Peter Mabbitt

Neighbour trying to steal my wheelbarrow

Breakthrough in clover breeding could help curb livestock emissions and boost productivity What if we could improve the productivity of New Zealand’s milk, meat, and wool industries while at the same time reduce nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions? It might sound too good to be ...

Some more great funding news from the plant biotechnology specialists in Otago Biochemistry!
Breakthrough in clover breeding could help curb livestock emissions and boost productivity
www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroo...

The Biochemical Society 2027 Awards. Our 2027 Awards are now open for nominations! Deadline 3 November 2025

Nominations are now open for the 2027 Awards! With 12 categories spanning all career stages, there's never been a better time to recognise the outstanding work of your colleagues. Visit our website to find out how to nominate #BiochemAwards buff.ly/FHTSGz8

Four weeks left for abstract submission and early-bird registration for the NZ Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting!! Adele Williamson and William Kelton are putting together an amazing program including outstanding plenary speakers!

www.nzsbmb.org/conference-2025-rotorua

Great to be at the opening of Momo Toi in Ōkato. Worth a visit If you are ever traveling on Surf Highway 45.
momotoi.com/gallery

A pitchers worth a thousand words

Newly discovered giant stick insect could be Australia's heaviest Naturalists have made the discovery in the misty rainforests of Far North Queensland where tree canopies reach more than 30 metres above the ground and many species are believed to still be unknown.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

We are still accepting abstracts for selected short talks and posters. The abstract deadline has been extended to this Friday, 1st Aug. More information and registration here: www.lorneubiquitin.org .

Wētā

A reasonable sized wētā in my woodpile tonight.

Tribute to Joanne Chory just published in PNAS - a wonderful plant scientist and woman. I saw her present at a few conferences and met her once. As we chatted I learnt so much about using Arabidopsis for the dissection of hormone signalling #plantscience 🧪

DOC spends hundreds of thousands to care for snails after mining destroys home But an OIA reveals hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent to do so.

Yes. Money is being spent on snails. These are unique, remarkable and of huge scientific importance. If we hadn’t destroyed their environment we wouldn’t have to spend the money. And yes Genomics Aotearoa is doing genetic analyses to support effective management.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Ever wonder what our retired academics get up to?
Assoc Prof Sigurd Wilbanks is creating exquisite botanical art!
His art is on display as part of the Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 exhibition: Wellington Botanic Garden Treehouse Visitor Centre through Aug & Sep; Ashburton Art Gallery 17 Oct-7 Dec.

nzsbmb.org/registration

The New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB) 2025 meeting is in my hometown of Rotorua. A great opportunity for science in New Zealand’s capital of mountain biking and hot springs 🧪 🌲 ♨.

🌍🌲🌳🌴🌵🌱🌾🪾🍂🍃Fascinating piece about the place of trees in cultural life.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Ngauruhoe

📣 Calling all ubiquitin aficionados - one week to go before abstract deadline (July 18th)!! Join us on the coast in Lorne, Australia. www.lorneubiquitin.org
#ubiquitin

Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) at University of Birmingham An opportunity for an academic position as a Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openings.

I have a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position starting in January to study the evolution of seed gene networks using the fern Ceratopteris! Interested? More info here:
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNU179/r...

Closing date 31st July. 🙂
#PlantScience
#PlantSciencejobs

This paper started probably 20 years ago when I was working with John Oakeshott, a long time in the making and I think a nice summary of a complex real world evolutionary process

Excited about #Ubiquitin and protein degradation?

Have a look at my recent talk at the @danafarber.bsky.social Targeted Protein Degradation Webinar Series now out on YouTube. Here, I talk about my recent publication (see Blue-torial below)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpg0...

Work with us! Kaimanaaki Pāpāho | Media Advisor – Science Media Centre The Science Media Centre is looking for a media advisor to join our dedicated team working to improve the reach, relevance and accuracy of news media reporting on science and related topics in…

Want to work with the SMC? We don’t expect perfection in our candidates – if you think you may have what it takes, but don’t meet every point referenced below, please still get in touch!

More info and apply here: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/06/26/w...

Nine rounds of directed evolution resulted in LcαE7 variants with increased rates of OP-hydrolysis. Three LcαE7 genes (wild-type, G137D and R9) were introduced into the genome of Drosophila. Fluorometric substrate DEUP, and insecticides Diazinon and Paraoxon are shown with the scissile bond indicated in red.

How predictable are the evolutionary pathways leading to insecticide resistance? Why do some species gain resistance while others do not? We explore these questions in our latest preprint. A huge effort from Rebecca Frkic, Alex Giang, Colin Jackson and the team.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The horoeka in the back is about 40 years old and has lost its juvenile leaves.

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best is now. My horoeka (Pseudopanax crassifolius) are busy planting themselves.

📣 We’re recruiting 1-2 Group Leaders! NCMBM is looking for early-career researchers ready to establish their independent research groups!

🧬 With an attractive start-up package, help us shape the future of molecular biosciences and medicine in 🇳🇴 and be part of the @nordicembl.bsky.social!

Australia’s First Ubiquitin Summit is here! 🥳
📍Lorne, Victoria | 🗓️ 20–23 November 2025

Join us on the scenic coastline of Lorne for 4 days of cutting-edge ubiquitin science, featuring a fantastic lineup of international speakers covering all corners of the Ub world—from mechanisms to therapeutics

Researchers sequence first genome from ancient Egypt Researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) have extracted and sequenced the oldest Egyptian DNA to date from an individual who lived around 4,500 to 4,800...

Researchers from the Crick and @ljmuofficial.bsky.social have extracted and sequenced DNA from an individual who lived in Egypt around 4,500 years ago, making it the oldest genome from ancient Egypt sequenced to date.
www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-07...

egmontseeds.co.nz