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Rainer Melzer

@ucdflowerpower.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.9K following 245 posts

Associate Professor at UCD Dublin. Plant genetics & development. Crops, agriculture, hemp, cereals. Evo-devo, transcription factors. My views.

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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
There's always Kafka for writers and Mendel for scientists to pin their hopes on.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
A lot of people like hand crafted wooden cabinets into which a carpenter poured their soul. But if it's 10x the price of a mass produced IKEA shelf it's clear what most people will buy. Humanity has made this experiment over and over again.
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Mike Wiser @drmikewiser.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Question for the hive mind: If I wanted to buy a bunch of individually wrapped butter packets -- the kind you can get at a diner, bakery cafe, etc -- where would I do that? I checked out both the local Gordon Food Services and Amazon, and couldn't really find what I was looking for.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Ask at the diner? Depending on how many you need they may give them away for free?
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Fantastic review with a new perspective on MADS box genes and floral organ development.
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c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
It's Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) migration season in Texas. At least 90% of all southward migration passes through Texas, either along the coast, or through central Texas. They'll overwinter in Mexico, then return. Let's talk about the utter weirdness of generational migration.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This is so interesting! Thank you! Are the long-lived generations morphologically different?
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Ok, aber geben Füchse Gänse wieder her? Sitzen Hasen schlafend in Gruben? Ich glaube, wir sind da was ganz Großem auf der Spur.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Ides of Merz
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Die Iden des Merz?
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Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
🥬🕐 RESEARCH 🕐🥬 Most cultivated lettuce varieties have a 27 h internal clock but are grown under 24 h light cycles. Anton-Sales et al. confirm circadian resonance effects in a crop species and demonstrate yield increases of 11–29% 🥬📈 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 3.Visual tipburn severity scale used for lettuce phenotyping. Representative photographs of lettuce plants illustrating the six-point tipburn scoring scale, ranging from 0 (no tipburn symptoms) to 5 (severe tipburn with extensive necrosis of inner leaves). Score 0 indicates healthy plants with no visible damage; scores 1–2 reflect early-stage symptoms with minor marginal browning on young leaves; scores 3–5 represent progressive necrosis affecting an increasing proportion of the inner canopy and considered unmarketable (severe tipburn). Scale bar=10 cm.
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Dr Darren Abbey @thebiologistisn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
My first harvest of dried lima beans for 2026. I've been growing the yellow and magenta varieties together for several years, hoping the local pollinators would make a hybrid for me. The dark population of seeds all seem to have come from one very productive F1 plant.
About three handfuls of dried lima beans. Those at left are yellow, with a few immature white seeds. Those in the middle are magenta, with a few immature pink seeds. Those at right are dark maroon with various amounts of yellow markings. At the top-middle is a small pile of five blue dry beans.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I love those posts. Tangible genetics.
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Q-Lab @leandroquadrana.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
What if transposases are already transcription factors in disguise? Our new preprint shows that transcriptional regulatory activity is an intrinsic property of transposases, revealing a direct route for their domestication into transcription factors. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
doi.org
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christhebarker @christhebarker.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Anyone fancy testing this plant recogntion game for me? I just want to check it's not going to fall over when it goes live next week… hortle.life
hortle.life
Hortle — Recognise the plant
Test your plant ID skills. Two choices, one image, race the clock.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Really nice!!!! And fun! Worked well on an android phone. Maybe have one sentence at the start explaining the rules? I understood it only the second time trying.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Stilles Wasser
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Caitlin E. McDonough-Goldstein @ideaspermatheca.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
If there is one thing we can agree on - it's that there are disagreements about the meaning and use of sex in biological research. Contribute to the @treeofsex.bsky.social research survey to let us know how you define sex in biology! univie.questionpro.eu/definitionsurvey
univie.questionpro.eu
ToS.DefinitionSurvey.QuestionPro
ToS.DefinitionSurvey.QuestionPro
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Tree of Sex @treeofsex.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New publication alert: Tree of Sex 2.0 members unpack the many, sometimes overlapping, sometimes conflicting uses of "sex" in biology. Lead author Caitlin McDonough-Goldstein @ideaspermatheca.bsky.social has an excellent explainer thread if you want a preview!
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/i...
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
I don’t understand graphical abstracts. So I both hate and admire this one.
