iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

📬 Our September C-SPIRIT Newsletter is out! 🌱 Meet the Graham Lab, explore our University of Manitoba feature, check out the new BAR Single Cell Data Portal, and catch up on publications, events & more! 🔬🧬 📖 createsend.com/t/y-F2F2F5F3... Subscribe here: forms.gle/hWQycasrts2m... #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 05/10/2026

📖 New C-SPIRIT publication! C-SPIRIT members Woo-Haeng Lee, So-Ra Han, Tae-Jin Oh & collaborators characterized a novel enzyme that can produce bioactive methylated flavonoids. 🌿🧬 🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s120... #plantscience

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Invited Speaker Dr. Olivia Carmo will be giving a talk on “Unfurling Mechanisms of Desiccation Tolerance: An Ultrastructural Perspective” at the 2nd virtual WALII Symposium. Register to hear the talk & submit an abstract to present: walii.science/2nd-virtual-...

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 28/09/2026

🌱 New plant single-cell resource! Developed with input from C-SPIRIT & PCA, the BAR Single Cell Data Portal brings together scRNA-seq datasets, CellxGene & the new SUPeR Viewer to explore gene expression across plant cell types. 🔬🧬 🔗 bar.utoronto.ca/single_cell_... #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 24/09/2026

Exciting progress at MSU! 🌱 The Rhee Lab’s new semi-field research site is ready for C-SPIRIT pennycress experiments investigating plant responses to drought and candidate compounds. We can’t wait to see C-SPIRIT research take root here! #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 22/09/2026

🌱 Happy National Postdoc Appreciation Week! 🔬 We’re celebrating C-SPIRIT’s postdocs and the creativity, expertise & dedication they bring to our international community. 🌎🌿 Thank you for helping advance plant science and build a more resilient future! 💚 #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 21/09/2026

🍅 C-SPIRIT member Gregg Howe recently spoke with PNAS about his career studying plant-herbivore interactions, jasmonate signaling, and how plants balance growth and defense. Read the Q&A: doi.org/10.1073/pnas... #plantscience

doi.org

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 18/09/2026

🏆 Congratulations to C-SPIRIT Japan lead Motoaki Seki on receiving the 2026 JSPB Award for Distinguished Research from the Japanese Society for Plant Biotechnology! His work explores plant responses to environmental stress and supports the development of more resilient plants. 🌱 #plantscience

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Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🦠 VIEWPOINT 🦠 Rhizosphere microbes actively shape plant stress perception and signaling, integrating abiotic and biotic responses and enabling microbiome-assisted resilience, offering a new framework for breeding stress-adapted crops- Araujo et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

Fig. 1.Conceptual framework of rhizobiome engineering for plant stress tolerance. Environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, heat, pathogens, and heavy metals, trigger plant ‘cry for help’ responses characterized by changes in root exudation patterns, including sugars, organic acids, and signaling molecules such as small RNAs. These exudates recruit and shape beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms and engineered microbiomes. In response, microbial communities produce biofilms, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metabolites, and signaling molecules that interact with plant receptors and regulatory pathways. These interactions modulate phytohormonal signaling, redox homeostasis, and physiological processes such as stomatal regulation, ultimately enhancing induced systemic resistance (ISR) against environmental stress.

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 14/09/2026

🌱 Field prep is underway at MSU! The Rhee Lab assembled raised beds and continued preparing the site for C-SPIRIT pennycress research. The beds will support upcoming semi-field drought and compound experiments—and future studies too. 🛠️🌿 #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 09/09/2026

New C-SPIRIT publication! 📖🧬 C-SPIRIT researchers and collaborators sequenced the genome of an Arctic Sphingobacterium, revealing genes linked to degradation of the organic pollutant benzoate. 🌎🔬 🔗 doi.org/10.1128/mra.... #plantscience

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Don't forget to join us ONE WEEK FROM TODAY for the Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar Series on September 10 with Dr. Jill Farrant! Learn more and register: bit.ly/4uDLobX

bit.ly

Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar Series

The Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Public Webinar Series The Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar Series is a public seminar and technical training series featurin…

