Adam Steinbrenner

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

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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: 👉http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/TPJ-fellowships
& 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!

This study inspired lots more❓for us

What is a sufficient level of PRR expression? Analyses of NLR expression from Krasileva lab (ref 52) were interesting here

How does early "PTI response" translate to resistance? Great review from Balint-Kurti lab (ref 43) helped us interpret our findings

What about the caterpillars? We generated low expression (inr-2 allele) near-isogenic lines, but interestingly, In11 pretreatment still protected these plants from attack.

We conclude that insensitivity with common lab assays for PTI does not necessary correspond with resistance.

Promoter alleles from different In11-reponsive or non-responsive varieties corresponded with strength driving luciferase expression in transient expression assays. Thus, low INR expression seems to mediate insensitivity to In11 in lab conditions.

We found just a few insensitive accessions among hundreds of tested USDA-GRIN varieties. One variety was associated with lower expression of the INR gene. The low expression INR haplotype turned out to be locally prevalent in varieties from Jujuy province in Argentina.

Evolutionary gain and loss of a plant pattern-recognition receptor for HAMP recognition A plant immune receptor evolved recognition of caterpillar peptides through key molecular changes.

Legumes in the subtribe Phaseolinae evolved the INR immune receptor to detect attack by caterpillars through In11 peptide in their spit.

INR is strikingly conserved in legumes. 364 tested varieties of cowpea from our original 2020 GWAS are sensitive to In11!

elifesciences.org/articles/81050