svcaemmerer.bsky.social

Stephen P. Long: Visionary, teacher, and doer | PNAS Stephen Long pioneered a multidisciplinary approach to advance our knowledge of photosynthesis, by integrating research at the molecular, cellular,...

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Fig. 1.Screening effect in porous membranes. While two molecules with different shapes (spheres, linear molecules) may have the same hydrodynamic radius and diffuse at the same velocity in water, diffusion through a porous membrane may lead to significant differences in movement up to complete separation.

🔬🚪 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🚪🔬

The movement of molecules through plasmodesmata is dictated by physical principles at the nanoscale. Here, the available experimental methods to detect this flow, and applicable physical laws are evaluated - Vasina et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Potential applications of diverse PL technologies in studying PD biology. Various PL technologies have been developed in recent years, offering promising avenues for advancing the study of PD biology. (A) Comprehensive PL assays using known PD-localized proteins as baits to map PD subdomain proteomes. (B) Tissue/cell type-specific PD-localized proteins tagged with TbID to identify PD protein complexes in specific tissues/cell types. (C) Stress-responsive PD-associated proteins tagged with TbID to identify PD protein complexes in response to stresses. (D) Split-TbID to identify proteins at PD-PM and PD-ER contact sites. (E) TransitID to map endogenous protein movement between cells through PD. (F) MS2-based TbID assay to identify RBPs of mobile RNAs.

🧬📍 SPECIAL ISSUE EXPERT VIEW 📍🧬

📄 Implementation of proximity labeling technologies will advance our understanding of plasmodesmata.
✍️ Li & Aung

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Core structure of plasmodesmata (PDs) and movement routes through PDs. (A) Core structure of the PDs. CW, cell wall (yellow); ER, endoplasmic reticulum membrane (orange); LM, lumenal space of desmotubule (sky blue); PM, plasma membrane (orange); TE, tethering element (reddish purple). (B) Top: enlarged view of the structure depicted in (A); bottom: perpendicular view of the base of the enlarged structure; bluish green diamond, substance translocating along the PM route; vermillion polygon, substance translocating within the cytoplasmic sleeve; blue trapezoid, substance translocating along the ER membrane route; black star, substance translocating within the lumenal route. Bidirectional dashed arrows indicate potential directions of movement for translocating substances of the same color. Colors were selected according to the colorblind-friendly scheme presented in the JFly color tool (University of Cologne; https://jfly.uni-koeln.de/color/) to enhance visual accessibility.

🌿🧭 SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW 🧭🌿

Linh & Ueda present an in-depth investigation of the potential pathways - at the suborganelle level - provided by plasmodesmata for auxin signal movement in leaf vein patterning.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪

Functional characterisation of bicarbonate transporters from the cyanobacterial SbtA2 family and subsequent expression in tobacco Abstract. Cyanobacteria rely on bicarbonate (HCO3-) as the primary inorganic carbon (Ci) source for photosynthesis in aquatic environments. To use this Ci

Functional characterisation of bicarbonate transporters from the cyanobacterial SbtA2 family and subsequent expression in tobacco academic.oup.com/jxb/article/... @jxbotany.bsky.social

YouTube video by University of Oxford Making Better Rice: The quest to feed the world by hacking plant evolution

Led by Professor Jane Langdale @biology.ox.ac.uk, the C4 Rice Project builds on decades of interdisciplinary research working to ensure global food security.

Discover the incredible story of the multi-decade battle to make better rice ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3RY0vxzFpg

A colour block banner with the words 'International Fellowships 2026' written on the left-hand side.

Together with the @royalsociety.org, we invite applications for the International Fellowships 2026. The scheme supports international early career researchers in advancing their expertise through collaborations with UK partners. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3LaMIBC

Fig. 2.Illustration of high and low-resolution thermal images before and after standardization, and their corresponding segmentation masks. Subplots (A, B) show the high-resolution thermal image in digital number (DN) units (original) (A) and standardized temperature (Tstdzd) units (B). Subplots (C, D) show the low-resolution thermal image in degrees Celsius units (original) (C) and standardized temperature (Tstdzd) units (D). Subplots (E, F) show the Leaf-ground-weed mask for the high-resolution (E) and low-resolution (F). An air temperature of 22 °C was used when standardizing the temperatures in subplots (B, D).

🛰️ TECHNICAL INNOVATION 🌡️

An automated thermal-imagery pipeline by Mayanja et al. calibrates stomatal conductance models and predicts across environments, replacing laborious manual measurements and achieving R²≈0.7 compared to porometer readings.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...
#PlantScience 🧪

One of the best #TeamTomo studies of phase-separated condensates I’ve seen. I am reminded of Rubisco condensates (pyrenoids) for the ability to make such quantitative measurements of molecular organization. It really helps to have intrinsic ~500 kDa fiducials. Awesome mechanistic stuff!! 🧪 🧶🧬 🔬

New paper from the Hanson lab - KO of all 11 rbcS genes (!!) in tobacco to create a null line for rubisco engineering, plus resurrection of ancestral forms www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

The #ChlamyDataset is on the cover of @cp-molcell.bsky.social 🖼️🥰!

Read @lifeonthewedge.bsky.social's great thread🧵 for the inside scoop🍨 on all the #TeamTomo developments already made possible since these 1829 tomos hit EMPIAR 🧪 🧶🧬

For more, here's the old preprint thread:
bsky.app/profile/cell...

Advertisement by the Australian Academy of Science showing 'NOW HIRING' for a Science Adviser position, with a backdrop of a sunset over a bridge leading to Parliament House, Canberra. Visit science.org.au/careers for details.

📣 We're hiring: Science Adviser
Do you have policy experience and the skill to translate complex science into actionable advice? Work with leading scientists to deliver evidence-based advice on national and global issues.