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Join the MSU Plant Resilience Institute as a Scientific Program Manager, providing strategic leadership for the institute's portfolio of center grants and major research initiatives! 🔗 Learn more and apply: careers.msu.edu/jobs/scienti... #Hiring #PlantSciJobs #SciAdmin

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 02/09/2026

📖 New C-SPIRIT publication! Congrats to Kamal Prasad Regmi, Prakash Paudel, Woo-Haeng Lee & Tae-Jin Oh of Sun Moon University & collaborators on their new study exploring enzyme-driven steroid modification and its potential for biocatalysis. 🔬🧬 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.ij... #plantscience

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The Rhee Lab @rheelab.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations, Bri! 🌱 Rhee Lab member Bri Hashim has successfully passed her Ph.D. qualifying exam! Bri studies plant resilience as a graduate student in MSU’s Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 🔬🌿 We’re excited to celebrate this milestone! 👏🎓 #PlantScience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 31/08/2026

📬 Our August 2026 C-SPIRIT Newsletter is out now! This month: a Glassmire Lab Spotlight, a Sun Moon University feature, new member publications, upcoming events, and recent social media highlights. 🌱 🔗 createsend.com/t/y-ACB98C1E... Subscribe here: forms.gle/hWQycasrts2m... #plantscience

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Plant Cell Atlas @plantcellatlas.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We are so excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2027 Single-Cell Approaches in Plant Biology Gordon Research Conference! Learn More and Apply Now! www.grc.org/single-cell-...

Image of a Gordon Research Conference webpage for “Decoding Plant Cell Biology Through Integrated Single Cell ‘Omics,” taking place August 8–13, 2027, at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. The page lists Nicola Patron and Marc Libault as chairs and Tatsuya Nobori and Shao-Shan Carol C. Huang as vice chairs. On the left is a collage of colorful microscopic images of plant cells.

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Our Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar Series continues on September 10 with Dr. Jill Farrant from the University of Cape Town's talk "Understanding Vegetative Desiccation Tolerance as a Tool for Climate Smart Agriculture." Learn more and register: bit.ly/4uDLobX

A promotional graphic for the Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar Series hosted by WALII that includes a blue water background and an image of the speaker.

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

MSU Plant Resilience Institute Research Specialist Karine Prado spoke with @davidcondos.bsky.social at @kuer.org about how a native Death Valley plant is helping the @rheelab.bsky.social uncover how life can flourish in extreme heat, unlocking a potential blueprint for more heat-resilient crops.

kuer.org

Growing food in a hotter, drier Utah calls for crops that survive like desert plants

Native desert plants evolved not just to handle hot, dry weather but to thrive in it. Now scientists are looking for clues that might help farm crops survive in a warming world.

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

We’re #hiring! The Michigan State University Plant Resilience Institute is seeking an experienced and collaborative Business & Human Resources Administrator to join our team. 🔗 Learn more and apply: careers.msu.edu/jobs/busines... #HumanResources #HRJobs #BusinessAdmin #Jobs

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

The Topp lab at the MSU Plant Resilience Institute is #hiring a project administrator for a new multi-institutional research effort focused on engineering synchronized nitrogen efficiency traits in corn agriculture. #PlantSciJobs #SciAdmin 🌽 Learn more and apply: careers.msu.edu/jobs/project...

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 20/08/2026

🥔 This week, the MSU C-SPIRIT team has been busy harvesting potatoes from our greenhouse experiment! The team is connecting above-ground plant traits with tuber development to better understand how potatoes respond to heat stress. #PlantScience

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The MSU Plant Resilience Institute is excited to welcome @bobvanburen.bsky.social as our new associate director! A PRI faculty member since 2016, VanBuren brings scientific excellence and a deep commitment to our community to the role. 🌱 Learn more: plantresilience.msu.edu/pri-news/202...

