iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Gitta Coaker @gittacoaker.bsky.social · 9h

Postdoc opp; the Katherine Esau Fellowship @UC Davis funds 2–3 years of work on plant structure and function. Curious how plant structure shapes plant-microbe interactions? Get in touch! Due Nov 1, international applicants welcome. www-plb.ucdavis.edu/about/fellow...

www-plb.ucdavis.edu

Department Fellowships

The Department of Plant Biology offers fellowships that support research, scholarship and professional development for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty. These awards recognize exce...

02127

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Dr. Amy Acton @amyactonoh.bsky.social · 19h

The polls are open, Ohio!! Vote early between today and November 1. Head to actonforgovernor.com/vote for more information.

26694179

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Such investigations will be essential to determine whether engineering the OsPSY8 pathway can improve drought resilience while maintaining crop productivity under agronomically relevant conditions. Congratulations Yejin!

000

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

To translate these mechanistic insights into crop improvement strategies, future studies should investigate how modulation of OsPSY8 signaling affects plant performance under soil-grown conditions, including greenhouse and field environments.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yejin then showed that OsPSY8 is directly repressed by OsWRKY24, a transcription factor previously shown to positively regulate resistance against Magnaporthe grisea, the causal agent of rice blast disease.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Yejin made knockouts in rice PSY8 and found that two independent mutants displayed enhanced tolerance to osmotic stress. Survival rates exceeded 60% in both KO1 and KO2, compared with approximately 40% in WT plants

Representative photographs of WT, KO1 (ospsy8-1), and KO2 (ospsy8-2) plants before stress, 4 d after PEG-induced osmotic stress, and 7 d after recovery. (G) Survival rates (%) of WT, KO1, and KO2 plants after recovery. (A, C, and G) Data represent mean ± SD (n = 4 biological replicates). Asterisks indicate statistically significant differences from WT (*P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; two-tailed Student’s t test).

110

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

These studies raised the question: what is the function of PSY in rice? Our new PNAS study shows that rice PSY8 promotes root growth under favorable conditions but is repressed during osmotic stress, allowing rice to shift from growth to stress adaptation.

110

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

In Arabidopsis, these receptors represses plant growth and activate stress-response genes when they are not repressed by their peptide hormone ligands.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq5735

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Bacterial RaxX competes effectively with plant PSY in binding to the PSY receptors, PSYR2 and PSYR3, indicating that RaxX is also perceived by PSYRs in Arabidopsis.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A synthetic sulfated RaxX derivative comprising 13 residues, highly conserved between RaxX and PSY, induces root growth in Arabidopsis and rice in a manner similar to that triggered by PSY. A Xanthomonas strain lacking raxX is impaired in virulence.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

RaxX triggers a robust and effective immune response in rice expressing XA21. A synthetic 21-amino acid sulfated derivative of RaxX is sufficient to activate XA21-mediated immune responses (Pruitt et al., 2015). www.science.org/doi/full/10....

science.org

The rice immune receptor XA21 recognizes a tyrosine-sulfated protein from a Gram-negative bacterium

A sulfated peptide activates a rice immune receptor.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

What is the molecule recognized by XA21? Rory Pruitt led the identification of a gene, called RaxX (required for activation of XA21-mediated immunity) encoding a small sulfated peptide.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The sequence of the predicted XA21 protein, which carries both a leucine-rich repeat motif and a serine-threonine kinase-like domain, suggests a role in cell surface recognition of a pathogen molecule and subsequent activation of an intracellular defense response. escholarship.org/content/qt4x...

escholarship.org

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

How did Yejin Shim (@yeahgene.bsky.social) engineer osmotic stress tolerance in rice 🌾? The story starts in 1995 when Guoliang Wang and Wenyuan Song led the discovery of the immune receptor XA21.

escholarship.org

162

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5f43... “Growing up in rural Ohio… I'd often fill my time with the results from searching "cool science videos" in the YouTube search bar, or, when those videos we particularly interesting, I'd attempt to recreate them in my backyard…” Congratulations Oscar!

storymaps.arcgis.com

Oscar Garrett

2026 - 2029 FFAR Fellow

000

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Wow! The rice RALF7 peptide provides positional information for infection initiation for M. oryzae.

011

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Anza-Borrego Desert Research Center @anzaborrego.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Waxing gibbous almost full moon (or Harvest Moon) this evening above Fonts Point. Note the people in front of the moon (Photo: Sicco Rood).

Waxing gibbous almost full moon above Fonts Point showing the rugged gullies in the foreground with clouds turning blue pink overhead.

