KunzLab@LMU

Fraudulent Scientific Papers Are Rapidly Increasing, Study Finds A statistical analysis found that the number of fake journal articles being churned out by “paper mills” is doubling every year and a half.

“If these trends are not stopped, science is going to be destroyed." Here's my story on the accelerating growth of systemic research fraud--aka paper mills. Gift link: nyti.ms/45rDirw

Starch Enthusiasts can register for Starch Round Table 2025 by 3rd October: Minneapolis USA

commerce.cashnet.com/KSUGSI

Bluesky doesn't penalize you for using links, tags, using key words like Patreon or commissions, and doesn't have a central algorithm on your following feed, which means all the power rests on you to help your favourite creators be seen!

🚀 Today we're launching the 'Night Science Institute', a non-for-profit organization to lead a cultural shift in science! You may say we're dreamers 😉, but we think we're not the only ones. Perhaps today you will join us to make the Day Science and Night Science parts of the process live as one!

Sadly Gerry Edwards @pullman.wsu.edu a giant in photosynthesis and science community aspb.org/wp-content/u... passed away. Gerry was an outstanding scientist, devoted teacher and mentor, a great family man and a wonderful human being. He will be deeply missed. May his example of leadership live on.

Combined generalist and host-specific transcriptional strategies enable host generalism in the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea How generalist pathogens infect phylogenetically diverse hosts remains a central question in plant-pathogen biology. In particular, the extent to which broad host range is enabled by genetic variation...

The first in a coming array of papers looking at the co-transcriptome of 72 Botrytis genotype in 10 different host plants is out. Summary is the pathogen uses a combination of general virulence and host specific plasticity (not new genes) to infect dicots. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Letter to the editor: a robust technique for gas exchange measurements using petiole-cut Arabidopsis leaves in a whole plant chamber Satoru Naganawa Kinoshita, Iris Finkemeier; Letter to the editor: a robust technique for gas exchange measurements using petiole-cut Arabidopsis leaves in

Thrilled to share our latest short technical paper in PCP!
We propose an alternative leaf-level gas exchange measurement method with petiole-cut leaves and whole plant chamber, enabling the measurements even with the small Arabidopsis plants.🌱
track.smtpsendmail.com/9032119/c?p=...

The chloroplast ionome shines new light on organellar Fe homeostasis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.28.667122v1

The chloroplast ionome shines new light on organellar Fe homeostasis Annually, chloroplasts fix 258 billion tons of CO2 through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis and other biochemical pathways require specific amounts of metal ions in the organelle. Transport proteins in ...

The chloroplast ionome shines new light on organellar Fe homeostasis www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Many transcription factor families have evolutionarily conserved binding motifs in plants (Sanja Zenker , Donat Wulf , Anja Meierhenrich , Prisca Viehöver , Sarah Becker , Marion Eisenhut , Ralf Stracke , Bernd Weisshaar , Andrea Bräutigam) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience

Role of Chloroplast Lipid-Remodelling Protein 23 During Cold Acclimation in Arabidopsis thaliana Cold acclimation is a crucial physiological process that enables plants to adapt to low temperatures. A key aspect of this adaptation is lipid remodeling, which preserves membrane fluidity and integri...

Plz check out this new preprint from a collaborative effort with many great groups. Spoiler alert: Its about 🌱 plastids 😜. Thx to everyone who contributed, Serena Schwenkert from @lmumuenchen.bsky.social for leading the project, and of course @dfg.de for funding: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

2/2 The authors' argument is that of a slippery slope. Much of today's research will in future be proven to be at least in part wrong – that's what is exciting about scientific advances – so where do you draw the line?

(I expect there will be many strong opinions -- let's hear them!)

A canonical chloroplast unfolded protein response triggered by misfolded polypeptides Photosynthetic efficiency and plant viability rely on chloroplast protein homeostasis. While unfolded protein responses (UPRs) in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria have been extensively chara...

A canonical chloroplast unfolded protein response triggered by misfolded polypeptides
Alejo Cantoia, Fabricio Bertero, Rodrigo Berrocal, Eduardo A. Ceccarelli, Nicolás E. Blanco, Germán L. Rosano
bioRxiv 2025.06.11.659047; doi: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Our latest paper is out in The Plant Cell! 🚀 @theplantcell.bsky.social
We identified BGH2, a suppressor of GLK transcription factors, as a key regulator of plastid homeostasis and light adaptation.
Huge thanks to everyone who supported and contributed to this work!
doi.org/10.1093/plce...

