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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

How do "friendly" rhizobia build a legume nodule? @albinteulet.bsky.social found that Type III effectors of symbiotic Rhizobia include diverse predicted transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulators. journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... Now @plosbiology.org More information below.

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Toulouse - Summer 2027 European Nitrogen Fixation Conference (ENFC17) 22 - 25 August 2027 International Molecular Mycorrhizal Meeting (IMMM8) 26-27 August 2027

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A recurring signature: NLS+nucleic-acid-binding domains+activation domains. Hallmarks of transcription factors. It's not just symbionts. The same architecture appears in gall-inducing Pantoea effectors, proven DNA-binding transcriptional activators. (5/6)

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Others may go post-transcriptional: a PPR-like RNA-recognition array paired with an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase fold including intact catalytic aspartate. A built-in small-RNA / gene-silencing machine? (4/6)

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The most common SU1 matches a DNA-binding core domain-stacked up to 6× in Bel2-5. The BPN domain (SU2) is a structural mimic of the plant B3 fold-the DNA-binding domain of Auxin Response Factors. Rhizobia mimicking the host's own transcription factors. (3/6)

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Some rhizobia inject effector proteins that can trigger nodules directly (ET-Nods). How? Nobody knew - the sequences are wildly divergent. AlphaFold2 models of all 33 Nop effectors showed they're modular, a toolkit of just 22 structural units that recombine like LEGO. (2/6)

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Preprint! How do "friendly" rhizobia build a legume nodule? @albinteulet.bsky.social found that some may carry hidden transcription factors - proteins that mimic DNA-binding folds to enter the plant nucleus and rewrite its developmental program. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... (1/6)

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Growing love - when a root meets a symbiotic #Mycorrhiza #fungus See what happens with MycorRhize3D. schornacklabslcu.github.io/MycorRhize3D/ Simulate a tap root in soil with spores. Roots turn red when colonised, just like in this paper journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... Reply for suggestions!

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

The 'heart' of the #Mycorrhiza #fungi #symbiosis is the arbuscule where plant and fungus exchange nutrients and carbon. Try the arbuscule growth simulator. Let me know how you adjust parameters to get the most beautiful arbuscules. schornacklabslcu.github.io/Arbuscule-Sim/

image of the graphics interface of a simulation software that renders branching fungal hyphae within cells

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Defining the Xanthomonas euvesicatoria type II-secreted effector arsenal: core nutritional functions and effector diversity @ericksonlab.bsky.social @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social doi.org/10.64898/202...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Conserved symbiosis-associated genes in the cycad Encephalartos natalensis suggest co-option for cyanobacterial symbiosis nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

New Preprint! Engineering quantitative root disease resistance in barley by targeting conserved SCAR susceptibility genes without compromising seed yield or mycorrhizal symbiosis. This work has been led by @binebrumm.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Orto Botanico Padova - the oldest botanic garden

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

New Opinion with @iamjawaharsingh.bsky.social @oswaldovaldesl.bsky.social in @cp-trendsplantsci.bsky.social No Phosphate, less nitrogen fixing symbiosis and nodules, regardless of nitrogen status. PHR-L7 represses NIN in Common bean under phosphate starvation. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

LIN oppositely affects Phytophthora infection in Medicago. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Be part of OMGN! Open to all researchers with an interest in oomycetes, from molecular genetics & genomics to biology, population biology, and ecology, at either an experimental or a computational level. Investigators new to the field are always welcome oomycetes.com

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Today’s seminar @slcuplants.bsky.social by @pdchristine.bsky.social is on the cell-to-cell communication upon biotic stress - a crucial aspect of plant multicellular life.

A presenter talking in front of slides in an auditorium

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Plz RP. Come join us at @slcuplants.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk to study effector-targeted plant processes impacting plant cell biology and development. www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/post-do... www.schornacklab.net

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

#iMMM2025 is about to kick of in Munich, Bavaria (clearly), Germany - looking forward to 2.5 days filled with amazing molecular mycorrhiza research!