The way we write scientific papers doesn’t change very quickly. Once we settled into the AIMRaD (Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) format, we pretty much stuck with it: the …
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Lieblingsbuch: Revolution aus dem Mikrokosmos.
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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
We are looking for a Scientist in #PlantCellBiology here at @kwsgroup.bsky.social in Einbeck. The position is in our Doubled Haploid Research Unit, and the work can be done onsite or remote! This is a two-year contract. jobs.kws.com/job/Einbeck-... #PlantSciJobs #PlantSciJob #PlantScience
jobs.kws.com
Plant Cell Biologist (m/f/d)
Plant Cell Biologist (m/f/d)
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Maybe, but that was not part of the question😅
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Stark Trek movies with Data.
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Michael Raissig @michaelraissig.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
🌾 We're hiring a postdoc! Join the Stomatal Biology group in beautiful Bern @unibe.ch How do grass leaves spatially coordinate development of veins & stomatal rows? 2 years (plus possible extension), funded by @snsf.ch @dfg.de within @cerealcell.bsky.social RU5325 jobs.unibe.ch/job-vacancie...
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Awesome stuff Andy!!!
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Andy Plackett @seedrevolutionlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
www.nature.com/articles/s41... It's been a long time coming, but delighted to say that the first major output from my Royal Society Fellowship is now published. 🙂 #PlantScience
nature.com
The post-fertilization archegonium gene network of seedless plants contributed to the origin of seeds - Nature Communications
The authors identify conserved gene networks across fern and angiosperm reproductive development, including between the sporophyte ovule and the fern gametophyte egg-chamber. Repurposing of this netwo...
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Chenxin Li, PhD @chenxinli2.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
That’s just awesome
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Reminds me of arguments that we shouldn't use kits for plasmid DNA isolation because we forget the underlying biophysical principles of separating nucleic acids from other cellular material. Which is probably true but also not needing an ultra centrifuge to isolate a plasmid is democratizing.
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Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
🚨 Call for the 2027 JXB Editorial Interns is now open! 🚨 🌱 Designed for ECRs, interns will gain behind-the-scenes publishing experience and write commentary pieces that will be published in the journal 📝 Deadline: 30 Sept 2026 👉 bit.ly/jxbinterns #PlantScience 🧪 SEBiology
JXB EDITORIAL
INTERNSHIPS 2027
Who is this for?
• Early career researchers (2-8 yrs postgrad/postdoc experience)
What will you do?
• Assess submitted manuscripts (with editorial mentorship)
• Write commentary articles for publication in JXB
• (Optional) Join JXB's social media activities
Benefits for you:
• Gain editorial & publishing experience
• Career development as a researcher
• Free SEB membership (1 year)
Apply by 30th September 2026
bit.ly/jxbinterns
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Beautiful displays of birds in their completely natural urban environment
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Journal of Experimental Botany @jxbotany.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
🥝🌸 RESEARCH 🌸🥝 Gene editing and overexpression show that LEAFY genes control branching and floral organ development but not flowering time in kiwifruit, unlike the flowering-time function proposed in other plants - Peng et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪
Fig. 5 (shortened, full legend in paper): Abnormal floral development in kiwifruit lfy1 and lfy2 single-mutants, and in the lfy1 lfy2 double-mutant. (A) Representative images of closed and open floral buds, and open flowers from the non-edited control (fast-flowering hermaphrodite background, cen4 sygl double-mutant), the lfy1 and lfy2 single-mutant lines 11 and 27, respectively, and the lfy1 lfy2 double-mutant line 22 (Fig. 4). Scale bars are 1 mm. (B) SEM images of dissected floral buds from the non-edited control and the lfy1 lfy2 double-mutant lines 10 and 33. Scale bars are 1 mm. The insets are images of the complete floral buds. (C–F) Relative expression of (C) the class A genes AcAP1, AcAP1-1, AcAP1-2, and AcAP2, (D) the class B genes AcPI and AcAP3-2, (E) the class C gene AcAG, and (F) the class E genes AcSEP1 and AcSEP3 in the floral buds of the non-edited, single-mutant, and double mutant plants. Expression is shown relative to that of the ACTIN reference gene.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Thanks to all our speakers at our symposium at the @sebiology.bsky.social meeting in Florence. Great discussions, awesome science, fabulous city! Thanks to @ucdearth.bsky.social for the support!