Less than a week left to apply! 🌱💚

Sloan Lab Welcome! Our research focuses on the evolutionary process at the molecular level. In particular, we investigate how a mixture of natural selection and non-adaptive forces create and maintain the amazi...

Please share! Our lab is recruiting a PhD student to join us starting fall 2026. Our group is broadly interested in plant molecular evolution and comparative genomics. More info about our lab and grad programs at Colorado St. is available on our lab website.

sites.google.com/site/danielb...

Tom Sharkey poses at his desk as a graduate student in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory between 1976-1980.

Tom Sharkey poses in a lab coat in front of a plant and computer in his lab.

Tom Sharkey and former lab member, Sarathi Weraduwage, examine a piece of equipment.

After 51 years, Thomas Sharkey is earning the title of Emeritus University Distinguished Professor as he heads to retirement. From pioneering photosynthesis research to mentoring future leaders, his impact is immeasurable. Read about his impactful #plantscience career: natsci.msu.edu/news/2025/20...

A million shades of green: understanding and harnessing plant metabolic diversity
Rocky Payet, Anne Osbourn et al presents a step-by-step guide to starting a project that characterises plant secondary metabolites
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Happy to share our latest work on the specific role of phosphatase PLL2 in phytocytokine vs MAMP signaling. Published today in Nature Plants. rdcu.be/euNse

Effects of chaperone selectivity on the assembly of plant Rubisco orthologs in E. coli We used an E. coli system to examine recognition of plant Rubisco chaperones for different Rubiscos. Identified factors influencing chaperone selectivity e

Further advanced in synbio systems for expression of plant rubiscos in E. coli, exploring importance of Raf1 variants:
academic.oup.com/jxb/article-...
and accompanying perspective via @jxbotany.bsky.social doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rx8qRzr2oKWGhMr-OYDn1ydwUCVeH6YPMIFevtSpKes/edit?usp=sharing

For those without a subscription to the newspaper, here's a screenshot of the viewpoint, with a link to the full text in the Alt text

Advanced illumination-imaging reveals photosynthesis-triggered pH, ATP and NAD redox signatures across plant cell compartments https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659786v1

Preprint out by @dfg.de funded RU #GoPMF. Check out extensive application of genetically-encoded sensors to resolve light-induced pH, ATP, and NAD/H changes across 🍃 cell organelles. Congrats to @schwarzlanderlab.bsky.social from @uni-muenster.de who lead the project: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The final version of our #PlantScience #biosensors review is now out at doi.org/10.1016/j.jp...

Very excited and honored to receive this award along with Ivan @radinbio.bsky.social ! We wrote a little bit about the importance of seed libraries here: www.arabidopsiscommunity.org/redei-award
#plantscience 🧪

Ownbey Herbarium receives $1 million bequest The gift from Charles and Beverly Heebner will provide long-term support for the WSU herbarium, a vital hub for plant research and education.

Congratulations! Go Cougs! Ownbey Herbarium receives $1 million bequest news.wsu.edu/news/2025/06...

Awakened by the Prairie: Reconnecting with Purpose at the Danforth Center - Danforth Plant Science Center My first visit to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center was in the fall of 2024. Just a few months earlier, I had accepted an offer to join the Center as a visiting scientist, which was an exciting new chapter that followed my decision to leave a scientist position at a large corporate organization.

It’s #NationalPrairieDay! In today’s blog, Sherin Thomas, PhD, a scientist new to the Danforth Center, reflects on our tallgrass prairie and how its beauty, biodiversity, and significance inspired her from her very first visit. https://loom.ly/mOzh13s

The Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain is Important as an Electron Sink to Avoid Over-Reduction of Chloroplasts in Arabidopsis thaliana Leaves under High-Light Stress Abstract. The respiratory chain in plant mitochondria has two pathways: the ATP-coupling cytochrome pathway (CP) and ATP-uncoupling alternative oxidase (AO

Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain is Important as an Electron Sink to Avoid Over-Reduction of Chloroplasts in Arabidopsis thaliana Leaves under High-Light Stress academic.oup.com/pcp/article-... @plantcellphysiol.bsky.social

We are looking for a postdoc with experience in electron microscopy.
mail to ruediger.simon@hhu.de

Proud to present the lab's latest work. The full structure of the sodium translocating methyltransferase (Mtr) bound to a small oxygen-responsive small protein MtrI. Work by Tristan and together with @schmitzstreitslab.bsky.social .

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.02.657420v1