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Summer poster presentations today @cropscicentre.bsky.social with lots of students from @slcuplants.bsky.social @camplantsci.bsky.social and NIAB - from our team Dylan Rees, Victor Schroeder, Anna Flynn

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Ly et al. 2025 - Plants, fungi, and antifungals: A little less talk, a little more action @plos.org journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

In poster hall not very far away - check out today how the resistance prevents or supports tao opposing factions in their constant pursuit for nutrients. SCAR Wars! - P070 #2025ISMPMI

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Vivianne Vleeshouwers on potato resistance and Phytophthora diversity- and this slide of her work is part of my lectures - high throughput discovery of resistant germplasm/R gene loci

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Max Pluis - How does Phytophthora make the cut? - and the role of Phytophthora cell processes such as mechanosensing

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Patricia Manosalva ̶ Phytophthora cinnamomi populations affecting avocado in the U.S.A. exhibit large phenotypic variability and potential introductions from Mexico

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Jeanne Miebach ̶ High throughput image analysis and quantification of aggregation of an aquatic Blastocladiomycotan fungus on its algal host: Paraphysoderma sedebokerense almost never attacks Haematococcus spp. alone - check out that lifecycle

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Gizem Ünal is Optimizing dsRNA-Based Strategies for Controlling Downy Mildew in Pea

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Wang Zhuoyue - Systematic Optimization of LAMP Assays for Kauri Dieback Diagnostics - because there is a Phytophthora (agathidicida) which kills these iconic trees

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#omgn2025 @dariuskos.bsky.social presenting research on a Marchantia transcription factor which controls its reproductive structures and is stress-regulated. Read more about it here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Mariana Herrera Corzo also works on 87 isolates of the arguably most interesting plant pathogen.

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Ina Schlathoelter contributed to saving chocolate by studying how cacao pods respond to its Phytophthora pathogens. Some cocoa varieties/clones are differentially resistant to palmivora GH49 and megakarya GH34.

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Yongli Qiao on TPS6 in the Phytophthora soybean interaction

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Yingnan Hou Pentatricopeptide repeat Protein Gene derived siRNAs induce Phytophthora gene silencing through trans-species RNAi

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Chih-Hang Wu shows impressive cell biology of effector triggered hypersensitive response cell death - you can also read more about it here www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 @guidopmi.bsky.social talks about NLP proteins, often toxic but in oomycetes there are also non-toxic NLPs

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Keynote speaker Bart Thomma - with a short introduction on how to survive in Cologne

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Claire Gachon opens #OMGN2025 Thank you to all the funders and sponsors who are supporting this!

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

#OMGN2025 Oomycete molecular genetics network meeting starting in a couple of minutes in Cologne.

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Visualization of SA-Induced Plant Immune Activation in Arabidopsis and rice A Water-Soluble Probe for Visualizing Immune Activation for Microbial Resistance in Rice Crops via NIR-II Fluorescent Imaging | Analytical Chemistry pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Congrats to @chetanpandey.bsky.social for winning the Best Poster Prize at Botanicon Cambridge. Very proud of you! @slcuplants.bsky.social

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

When linden trees (here Tilia tomentosa) face heat they angle their leaves to reflect more sunlight to reduce leaf temperature and water loss. Since the leaf undersides are covered in white soft hairs the trees look silvery. - it’s clearly hot @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Plz repost. Fresh Preprint led by @alexguyon.bsky.social When a pathogen pushes into a cell already occupied by a symbiotic fungus, things change. New membrane phospholipids at pathogen haustoria! This may impact immune receptor positioning & defense secretion. - And the roots are more resistant!

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Many transcription factor families have evolutionarily conserved binding motifs in plants @andreabraeutigam.bsky.social academic.oup.com/plphys/artic...

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Sebastian Schornack @dromius.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Intracellular pathogens can form extensive hyphal structures. Here, the pathogen Phytophthora palmivora (magenta) produces invasive hyphae in a living epidermal cell of a Nicotiana root. The plant surrounds the invader by an 'extra-invasive hyphal membrane' (yellow)📸 @alexguyon.bsky.social

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