415026

Reposted by Pam Ronald

silver @silverboots.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This is just to say I have eaten the moon that was in my orbit and which you were probably wanting to study Forgive me it was delicious so crunchy and so cold

7564129

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Your letters to your representatives are working: White House plan to increase control of NIH grants appears ‘dead’ - STAT

061

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Join us: Plant and Microbe Engineering for Sustainability Receptor Kinase Signaling: Fueling Plant Resilience and Development. Check out the speaker highlights. B there or B 🔲. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs-6...

youtube.com

Receptor Kinase Signaling Meeting Promo

YouTube video by KeystoneSymposia

183

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

www.nature.com/articles/d41... Progress is slow but finally CRISPR edited crops are coming to Europe. Still, as this article explains, the rules include arbitrary and artificial constraint on which gene edits are “acceptable”.

nature.com

CRISPR crops are coming to Europe — why bolder would be better

For farmers and consumers to reap the benefits, guidelines for farming gene-edited plants must be implemented with careful thought.

030

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Good. Restore those cancelled grants

020

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Keystone Symposia @keystonesymposia.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Are you a postdoc or early-career scientist? The Keystone Symposia Fellows Program may be for you. Career development. SAB meetings with leaders in your field. 1:1 mentorship. A community of Fellows committed to each other's growth. Applications close in 2 weeks on Sept. 28.

134

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Keystone Symposia @keystonesymposia.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

🎓 Applications are now OPEN for the 2027 Fellows Program! Advance your career in science, gain mentorship, peer support and leadership skills. Open to postdocs and early-career scientists. Apply by Sept 28 🔗 hubs.la/Q04s8Tkx0

051

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

protectdemocracy.org/work/researc... “Our study on Alzheimer’s disease was designed to better understand how to identify and reduce the risk of dementia in communities who are at high risk of developing the disease…work that benefits everyone” said Prof Cohen U of Pittsburgh

protectdemocracy.org

Researchers challenge NIH screening of grants for disfavored viewpoints - Protect Democracy

Today, researchers filed a class action lawsuit challenging the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) policy of blocking grants in order to censor views it disagrees with, on everything from DEI to ge...

010

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Good news. Still, the article notes that additional reviews need to be completed by the Environmental Protection Agency before American chestnuts can be distributed to individuals or used for wider restoration projects. However, this recent decision will be immediately beneficial to researchers.

052

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Christopher Michel @christophermichel.com · 01/09/2026

Happy 91st birthday to the extraordinary Sylvia Earle. Six decades exploring the ocean, descending into places few humans have ever seen, and fighting like hell for the living planet she loves. What a privilege to make her portrait. More: explorers.com/sylvia-earle @nationalacademies.org

1193

Reposted by Pam Ronald

David Lowry @davidlowry.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I am currently searching for a postdoc to work on the evolution of adaptations, cold acclimation, and freezing tolerance in switchgrass. The position entails lab, growth facility, bioinformatics, and fieldwork. careers.msu.edu/jobs/postdoc...

careers.msu.edu

Postdoctoral Scholar-Fixed Term - East Lansing, Michigan, United States

Position Summary The Lowry Lab at Michigan State University is searching for a postdoctoral research associate to conduct field and laboratory experiments to understand the causes of genetic variation...

16089

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

“We mourn an exceptional artist, a true champion of kindness, and ambassador of science and public health” -Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science

The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities.

0348

Reposted by Pam Ronald

Innovative Genomics Institute @innovativegenomics.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Premiering tonight on @pbs.org, Resolve to Solve shares the story of how red seaweed is being used to reduce #methane emissions from cows, featuring IGI's Ermias Kebreab of @ucdavis.bsky.social! Preview here: www.pbs.org/video/cow-bu...

pbs.org

Resolve to Solve with Miles O'Brien | Seaweed Reduces Cow Methane | Episode 1

Cow burps are heating the planet. One dairy farmer’s seaweed fix might cool it down.

032

Reposted by Pam Ronald

George O'Toole (he/him/his) @geiselbiofilm.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Pls share. Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences - Genetics/Genomics at Smith College. apply.interfolio.com/190342

163117

Reposted by Pam Ronald

jazzdavid.bsky.social @jazzdavid.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Not my usual 'cup of tea'. I preface this simply because I found Gina Kolata's article about ovarian cancer worth passing along for 2 reasons. 1st, we—my wife and I—are humans of a certain age. 2nd, the topic of cancer, scares the shit out of almost everyone. FYI. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/h...

nytimes.com

There’s a Way to Prevent Ovarian Cancer. Few Know About It. (Gift Article)

The vast majority of cases begin in the fallopian tubes — and removing them can reduce the risk by nearly 80 percent.

147

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Paredes was not red carded. Enzo Fernández was red carded.

100

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

www.regulations.gov/commenton/OM... Submit your comment here. Read this short piece by lawyer Claudia Polsky to see why science needs you and all your friends and colleagues to write. It’s fast and easy and it will make a difference.

regulations.gov

Regulations.gov

189

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Some personal news. Introducing our new family member Bea

2170

Pam Ronald @pcronald.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

What a terrible loss. The magnificent NIH is being torn apart.

010