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 14/08/2026

🌱 C-SPIRIT members Sue Rhee (Michigan State University), Motoaki Seki (RIKEN CSRS) & Nicola Patron (University of Cambridge) will be speaking at OIST, Nov. 16–18! 📅 Register by Aug. 31. Please note that participation is limited to 100 attendees! 🔗 www.oist.jp/events/plant... #plantscience

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The Rhee Lab @rheelab.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Today, we celebrated two new Rhee Lab members with a welcome lunch at Sindhu! 🎉 Dr. Henry Nvenankeng joins us as a Postdoctoral Scholar, and Dr. Huiqiao Pan as a Lab Manager/Research Assistant. 🔬 Welcome to the Rhee Lab, Henry and Huiqiao! We’re so happy to have you on the team! 💚 #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 10/08/2026

📖 New C-SPIRIT publication! C-SPIRIT members Yuki Hayashi, Toshinori Kinoshita, Farhan Aziz, & Motoaki Seki as well as their collaborators show how synthetic ion channel inhibitors can promote stomatal closure and enhance drought tolerance in plants. 🌱💧 🔗 doi.org/10.1038/s414... #PlantScience

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Mark your calendars!! We are excited to announce the date for this year's WALII Virtual Symposium on November 12, 2026! More details will be shared soon!

A 'Save the Date' graphic for the 2nd annual WALII Symposium. The text is on a brown square background over an image or dry, cracked mud and water.

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Dr. Michael Menze will present "From Anhydrobiosis to Biomedical Innovation: Borrowing Nature's Survival Strategies." Read the abstract and register here: bit.ly/4uDLobX #Anhydrobiosis #Science #LifeWithoutWater

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 04/08/2026

📖 New C-SPIRIT publication! C-SPIRIT members Minoru Ueda, Motoaki Seki & collaborators reveal how HDA19-regulated histone H3.3 acetylation promotes LEA protein accumulation and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis, advancing research on plant resilience. 🌱🧬 🔗 doi.org/10.1073/pnas... #PlantScience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 03/08/2026

📬 C-SPIRIT News: June & July 2026 Our latest issue looks back at the 2026 All-Hands Meeting, spotlights the Kusano Lab and teams at Guelph and RIKEN, and shares new publications, upcoming events and social media posts from across the Center. 🌱 🔗 createsend.com/t/y-37E18AEB... #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 31/07/2026

New C-SPIRIT publication! 🍅🌱 C-SPIRIT members Toon Suzuki and Hiroshi Ezura, with Mariko Takayama (University of Tsukuba), found that enhanced GABA biosynthesis helped tomatoes maintain yield while increasing GABA and dry matter under salt stress. 🧂 📖 doi.org/10.1002/pei3... #plantscience

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MSU Plant Resilience Institute @msupri.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

We are seeking a field research technician for the Great Lakes Advanced Climate Impact & Experimental Research Center (GLACIER) to coordinate day-to-day field and greenhouse experiments related to plant responses to climate stress! #PlantSciJobs Apply now: careers.msu.edu/jobs/field-r...

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 28/07/2026

🌍 It's World Nature Conservation Day! 🌱 Today reminds us that protecting nature means investing in a more sustainable future. At C-SPIRIT, we support that mission by discovering plant- and microbe-derived compounds that help crops thrive under environmental stress. 💚 #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 27/07/2026

🌱 New C-SPIRIT Publication! 📚 Congrats to C-SPIRIT member Jun Hyuck Lee and colleagues on their new paper in Fitoterapia! 🎉 They identified five previously undescribed compounds from Antarctic moss, including one with promising bioactivity. 🌿 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.fi... #PlantScience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 23/07/2026

Murphy Zabala shares C-SPIRIT potato research at MSU 🌱 At MidSURE, MSU’s undergrad research symposium, Murphy presented work on variety-specific growth and physiological responses in potatoes. Murphy is an REU student from Cuyahoga Community College working in Ola Skirycz’s lab! #plantscience

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Plant Science Spotlight @plant-sci.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

🌱🧬 G proteins link growth, yield, and stress defense, but pleiotropy creates trade-offs. This review dissects their regulation and offers strategies to decouple and boost both traits for climate-resilient breeding. #plantscience @jipb.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Plant G proteins: Versatile signaling hubs for synergistic improvement of agronomic traits

This review highlights the roles of G-protein signaling in crop yield and quality, as well as abiotic and biotic stress responses. It also discusses the feasibility of breaking the trade-off between ...

