iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The last talk of the meeting! We’re a little sad that #MAdLand2026 is coming to an end, but very happy to welcome our guest speaker, @pierremarcdelaux.bsky.social from Toulouse. He will talk about the evolution of plant–microbe interactions at the water-to-land transition. 🌱 #plantsci

12110

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

We are very happy to welcome our next guest speaker, Liam Dolan @liamdolanlab.bsky.social from the GMI in Vienna. He is telling us more about the development of the Marchantia polymorpha sporeling #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0186

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Next, Elisa Goldbecker from @jandevries.bsky.social in Göttingen will share her insights into core transcriptomic responses of Zygnematophyceae to a gradient of terrestrial stressors. #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

066

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Our first talk after lunch will be given by Haruna Nomizo from the Uchida lab in Japan, who will share her insights into Cell division behavior of proliferative outermost cells during discoid thallus morphogenesis in Coleochaete scutata. #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

095

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Next, @nidabasturk.bsky.social from @jandevries.bsky.social lab is exploring endosymbiotic gene transfer across photosynthetic eukaryotes, from Archaeplastida and secondary algae to Paulinella. #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0108

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Starting fresh into a new day! 🌱 We’re very happy to welcome @moodytomato.bsky.social from Oxford as our next guest speaker, who will be unravelling the origins of multidimensional growth in plants with us. #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0135

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

We’re excited to welcome Takashi Murata, joining us all the way from Japan, to tell us how microtubules mediate post-cytokinetic cell wall synthesis in Closterium #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

054

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

@fernway.bsky.social from @duke-university.bsky.social in North Carolina is sharing his latest discoveries on how a plant-derived diterpenoid initiates symbiosis with N2-fixing cyanobacteria #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0129

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Next, @derenbuyuktas.bsky.social from @jandevries.bsky.social lab is sharing her latest insights on Hornwort Abiotic Stress Responses and their Evolutionary Link to Cyanobacteria #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0116

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Last talk of the session by @caeciliafkunz.bsky.social from @jandevries.bsky.social in Göttingen, sharing her latest insights into the conserved and divergent UV responses in Mesotaenium #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0126

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Next up, Zahin Mohd Ali from @jandevries.bsky.social lab in Göttingen is sharing his latest discoveries on phytochrome-mediated light signalling in Physcomitrium patens #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

096

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

We’re kicking things off with a welcome talk by @jandevries.bsky.social, introducing us to Göttingen and the Alte Mensa 🏛️ #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0123

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

We’re very delighted to welcome our first invited speaker, Hiroyuki Sekimoto, from Japan! He is taking us into the fascinating world of the unicellular zygnematophycean alga Closterium peracerosum–strigosum–littorale complex. 🌿 #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

076

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) @plantsciencedbg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Next up is @heche.bsky.social from the @jandevries.bsky.social lab, talking about Polyploid cycle in land plants: an exaptation of the alternation of dimorphic multicellular generations #MAdLand2026 #plantsci

0117

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

In our general assembly today Sophie de Vries introduced & launched YongDBG, the network for early career researchers (ECR) from undergraduate level to first junior group leader position for members of our DBG @plantsciencedbg.bsky.social www.deutsche-botanische-gesellschaft.de/en/sections/...

deutsche-botanische-gesellschaft.de

YoungDBG

YoungDBG is DBG's member network for early career researchers in the plant sciences.

02111

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Uni Göttingen @uni-goettingen.de · 04/09/2026

Congratulations to bioinformatician Dr Jaccoline Zegers for the Wilhelm Pfeffer Prize, German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG), awarded for her PhD thesis. The prize recognises outstanding achievements in plant research: www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html... #AppliedBioinformatics #Genomics #Algae

Close up photograph of one of Dr Jaccoline Zeger's analysed algae from the group of Zygnematophyceae named Zygnema circumcarinatum. It shows a close up of a strand which has transparent compartments with packs of green in the middle. The photo is by Jaccoline Zegers, University of Göttingen

Photo shows Dr Jaccoline Zegers. She is sitting in a field of wheat-coloured crop with mountains and forests behind her. Photo thanks to Amra Ashok, University of Göttingen

0299

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

German Society for Plant Sciences (DBG) @plantsciencedbg.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Yippie 🎉 Dr Sophie de Vries @uni-goettingen.de, our extended board member, receives a #ERCStG from @erc.europa.eu for her project “Plant Immune Responses in Perpetual symbiosis (PIRPetum)”, She will analyse how plants maintain their friends while repelling foes www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html...

uni-goettingen.de

Information for the Media - Georg-August-University Göttingen

Website of the Georg-August-University Göttingen

0214

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

All detectable ancient whole-genome duplications involve hybridization www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…

03219

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Subgenome-Level Phylogeny Reveals an Allopolyploid Origin of Chloranthales from Ancestral Monocot and Eudicot Lineages www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20…

001

Hengchi Chen @heche.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

how to understand that "development is evolutionarily unimportant"?

Volker Lipka @volkerlipka.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

We are currently recruiting an Independent Junior Research Group Leader in the field of biotic and/or abiotic stress biology in plants at the University of Göttingen (starting in January 2027). www.uni-goettingen.de/de/644546.ht... Best, Salma Balazadeh & Volker Lipka

uni-goettingen.de

Stellenanzeigen - Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Webseiten der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

06174

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

The evolutionary origins of #streptophyte multicellularity #TansleyReview by Tatyana Darienko, et al. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @jandevries.bsky.social @caeciliafkunz.bsky.social Summary also available in German. #PlantScience

The phylogeny of streptophytes and the deep origin of branching filamentous growth.

12312

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Methods in Ecology and Evolution @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

We are very happy to announce that following an open call at the beginning of the year, we have welcomed 44 new Associate Editors to Methods in Ecology and Evolution, spanning 16 different countries! 🌍 Read the blog post below to find out more about our new editors👇

buff.ly

Welcoming new Associate Editors to Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Following an open call for applicants at the beginning of 2026, we are pleased to welcome 44 new Associate Editors to Methods in Ecology and Evolution. The researchers joining us span 18 different …

0132

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Methods in Ecology and Evolution @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Just a few days left to submit a proposal for our latest special feature! 🌍 🧪 Deadline for proposals is the 10th July, and paper submission will be due in February 2027⏰️ Find out more and submit a proposal 👇 buff.ly/AP33DCC

053

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

MAdLand @watertoland.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

🌱 We are very thrilled to announce our Invited Speakers for this year's MAdLand Meeting. Join us in Göttingen, Germany, from September 29 to October 2, 2026, if you are interested in #plantsci & #evolution, and (re-)connect with an amazing scientific community. Register here: madland-meeting.de

Poster announcing the invited speakers for the MAdLand meeting 2026, taking place in Göttingen from 29 September to 2 October 2026. The list includes the following speakers: Miguel A. Blázquez, Pierre-Marc Delaux, Liam Dolan, Elvira Hörandl, Laura Moody, Hiroyuki Sekimoto

01613

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Methods in Ecology and Evolution @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Don't forget to submit a proposal for our latest special feature 👉 Time-dependency in Micro- and Macroevolutionary Rates 🌍 🧪 Deadline for proposals is the 10th July, and paper submission will be due in February 2027⏰️ Find out more and submit a proposal 👇 buff.ly/2yt4RLt

01511

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Stefan A. Rensing @rensingstefan.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Updated @theplantjournal.bsky.social guidelines: avoid the use of terms such as “basal”, “early diverging lineage”, “primitive”, “ancestral plant”, “lower and higher plants” [..] recommends the use of specific terms such as “bryophytes”, “vascular plants” [..] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal...

24220

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Current Biology @currentbiology.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

When a protist engulfed a cynaobacterium, Earth changed forever! @jandevries.bsky.social, @caeciliafkunz.bsky.social, @heche.bsky.social & colleagues review the origins and evolution of archaeoplastids, the lineage that arose from this event, including plants & co www.cell.com/current-biol...

03819

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Cece (Cäcilia F.) Kunz @caeciliafkunz.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Very excited to be presenting at @official-smbe.bsky.social in Copenhagen. I'll be talking about evolutionarily conserved mechanisms in UV acclimation in the context of plant terrestrialization. Looking forward to connecting with other researchers interested in #evolution. #SMBE2026

053

Hengchi Chen @heche.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Thrilled to share our latest land plant deep divergence paper on SMBE!! @jandevries.bsky.social bsky.app/profile/offi...

022

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution @official-smbe.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

#SMBE2026 S12: Reconstructing the deep Tree of Life: challenges and new approaches 🗓️ Tue Jun 30, 3:50pm 🔗 smbe2026.org/programme

131

Reposted by Hengchi Chen

Cell Press @cellpress.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Could duplicate genomes (polyploidy) have helped saved some flowering plants from the dinosaur-killing asteroid? Read more in Cell: spkl.io/63320AA0h2 @heche.bsky.social, @yvdp.bsky.social & colleagues @cp-cell.bsky.social

0167

Under the current condition of rapid global climate change, we may be witnessing many new 'ancient' polyploidy events in the making. This may have significant implications on agriculture and ecosystem stability, since many crop species and invasive weed species are polyploidy.

010

But when the ecological environment changed dramatically, such as under the times when the bare survival became even challenging (e.g., K-Pg boundary), polyploidy can actually serve as a strong evolutionary and ecological force for the survival and long-term prosper of the population.

100

Integrating multiple lines of evidence, we agree that polyploidy is often an evolutionary dead-end or at least ‘rarely successful’ under stable environment.

In the long-term, the redundant genome and gene copies can provide abundant genetic materials for natural selection, local adaptation, and lineage diversification.

polyploids have higher fitness compared to the diploid progenitors during environmental upheaval; Extreme climate, geological or mass extinction events reduced lineage diversity, and the reduced competition, higher accessibility to resources and ecological niche promoted the polyploid establishment.

However, when the ecological environment dramatically changed, as our coupling analyses have shown, the success rate of polyploid establishment would increase siginficantly. This may be due to a number of factors: environmental stress can increase the spontaneous formation rate of unreduced gametes;

The negative correlation between the WGD establishment rate and lineage diversity suggests that when the number of species increased, the competition for resources got intensified and the ecological niche got saturated, polyploids would be more likely to be outcompeted by their diploid progenitors.

100

At the genetics level, neopolyploids will have unstable meiosis due to the tetravalent/multivalent pairing, producing aneuploidy at a much higher pace. Nonetheless, polyploidy can also immediately enhance organismal stress tolerance, increasing individual fitness under stressful environments.

120

At the cell biology level, due to the uniparental inheritance of organellar genomes and biparental inheritance of nuclear genomes, as well as the non-linear relationship between nuclear surface and volume, neopolyploids will undergo immediate cytonuclear imbalance and dosage imbalance.

100

Polyploidy was often thought to be an evolutionary dead-end. At the population level, neopolyploids are subject to minority cytotype exclusion, which poses severe reproductive challenges to nascent polyploids.

100

We repeated our analyses using recently published large-scale angiosperm diversity profiles and fossil species-based diversity profiles, which gave highly congruent results.

100

The results show that these WGD peaks significantly coupled with known extinction events (e.g., EOT), oceanic anoxic events (OAEs), genus-level angiosperm extinction rate peaks, minima/maxima of the benthic foraminiferal δ13C and δ18O isotopic signatures, and low-latitude sea surface temperature.

100

Based on the supported WGD peaks, we further conducted Monte Carlo randomization analyses between these WGD peaks and the timing of known geological events, mass extinction events (e.g., K-Pg boundary), peaks of the angiosperm genus-level extinction rate, and significant extremity of paleoclimate.

100

As a complement, we also built a null distribution assuming a time-dependent establishment rate to account for the negative correlation between the WGD establishment rate and lineage diversity. This complement method also supported 2 out of those 10 WGD peaks, located at 54 Ma and 73 Ma.

100