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Yichun I.B. Qiu @fallspringyc.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Great pleasure to summarize the up-to-date findings and share our thoughts on the functional evolution of Type I MADS-box genes! Many thanks to Journal of Experimental Botany and the editor, Rainer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social for the invitation!
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Rob Waterhouse @rmwaterhouse.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Today at #SMBE2026 we kick off with the plenary from ERGA member @emmateeling.bsky.social lead of ERGA Associate Partner Bat1K Project @bat1kgenomes.bsky.social #biodiversity #genomics @ergabiodiv.bsky.social @biogeneurope.bsky.social @official-smbe.bsky.social
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Marc Somssich @somssich.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Mary-Dell Chilton, plant transformation pioneer, passed away on June 24th. www.facebook.com/story.php?st... See also Plant Science Classic #6: bsky.app/profile/soms... #PlantScience 🧪
facebook.com
Facebook
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I find it interesting how things converge again to some sort of ranking. It's the same thing that journal titles do just in another disguise.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Lol the 1%. Read all the science not just CNS. But also here is the top 1% scored by our AI.
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Tree of Sex @treeofsex.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
As everyone's winding down on #evol2026 we want to share our survey link with you again. Whether you work in reproductive biology specifically or not, please take a minute to help us understand how the scientific community uses reproductive terms in research! And hope to see you at #SMBE!
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I think it will always be like that. Similarly: Household chores take a similar amount of time. Productivity of washing machines is replaced by doing laundry more often. Phone batteries last ca. one day. Increases in battery capacity are eaten by more energy demanding phones. Etc etc
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Silvia Manrique @tank-silvia.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Cool review on one of most popular transcription factor family in plant reproduction
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Ralf Reski @reskilab.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Cool article: Mass extinctions and land plant evolution The big five - five mass extinctions and their importance for plant evolution. www.cell.com/current-biol...
cell.com
Mass extinctions and land plant evolution
Feng discusses how the Earth’s major extinction events affected the evolutionary trajectory of land plants.
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Love those live posts of my talk 🤩
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Ke Yu @keyu01.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Now online! We summarize recent progress in understanding salicylic acid biosynthesis and signaling, a central regulator of plant immunity. Hope you enjoy reading it. Grateful to my coauthors, particularly @ouyang-yi.bsky.social, for making this work possible. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
How does salicylic acid activate plant immunity?
Salicylic acid (SA) is a phytohormone central to plant immune responses, orchestrating both local defense and systemic acquired resistance (SAR), a br…
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José Dinneny @josedinneny.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
So proud to share our latest publication @CellCellPress! Yue Rui reveals that the same enzyme that makes the wall, cellulose synthase complex (CESA), also tethers the plasma membrane to the wall during water-deficit stress, providing resilience. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
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Rainer Melzer @ucdflowerpower.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
I think maybe a lot of competitive sports go back to the idea of 'gentlemen competing in a fair game'? And drugs are seen as a way of cheating because you artificially enhance the abilities of your body? On the other hand destroying your body in the noble pursuit of winning is acceptable.
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Joanna Kacprzyk @joannakacprzyk.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Two PhD positions available to work with me on the GREEN CELL FACTORY (Advancing Plant Cell Biotechnology for Sustainable Production of High-Value Metabolites). Details below. Application deadlines are 7th June 2026 (PhD1_cell bio), 31st August (PhD2_bioinf)
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Sebastian Soyk @sebastiansoyk.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
🚨Job alert: We are looking for a #phd student to join us @unil.bsky.social to study the evolution & function of gene regulatory sequences in the context of crop domestication using genomics, genome editing and imaging 🌱🍅🧬. #plantscience #scijobs #plantscijobs. Apply here: tinyurl.com/3u73csma
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Andrew Roger @andrewjroger.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
IQ-TREE 3: Phylogenomic Inference Software using Complex Evolutionary Models academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
academic.oup.com
IQ-TREE 3: Phylogenomic Inference Software using Complex Evolutionary Models
Abstract. IQ-TREE (https://iqtree.github.io/) is a widely used open-source software tool for efficiently inferring phylogenetic trees under maximum likelih
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