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Yesterday, WALII's Dr. Sue Rhee presented her talk, "Aradbidopsis thaliana RHAMNOSE 1 Condensate Formation Drives UDP-rhamnose Synthesis" at the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) meeting in Ottawa, Canada! #ASPB #ASPB2026 @rheelab.bsky.social

A woman gives a presentation while standing behind a lectern that says "Plant Biology 2026." Behind her is a screen with the title of the talk.

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 17/07/2026

Congratulations to Hui-Kyong Cho and Hatem Rouached (@hatem-rouached.bsky.social) of Michigan State University as well as their collaborators on their new article “Coumarins link iron deficiency to TOR inhibition in plants” published in Current Biology! 🌿🔬 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... #PlantScience

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Did you miss Dr. Matt Stata’s workshop on "Exploring the Many Applications of RNA-seq Data"? Watch it here: youtu.be/Q7ZBBOXxxLE And keep an eye out for more details of Dr. Michael Menze’s talk on August 13, 2027! Learn more here: bit.ly/4uDLobX

youtu.be

The Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Public Webinar Series - Matt Stata, PhD

YouTube video by Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII)

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 15/07/2026

New C-SPIRIT publication! 🌽 Congrats to MSU researchers Maddy Creach, Addie Thompson, Robert VanBuren, as well as their collaborators, on their new publication! In it, they combine multi-omics data to improve maize trait prediction across environments. 🧬 📘 doi.org/10.1093/plce... #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 13/07/2026

C-SPIRIT Team Member Highlight! 🌱 Congratulations to C-SPIRIT member Joe Hamm (@istudytrust.bsky.social) on his promotion to Full Professor in the MSU College of Social Science! 🎉 We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of his scholarship, leadership, and service. #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 10/07/2026

🌱 Upcoming C-SPIRIT team member talk! 🔬 Dr. Sue Rhee will present at #PlantBiology2026 🇨🇦 Her talk explores how Arabidopsis RHAMNOSE 1 forms “rhamnosomes” that help drive UDP-rhamnose synthesis and plant development. 🗓️ Monday, July 20, 4:10 pm EDT 📍 Room 214 🔗 plantbiology.aspb.org/ #plantscience

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 08/07/2026

🌱 New C-SPIRIT publication! Congratulations to C-SPIRIT members Sean Robertson, Chi Dang, Asher Pasha, Nicholas Provart, and Olivia Wilkins as well as their collaborators, on the publication of their article in New Phytologist! 🌾🧬 📖: doi.org/10.1111/nph.... #PlantScience

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WALIIAnhydro @waliianhydro.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Don't forget to join us for the next Anhydrobiosis Research, Tools & Techniques Webinar featuring Dr. Matt Stata! His technical training workshop will be on "Exploring the Many Applications of RNA-seq Data." Learn more and register for this event here: bit.ly/4uDLobX @mattstata.bsky.social

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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Drought and salinity stress remodel Asian rice (Oryza sativa) leaf development through cell-type specific regulatory programs Robertson et al. @oli-wilkins.bsky.social @c-spirit.org @bar-plantbio.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Osmotic stressors induce variable responses in developing rice leaves.

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C-SPIRIT @c-spirit.org · 06/07/2026

🌱 Our 2026 C-SPIRIT All-Hands Meeting! 🌏 Last week, our team gathered in person at RIKEN Yokohama in Japan for pipeline working time, a poster session, networking, and dinner aboard the Yakatabune Suzuyoshi Riverboat 🚢✨ Thank you to our hosts, organizers, and attendees 💚 #PlantScience

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Nicholas Provart @bar-plantbio.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Sue Rhee from MSU, who leads the Centre for Sustainable Plant Innovation and Reslience through International Teamwork (c-spirit.org), kicks off our yearly in-person meeting in Yokohama!

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