran a hackathon to collect data for a paper on data- and code-sharing across the BES journals. After the event, we thought it might be nice to share what we learned about hackathons here on the MEE blog.
Methods Blog
Phytogen March 2026
Welcome to the March 2026 edition of Phytogen, our Special Issue celebrating Women in Australian Plant Science in conjunction with International Women’s Day.
asps.org.au

This Week in Botany

5 Years Ago: Do Thoreau’s observations and herbarium records see the same changes in fruiting?

10 Years Ago: The future’s bright, the future’s blue (and quite green…)

15 Years Ago: Paying to read or paying for publication: what do you get?

Scientific Papers

H2O2 repurposes plant O2 sensing to regulate post-hypoxia responses 🆓
Salma Akter, Monica Perri, Mikel Lavilla-Puerta, Sophie Lichtenauer, Yuming He, Vinay Shukla et al.
“Here we report that ERFVIIs are also important in post-submergence recovery, remaining stable upon reoxygenation through ROS-mediated PCO inhibition. Stabilized ERFVIIs are retained at hypoxia-responsive promoters, becoming repressors of typical hypoxia marker genes but upregulators of genes involved in ROS homeostasis and oxidative stress protection.”
Nature (April 2026)
Resurrecting habitat fragmentation as a process over time 🆓
Robert J. Fletcher, James M. Bullock, Laura J. Graham, Nicholas Kortessis, Kevin Watts
“Habitat fragmentation has long been argued to impact biodiversity, but recent research has challenged the extent and ways in which fragmentation effects may occur... By refocusing on habitat fragmentation over time, guidance for conservation will become less contentious and more effective.”
Trends in Ecology & Evolution (April 2026)
Ecological drivers and phylogenetic patterns of leaf minimum conductance variability in vascular plants 🆓
Santiago Trueba, Régis Burlett, Xavier Bouteiller, Thibaut Burneau, Guillaume Forget, Maximilien Larter et al.
“This study integrates g min in leaf economics, where long‐lived leaves show higher capabilities to retain water under stress. We provide important information in evolutionary physiology to understand the water loss dynamics under drought stress across clades of vascular plants.”
New Phytologist (April 2026)
Elucidating the ancestral role of Class I HD-Zip transcription factors in land plants 💰
Facundo Romani, Santiago Farías, Ariel Cerda Rojas, Stevie N Florent, Philip Carella, Sebastian Schornack et al.
“Here, we further investigated the function of MpC1HDZ in M. polymorpha and its integration into Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) regulatory networks. Mpc1hdz mutants were more susceptible to herbivory by Spodoptera frugiperda caterpillars but displayed greater resistance to the oomycete Phytophthora palmivora, indicating that MpC1HDZ-mediated defenses extend to other herbivores but not oomycete pathogens.”
Plant Physiology (April 2026)
Eugenics and the Genetics Society 🆓
Alex Aylward, Daniel J. Fairbanks, Maria Kiladi, Gregory Radick
“This article highlights historical connections between the UK Genetics Society and the eugenics movement in Britain. The complexity of these connections is illustrated through case studies of three notable Genetics Society past Presidents—J. B. S. Haldane, R. A. Fisher, and L. S. Penrose—who represent diverse ways that British geneticists engaged with the eugenics movement, from career-long support to science-based opposition.”
Heredity (April 2026)
Salicylic acid modulates its catabolic enzymes via proteasomal degradation linked to SCF-associated proximity networks 🆓
Natalie Hamada, Malathy Palayam, Jacob Moe-Lange, Gabrielle Wyatt, Christian Montes, Sun Hyun Chang et al.
“Here we show that the SA hydroxylases DOWNY MILDEW RESISTANT 6 (DMR6) and DMR6-LIKE OXYGENASE 1 (DLO1) are targeted for ubiquitin–proteasome-dependent degradation. SA promotes DMR6 turnover but stabilizes DLO1, linking catalytic activity and conformational dynamics to protein fate.”
Nature Communications (April 2026)
Membrane remodelling mediates lipopeptide-induced immunity in Arabidopsis 🆓
Guillaume Gilliard, Jelena Pršić, Jean-Marc Crowet, Catherine Chemotti, Jahed Ahmed, Joseph Lorent et al.
“Here we reveal that immune activation in Arabidopsis thaliana by the lipopeptide elicitor surfactin is mediated via a specific interaction with membrane sphingolipids. It relies on host membrane remodelling and subsequent activation of mechanosensitive ion channels.”
Nature Plants (April 2026)
Genome degradation in plant tissue culture 🆓
Matthew W. Davis, Charles A. Leslie, Chaehee Lee, Evan Long, Li Meinhold, Megan Lorenc et al.
“We uncover somatic embryo clones have a >3,500% increase in mutation rates and exhibit whole chromosome duplications, large-scale deletions, somatic recombination events, and increased transposable element activity. Additionally, we use somatic mutation to reveal development, showing somatic embryos undergo frequent fixation and detecting tissue-layer specific mutation. This work raises concerns about the genetic integrity of plants used for biotechnology approaches.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (April 2026)
Increased methane emissions from boreal peatlands following linear disturbances 🆓
Percy Korsah, Scott J. Davidson, Maria Strack
“Boreal peatlands serve as long-term carbon (C) sinks and a significant source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. However, peatlands are threatened by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances, resulting in potential release of large amounts of C to the atmosphere. Linear disturbances, such as seismic lines for geologic exploration, constitute the largest area of disturbance in boreal Canada. The impact of seismic lines on peatland C cycling is not well understood, although physical changes in topography and lack of tree re-establishment are well-documented. This study used the closed chamber technique to measure growing season understory CH4 fluxes on the footprint of the seismic line disturbance and in adjacent intact peatlands and assessed environmental controls on CH4 dynamics across a treed fen and two treed bogs near Peace River, Alberta, Canada.”
Communications Earth & Environment (March 2026)
A four-dimensional spatial transcriptome atlas of barley caryopsis development and germination 🆓
Marta Peirats-Llobet, Zorana Staka, Xiujuan Yang, Yanqiao Zhu, Cunman He, Bhavna Hurgobin et al.
“A four-dimensional spatial gene expression atlas of Hordeum vulgare (barley) grain development and germination was generated using spatial transcriptomic analysis of serial sections to reconstruct transcript abundance in three physical dimensions and with temporal kinetics. We investigated the sub-tissue localisations of specific biological activities, using energy biology as an example, including genes encoding proteins involved in starch synthesis and degradation, sugar transport, mitochondrial and chloroplast activity.”
The Plant Cell (April 2026)
Ecological niche modeling reveals habitat differentiation and climatic vulnerability in two imperiled, sympatric southern Appalachian carnivorous plants 💰
Nicholas J. Chang, Lauren Eserman, Amanda Carmichael, Adam B. Smith, Xingwen Loy, Emily E. D. Coffey et al.
“Despite high spatial overlap, these two related taxa exhibit divergent climatic niches, resulting in highly different management needs and conservation approaches. We raise concerns about the future of mountain bog plant assemblages, and the rare species they include, under climate change.”
American Journal of Botany (April 2026)

