Ciara O’Brien

A virus-infected tomato plant is induced to produce a volatile that attracts whiteflies that are not carrying the virus (nonviruliferous). When the whitefly carries the virus, its sense of smell is affected, so it is no longer attracted to the virus-infected plants. Instead, it finds healthy tomato plants, and passes the infection on to them.

Plant Science Research Weekly Nov 14, 2025 (2/2) plantae.org/plant-scienc...
SP6A links heat tolerance & defense;
TYLCV reprograms tomato scent and whitefly senses;
How parasitic plants avoid being parasitized.
@shirasulab.bsky.social

14.11.2025 07:36 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0

On the left, a diagram shows that as water becomes scarce, plants modify stomatal aperture, but as it becomes more scarce, they induce tolerance mechanisms. On the right, a Venn diagram showing greater water use efficiency, drought avoidance, with limited transpiration in the overlap.

#PlantScience Research Weekly, November 14, 2025 plantae.org/plant-scienc...
Reviews on non-photochemical quenching and hydraulic traits;
Oat pangenome/pantranscriptome;
Non-enzymatic functions of isoamylase complex; Quantification of organ geometry (1/2)
@howarthoats.bsky.social

14.11.2025 07:36 — 👍 6    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0

It was so great having you at @johninnescentre.bsky.social!

Some amazing conversations on AI in writing, teaching, and the importance of plants 🌾

Grateful to be a part of the @aspbofficial.bsky.social community ❤️

06.10.2025 17:15 — 👍 14    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0

📣 Calling all Early Career Professionals & Students...

Applications are open to join the committee of our new ECPro group!

🌱 Join us as we create opportunities for ECPs to develop skills & network across industry & academia 🧪🚜

Send your CV & Cover letter➡️ jordan@aab.org.uk
📆Deadline September 15

05.08.2025 13:27 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Screen with the words 'Plastid Preview 2025'

Plastid Preview 2025 program

It's been a great day at #PlastidPreciew2025 at the @universityofessex.bsky.social I've learnt about chloroplast development, retrograde signalling and even macroalgae!

@ciara-obrien.bsky.social, Thomas and Carol (my Seung group lab mates) gave fab talks and I'm looking forward to my go tomorrow...

01.09.2025 20:22 — 👍 13    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0

The stage is now with @ciara-obrien.bsky.social‬ from the Seung Lab at @johninnescentre.bsky.social. She is presenting on how starch phosphorylase is necessary for normal starch granule initiation in potato tubers. Great insight into potato biology! #PlastidPreview2025‬

01.09.2025 15:55 — 👍 10    🔁 6    💬 0    📌 0

I had a great time presenting my work on potato starch at #PlantBio2025 🥔 @aspbofficial.bsky.social

For more info see my poster 300-73!

Great to have two presentations from the Seung Lab at @johninnescentre.bsky.social in the same session, and another on Tuesday 🌱

27.07.2025 21:24 — 👍 14    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

Optical Microscopy Support Specialist | John Innes Centre An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Optical Microscopy Support Specialist to join the Bioimaging Platform at the John Innes Centre.

VACANCY - We’re seeking an Optical Microscopy Support Specialist to join our Bioimaging Platform, to help train users on light microscopes, collaborate on imaging projects and provide technical support.

www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/op...

Closing date - 11 August 2025
Contract - Full time, indefinite

15.07.2025 17:51 — 👍 12    🔁 18    💬 0    📌 2

💚

27.06.2025 17:55 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

How to Prepare for Postdoc Applications and Interviews | Plantae Being a postdoc is an exciting career step, where you get to act as a researcher, but also sometimes a teacher, mentor, lab manager, project coordinator, shoulder-to-cry-on, and about every other…

#JustIn on Plantae: How to Prepare for Postdoc Applications and Interviews. In this new piece, ASPB Plantae Fellows Ciara O'Brien and Stephanie Temnyk highlight advice that helped them prepare when applying for postdocs. buff.ly/3ovEIaz

#plantscience

06.06.2025 14:54 — 👍 8    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0

Image Text: Biochemistry 1: Specialized Metabolites. Sunday, July 27, 2025. 1:30 PM - 3:15 PM. Maneesh Lingwan, Kristen Edgeworth, Ciara O'Brien, Nitin Kamble and Nadia Mourad Silva. University of Texas at Austin | Danforth Plant Science Center | University of Texas at Austin | Texas A&M | University of Birmingham

📣#PlantBio2025 daily highlight: Biochemistry 1: Specialized Metabolites Concurrent Session!🌱 buff.ly/thKyu2R

Learn more and register now!👉https://buff.ly/k7oIzj8

#plantscience

23.05.2025 21:35 — 👍 8    🔁 3    💬 1    📌 1

🔔 Set your alarms for next Thursday 🔔

Looking forward to some great discussions about:
⚙️ engaging with industry
✏️ application-focused education
🌾 recent impacts from plant research

14.02.2025 09:12 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

A fresh starch: Creating new starch granule morphologies in potato tuber | Plantae Starch is the major storage carbohydrate in plants and is organised into semicrystalline granules. The size, shape, and composition of these granules greatly affects how they are digested…

Plant Science Research Weekly -- A fresh starch: Creating new starch granule morphologies in potato tuber (Plant Biotechnol. J.) @kicks3rve.bsky.social (Summary by Ciara O’Brien) https://plantae.org/a-fresh-starch-creating-new-starch-granule-morphologies-in-potato-tuber/

#PlantaePSRW

17.01.2025 17:03 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0