📍 Canberra ACT (Hybrid)
⏰ Apply by 27 Jan 2026

https://bit.ly/45B5oBf

Image text. Call for 2026 ASPB Award Nomindations. Nomindation Deadline Friday, February 13, 2026. (11:59 p.m. ET). Featuring the ASPB logo and plant science-themed background.

📣 Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 ASPB Awards. It is important that ASPB honor the most notable achievements and contributions of plant scientists worldwide.🌱

👉 The deadline is Friday, February 13! buff.ly/ziJ3tAt.

#plantscience

Portrait of a smiling senior with curly white hair, wearing a light jacket and green turtleneck, standing with arms crossed in front of a white geometric-patterned background.

📚 Former Australian of the Year and renowned epidemiologist Professor Fiona Stanley AC FAA joins Barbara Miller on ABC Radio’s RN Breakfast to share what she's reading this summer – from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to Tim Winton. Listen: https://ab.co/4jwyuYr

Thiamine triphosphate puts the brake on the activation state of chloroplast ATP synthase Thiamine triphosphate, derived from the coenzyme thiamine diphosphate and inorganic phosphate, slows the activation of chloroplast ATP synthase.

Thiamine triphosphate puts the brake on the activation state of chloroplast ATP synthase (Kai Wang , Jean Alric , Teresa B Fitzpatrick) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial

Fellow Johnston This is "Fellow Johnston" by Australian Academy of Science on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Vale Prof Emma Johnston AO FAA FTSE

The Academy is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of one of our Fellows, Prof Emma Johnston AO FAA FTSE. She was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2022 recognising her leadership in the field of marine ecology, 🧵

vimeo.com/762105195

Brain boxes | Royal Society Jon Bushell looks at the Edinburgh University artificial intelligence research of Christopher Longuet-Higgins FRS, and the impact on AI of the 1973 Lighthill report.

Research into #AI has been happening in the UK long before the current explosion of LLMs. On our blog, Royal Society Modern Records Archivist Jon Bushell takes a look at the AI research of Christopher Longuet-Higgins FRS in the 1960s and 70s: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2025/12/brain-boxes/

More recommendations from our summer reading and listening list …

@svcaemmerer.bsky.social

Want more book picks from Australia's leading scientists? Check out our Fellows' 2025 reading list: https://www.science.org.au/videos-and-publications/publications/summer-reading-recommendations-from-our-fellows/fellows-reading-and-listening-list-2025

See more recommendations from Australia's top scientists in our annual reading and listening list: https://bit.ly/4pt7Xgm

YouTube video by The Royal Society Should we try to talk to aliens? | The Royal Society

Should we try to talk to aliens? Do they already know about us, and what are the risks of trying to make contact? Experts answer these questions and more in our new video made in partnership with #BBCIdeas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHHAhFzLuCA

Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance Uncoordinated metabolic responses in the CO2 concentration cycle and CO2 reassimilation by the Calvin–Benson cycle lead to loss of photosynthetic efficienc

Metabolite profiling reveals slow and uncoordinated adjustment of C4 photosynthesis to sudden changes in irradiance (Stéphanie Arrivault , David Barbosa Medeiros , Cristina et al) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial

Save the date for 'Science at the Shine Dome 2026': 15-17 September
Don’t miss one of the only conference in Australia where you can hear about the breadth and depth of Australian science from the very best scientists in our country, all under one roof.

Registrations will open in mid-2026.

Global epilepsy pioneer elected 21st President of the Australian One of the world’s most respected neurologists whose pioneering work changed the way we think about epilepsy will become the next President of the Australian Academy of Science – Australia’s leading

INTRODUCING our new President! Epilepsy genetics pioneer Laureate Professor Sam Berkovic has been elected the 21st President of the Australian Academy of Science, Australia's leading independent voice for science. bit.ly/4oLqKCK

Congratulations to Nalini Joshi @monsoon0.bsky.social
and team, who have been awarded $35m from the ARC to establish the ARC Centre of Excellence in Mathematics for Quantum Era Security and Trust (MathQuEST) #mathsky

Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis and Differentiation Abstract. Chloroplasts are semi-autonomous organelles essential for photosynthetic organisms. They derived from ancestral cyanobacteria through an endosymb

Very happy this review is out 😊🌱
I've collected recent advances in transcriptional and epigenetic 🧬 Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis and Differentiation url: academic.oup.com/jxb/article/...

Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis and Differentiation Abstract. Chloroplasts are semi-autonomous organelles essential for photosynthetic organisms. They derived from ancestral cyanobacteria through an endosymb

Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis and Differentiation academic.oup.com/jxb/article/... @jxbotany.bsky.social

We are hiring a Senior Education Officer – Mathematics, a role focused on developing quality teaching resources for Year 7-10 maths teachers.

📍 Canberra (remote considered)
📅 Fixed term until Dec 2026

Learn more: bit.ly/4oxsf7l

New President speaks out on challenges to science | Royal Society Paul Nurse, the new President of the Royal Society has criticised those who put ideology ahead of evidence and called for smarter funding of UK science.

President of the Royal Society Sir Paul Nurse has spoken out on the challenges currently facing science, criticising those who put ideology ahead of evidence and called for smarter funding of UK science: royalsociety.org/news/2025/12...

Complex sphingolipid metabolism impacts cell division and plasmodesmal development in the moss Physcomitrium patens Sphingolipid deficiencies induced by targeted CRISPR mutagenesis produce extensive developmental defects in the moss Physcomitrium patens, impacting cytoki

Complex sphingolipid metabolism impacts cell division and plasmodesmal development in the moss Physcomitrium patens (Linus Wegner, Cornelia Herrfurth, Ivo Feussner, Katrin Ehlers, Tegan M Haslam) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial