iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lastly, a BIG thank you to @paszkowskilab.bsky.social, @cropscicentre.bsky.social, @camplantsci.bsky.social and all the great colleagues, collaborators and arbuscule-enthusiasts who contributed to this project 😁

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7) TAKEHOMES: The arbuscules are not identical ‘units’ of nutrient exchange! Seeing an arbuscule in a root does not tell you how it got there, what it’s doing, or how long it will remain. And we have a lot more to learn by watching the ways of the arbuscules 🪸🪸🪸

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6) Perturbing PT11 dynamics and nutrient responsiveness via different promoters implied that the nutrient regulation of PT11 abundance is essential for AM symbiosis. It may allow the plant to tailor symbiotic nutrient uptake to its needs independently of bulk changes to colonisation levels...

5) Growing our reporter plants with different nutrient fertilisation showed the abundance of PT11 at the arbuscules is altered according to plant nutrient demands. This ‘fine-tuning’ of symbiotic nutrient transport at the arbuscule level is additional to the overall changes in colonisation level...

4) While PT11 localisation at the arbuscule was consistent, its abundance certainly wasn't. Taking PT11 abundance as a proxy for symbiotic phosphate transport capacity suggests similar-looking arbuscules could carry out quite different functions...

3)Despite the incredible dynamism and variability of the nutrient exchange interface, the coordination of PT11 is remarkably consistent over arbuscule lifespan: appearing at the fine-branching stage and localising only to arbuscule fine branches. This holds true in symbioses with diverse AM fungi...

2) Firstly, the arbuscules don’t just have different lifespans. Their developmental trajectories can also differ, ranging from early collapse before filling the plant cell to hanging around in a cell-filling state for many many days…

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1) This work started as an investigation into the localisation of PT11, the rice transporter protein responsible for phosphate acquisition from AM fungi, during arbuscule lifespan. But visualising arbuscule and phosphate transporter dynamics over time ended up revealing a whole lot more…

Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Very happy this is now published in full! Symbiotic phosphate transporter dynamics in rice expose functional plasticity of the arbuscules www.nature.com/articles/s41... A thread of some of our findings (and timelapses) below 🧵🔬🎥

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Mid-week #mycorrhiza 🍄 Some hyphae, arbuscules and vesicles of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inside the root of a bramble, collected during a workshop at Wilburton Primary School, Cambridgeshire. And this was just the tip of the iceberg! #mycosky #microsocpy #fungi

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University of Cambridge @cam.ac.uk · 22/05/2026

Could fungi help grow rice more sustainably? 🍚 At the Crop Science Centre, Cambridge researcher Dr Emily Servante is working with Tilda and basmati farmers in India to develop a more environmentally friendly way of growing rice. Find out more: bit.ly/4dCvKWS 📸 Studio Charuau

A rural scene of people harvesting rice in a field, with sheaves of rice stacked around. A caption above reads: "New Cambridge research: Naturally occurring soil fungi could boost rice yields while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers."

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Department of Plant Sciences Cambridge @camplantsci.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Huge congratulations to Beverley Glover & Uta Paszkowski on being elected Fellows of the @royalsociety.org - a wonderful recognition of their significant contributions to plant sciences! 🎉 Read more: tinyurl.com/3vetucr4 @beverleycubg.bsky.social @paszkowskilab.bsky.social 🧪

Professor Beverley Glover (left) and Professor Uta Paszkowski (right) – new Fellows of the Royal Society 2026. Photos © University of Cambridge.

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FocalPlane @focalplane.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

We are excited to launch a new webinar series, Macro to micro: quantitative plant imaging across scales, organised by @ajcellbio.bsky.social and @joemckenna.bsky.social. Our first webinar will featured talks from @blace.bsky.social and Simon Gilroy. focalplane.biologists.com/2026/03/30/n...

FocalPlane features… quantitative plant imaging across scales
Thursday 30 April, 15:00 BST (UTC+1)
Organised by Alex Johnson and Joe McKenna
Image of Beatrice Lace (University of Freiburg)
Multiplexing and Endogenous Fluorescence Discrimination Using FLIM in Plants
Image of Simon Gilroy (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
Do plants feel pain? How imaging has brought plant wound signaling into the human timescale.
#FocalPlaneFeatures focalplane.biologists.com
Image of a segmented root

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Takeshi Sentoku (千德毅) @cl93.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

AMF paris type arbuscules that coexist with wheat roots

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Takeshi Sentoku (千德毅) @cl93.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

the arbuscules of AMF

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Takeshi Sentoku (千德毅) @cl93.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

道端に生えているハルジオン（Erigeron philadelphicus）の根に共生するアーバスキュラー菌根菌。アーバスキュラー菌根菌は特別な菌ではなく私たちの身近なところでも植物のパートナーとして存在する普遍的な存在。

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

At the bottom of the image above you can see the spore-like 'auxiliary cells'. It becomes clear where this fungus gets it name when you find a true spore!

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Mid-week #mycorrhiza 🍄 A visit from an artist yesterday was the perfect excuse to spend some time admiring this very beautiful arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus: 𝘎𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢 (pictured here colonising rice roots) #mycosky #fungi #microscopy

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Mid-week #mycorrhiza 🍄 A tangentially-festive sample this week: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonising the root cells of Ivy 🌿🎄☃️ #mycosky #festive #fungi

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Takeshi Sentoku (千德毅) @cl93.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

The arbuscules of arbuscular mycorrhiza

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Mid-week #mycorrhiza 🍄 Motivated by a seminar from @tomthirkell.bsky.social, I've delved back into my image archives of mycorrhizal fungi in random plant species. This beautifully bunchy fungal arbuscule in a buttercup root needed sharing!🔬🏵️ #mycosky #fungi #microscopy #outreach

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Paszkowski Lab @paszkowskilab.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

It's been a busy time in the Paszkowski lab! First, a pre-print on how rice distinguishes friend (AM fungi)🍄 from foe (pathogens)👾: doi.org/10.1101/2025... And second, a review on single-cell omic approaches to understand the spatially and temporally complex AM symbiosis 🔬: doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

doi.org

Defining the pre-symbiotic transcriptional landscape of rice roots

Plants interact with a plethora of organisms in the rhizosphere, with outcomes that range from detrimental to beneficial. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is the most ubiquitous beneficial plant ...

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Cambridge University Botanic Garden @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Did you know that over 90% of fungi are still unknown to science? 🍄 Join us at Fungi Field Day 2025 to discover more fungi facts! 📅 Sat 4 Oct | 10am – 4pm Talks, walks, crafts & more - free with normal Garden admission. To find out more: bit.ly/48ABVcS

A child in a pink jacket paints a colourful fungi-themed picture at a Fungi Field Day at Cambridge University Botanic Garden

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Cambridge University Botanic Garden @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

🍄 Fungi Field Day is almost here! 🍄 Save the date: Saturday 4 October 🍄 Come along from 10am to 4pm Celebrate all things fungi with art, crafts, face painting, talks, forays and games - there's something for everyone! We look forward to welcoming you! 🌿 #CUBG #FungiFieldDay #CambridgeEvents

Promotional poster for Fungi Field Day event on Saturday, 4 October from 10am to 4pm. Features illustrations of various types of mushrooms.

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Paszkowski Lab @paszkowskilab.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

🍄 One month until Fungi Field Day 2025!! 🍄 Held on UK Fungus Day (4th October) @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social, this event celebrates the fungal kingdom, featuring science, games, walks, talks, face-painting and much more for all ages. Please spread the word! www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/whats-on/fun...

botanic.cam.ac.uk

Fungi Field Day - Cambridge University Botanic Garden

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Manjeet Dhull @manjeet-dhull786.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Spent last week at the microscope 🔬✨, and seeing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi up close for the first time—hyphae, arbuscules, vesicles—was absolutely mind-blowing. Small but mighty partners of plant roots 🌿. Sharing a few of my favourite shots. #Mycorrhiza #fungi

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Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) @spun.earth · 23/07/2025

Who lives underground? Find out now in our new paper published in @nature.com. Key finding: 90% of predicted mycorrhizal biodiversity hotspots lie outside protected areas. Read here: buff.ly/WmDqAP3 🧵

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Beautiful microscopy of beautiful arbuscules

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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

What does colonisation tell us? Revisiting the functional outcomes of #root colonisation by arbuscular #mycorrhizal #fungi A #Letter by @frewecologist.bsky.social 👇 📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #LatestIssue

Fig. 1 Figure showing plant responses to arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation across four plant species.

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Morgan Carter @morgancarterphd.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Uta Paszkowski expands on the arbuscular mycorrhizal theme with a cool spatial transcriptome method to better resolve dynamics during colonization of rice. Can see key transporter transcripts accumulating in arbuscules. #2025ISMPMI

A person giving a presentation on a conference stage with a PowerPoint slide showing plant cells with colors where fungi or certain transcripts are present

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Jen McGaley @jenmcgaley.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

Mid-week #mycorrhiza 🍄 From a primary school workshop: a mystery arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in mystery plant. Sometimes fun to have no information about what you are looking at 🚸 #outreach #mycosky #fungi

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What else are people using for public engagement with mycorrhiza? Would be keen to hear other ideas 😁

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What’s happening under our feet?

Third: microscopes, microscopes, microscopes. But if you can't access outreach-appropriate microscopes, we we made teaching materials for primary school kids that show the process from root sampling to final micrographs --> cambridgecandi.org.uk/index.php/re...

cambridgecandi.org.uk

A beautifully illustrated case study and associated teaching powerpoints from a collaborative project with the Crop Science Centre. We creatively explored the intersection of art and science through i...

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Your browser has Javascript disabled. Please go to your browser preferences and enable Javascript in order to use Scratch.

Second: our online game, the Adventures of a Friendly Fungus! Play your way through the challenging life of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Better for slightly older kids, often a hit with adults too 😅 scratch.mit.edu/projects/501...

scratch.mit.edu

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Firstly: the Mycorrhiza Relay Race 🌻🍄 A two-player game, fungus and plant partners alternate turns, navigating a maze to find nutrients or growing leaves to catch sunshines, respectively. Fastest team wins! Photo: Festival of Plants 2025, after 4hrs of relay races...

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