In AoBC Publications

Careers on Bluesky

@botany.one

JYU Visiting Fellow Programme 2027 - Jyväskylä
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...

The programme supports researchers with a doctoral degree, who are from outside Finland, to visit JYU for one month (30 calendar days) or two months in 2027.

@botany.one

PhD and/or PostDoc Food security through crop yield estimation and satellite data assimilation - Leuven
academicpositions.com/ad/ku-leuven...

The project combines plant-soil interactions and food security, satellite-based remote sensing and modeling.

@botany.one

Senior Research Assistant - Grain Legume Crops - UQ Brisbane
uniroles.com.au/display-job/...

This role supports research activities across controlled environment facilities and field sites, contributing across all stages of the research life cycle.

@botany.one

Postdoctoral Researcher (M/F) in Bioinformatics and Genomics - Montpellier
emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for analyzing Illumina sequencing data from experimental populations of Arabidopsis thaliana over six generations.

@agristok.bsky.social

Several Fully Funded PhD Opportunities in Agronomy & Forestry in Lithuania

Explore fully funded PhD opportunities at LAMMC in Lithuania. Study agronomy and forestry with scholarships, internships, and strong research career prospects.

@agristok.bsky.social

5 PhD & 1 Postdoc Opportunities in Crop Science, Forest Ecosystem, and Economics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Complete guide to all PhenoMix PhD and Postdoc opportunities at ETH Zurich. Fully funded positions in crop science, agroecology, data science, and environmental sustainability.

@schwarzlanderlab.bsky.social

📣APPLY NOW
Complexome Profiling in Plants: Exploring Organellar Protein Networks 🌱🧪

Amazing opportunity to learn on-site from the leading experts!!
FREE Eduard Strasburger Workshop exclusively for ECRs @plantsciencedbg.bsky.social

www.deutsche-botanische-gesellschaft.de/en/about-us/...

@botany.one

Biology - Instructor, Term (Plant Taxonomy) - Acadia University
universityaffairs.ca/search-jobs/...

Applicants must have at minimum a Master’s, or equivalent experience, in plant biology, with expertise in field botany, plant identification, database management and GIS.

@ashs-hort.bsky.social

ASHS Career Center

Horticulture Greenhouse Prod Research Asst https://ow.ly/5f8V50YOCkZ

Grounds Specialist Senior https://ow.ly/OH6w50YOCl0

Adjunct Instructor - Agriculture & Vet Tech https://ow.ly/YQUn50YOCl2

https://ashscareers.careerwebsite.com/jobs/

@botany.one

Doctoral fellow - Ghent University
academicpositions.com/ad/ghent-uni...

The group of Prof. Desmet focuses on the discovery and design of enzymes that can be used for the conversion of renewable resources (plant biomass) into special sugars and derivatives.

@botany.one

Doctoral student in Biology with focus on Vegetation Ecology - Karlstad University
academicpositions.com/ad/karlstad-...

It centers on non-forest ecosystems, with particular focus on Swedish peatland.

@botany.one

Horticulturist/Operations Support Staff - Laurel Hill
www.bgci.org/job/horticul...

Laurel Hill, two of America’s most historic cemeteries and funeral home, has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Horticulturist/Operations Support Staff.

@botany.one

PhD Studentship: Citizen Science Across Domains: Participation, Knowledge Exchange and Policy Impact for Freshwater, Biodiversity and Tree Health. University of Gloucestershire
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRH838/p...

Applicants from a range of backgrounds are welcomed.

@agristok.bsky.social

Postdoctoral Position in Phenotyping of Crop Mixtures at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Fully funded postdoc at ETH Zurich in crop phenotyping and field robotics under the PhenoMix project. Focus on AI, field experiments, and sustainable legume-cereal systems.

@agristok.bsky.social

PhD Position in Agro-Economic Analysis of Crop Mixtures at ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Fully funded PhD opportunity in agro-economic analysis of legume-cereal mixtures at ETH Zurich and Agroscope. Join the PhenoMix project and contribute to sustainable agriculture research.

@agristok.bsky.social

Doctoral Position in Forest Management Effects on Water Quality in Switzerland

Fully funded PhD position at ETH Zurich on forest management impacts on drinking water quality. Join interdisciplinary ecohydrology and silviculture research addressing climate change.

@agristok.bsky.social

3 PhD Opportunities at ETH Zurich: Crop Phenotyping & Plant Ecophysiology in Switzerland

Explore fully funded PhD opportunities at ETH Zurich in plant ecophysiology and crop phenotyping under the PhenoMix project. Interdisciplinary research, advanced field phenotyping, and global impact.

@botany.one

PhD: Development of selection traits for breeding resilient cocoa varieties, University of Reading
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Through a placement with Mondelez International the student will use a GWAS approach linking physiological traits with underlying genetic variation

@botany.one

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology in the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
uniroles.asia/display-job/...

Applications are invited for appointment as Assistant Professor in the broad area of the Molecular and Cell Biology Area.

@umeaplantsciencecentre.se

🧪🌾VACANCY: PhD position in Forest Tree Genomics🧬

Interested in bioinformatics, evolution and how genomics can help us understand and protect forests?

Join the McEvoy Lab at @umeaplantsciencecentre.se and work on forest tree adaptation and genetic diversity.

Apply here👇:
www.slu.se/en/about-slu...

@botany.one

PhD Position: Agro-Economic Analysis of Legume-Cereal Mixtures (PhenoMix project) - ETH Zurich
academicpositions.com/ad/eth-zuric...

PhenoMix aims to combine high-throughput field phenotyping with plant physiology and ecosystem service assessments to improve legume-cereal mixtures.

@botany.one

Full-time academic position - Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech: Plant genetics
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...

A full-time position in the field of Plant Genetics (application of omics technologies on plant genetic resources to support the agroecological transition).

@agristok.bsky.social

3 Postdocs & 1 PhD Opportunities in Plant Science in Belgium

Explore four fully funded research opportunities at VIB-UGent, including PhD and postdoc roles in plant biology, genome editing, and sustainability research.

@agristok.bsky.social

PhD Position in Plant Hormone Research (Belgium, 2026 Intake)

Join a leading plant science institute in Belgium for a PhD in plant hormone biology. Work on brassinosteroid signaling and cell cycle regulation using advanced technologies.

@agristok.bsky.social

Postdoctoral Fellow in Biological Nitrification Inhibition (Belgium, 2026)

Join a leading plant science institute in Belgium as a Postdoctoral Fellow researching biological nitrification inhibition and sustainable nitrogen management.

@agristok.bsky.social

Postdoctoral Researcher Job in Evolutionary Systems Biology (Belgium, 2026)

Join a leading research institute in Belgium as a postdoctoral researcher in evolutionary systems biology. Work on genome duplication and computational modeling of plant evolution.

@agristok.bsky.social

Postdoctoral Research Position in Plant Genome Editing (Belgium, 2026)

Explore a postdoctoral research position in Belgium focused on genome editing and plant biotechnology at VIB-UGent. Join a leading lab working on crop resilience and global agriculture.

@agristok.bsky.social

Fully Funded PhD in Plant Pathology (USA, Fall 2026 Intake)

Discover a fully funded PhD assistantship in plant pathology at Montana State University. Includes $30K stipend, tuition coverage, and hands-on field research experience.

@agristok.bsky.social

PhD Opportunity in Forest Biodiversity & Multifunctional Ecosystems in France

Explore a fully funded PhD opportunity in France focused on forest biodiversity, ecological monitoring, and sustainable ecosystem management. Learn how to apply before April 30, 2026.

@markuseichhorn.bsky.social

Job opening: Science Lead in Trees & Forestry Division at DEFRA in the UK. 🌲🌳 www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...

@terrecolgroup.bsky.social

We currently are looking for a postdoctoral research associate (3 years with possibility to extend) with experience in community ecology, and ideally a good match with our group profile; biodiversity, land use change and urban ecology.

Please share for max reach

www.lss.ls.tum.de/fileadmin/w0...

Cover image: Smelling Rafflesia kemumu, Sumatra, Indonesia (2025). Photo by Jeanmaire Molina.