Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
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plantteaching.bsky.social
Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
@plantteaching.bsky.social
4K followers 4.4K following 5.3K posts
Promoting SciComm, teaching, equity & inclusion in plant biology. #PlantScience
PI NSF RCN: ROOT&SHOOT. https://rootandshoot.org/
Features Editor ThePlantCell, PlantPhysiology
@[email protected]
https://linktr.ee/PlantTeaching 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
somssich.bsky.social
"Leaf It to Science: Uncovering Plant Immune Systems Through Technological Advances Open Access"

Reflections on Career, #PlantScience and #PlantImmunity by Xinnian Dong

academic.oup.com/plphys/advan...
Abstract For the past two years, I have been contemplating how best to write this review that not only reflects on a few significant and nostalgic moments in my more than three decades of professional career in the molecular plant-microbe interaction (MPMI) field, but also offers my personal outlook on the future aimed at inspiring young scientists to join this exciting discipline. Rather than a comprehensive overview, I would like to place greater emphasis on the “whys” and the “hows” than the “whats”. I finally decided to use technological advancements critical for the development of our field as a thread to connect the past with the future. Founder's Review
November 29, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
lindaholmes.bsky.social
Here’s this year’s Books We Love—but thanks to lots of work by lots of people, you can also look over all the Books We Love years back to 2013. It’s a remarkable project, and I can say that because I have nothing to do with it. (/fin)
Books We Love
Here are 380+ great reads from 2025 handpicked just for you by NPR staffers and trusted critics.
apps.npr.org
November 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
botsocamerica.bsky.social
ROOT & SHOOT 2026 travel awards are open for SACNAS, MANRRS, or AISES student/mentor pairs. Up to $3,000 per pair (US) / $4,000 (intl) to attend select plant-science conferences.

Apply by Dec 5, 2025.

Details & application:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
NSF Research Coordination Network: ROOT & SHOOT. 2026 travel award application for members of SACNAS, MANRRS, or AISES
The NSF-funded LEAPS: RCN: ROOT & SHOOT (Rooting Out Oppression Together and SHaring Our Outcomes Transparently) aims to strengthen plant science to become more welcoming to all. Part of this mission ...
docs.google.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
botsocamerica.bsky.social
Hey undergrads! Apply for Caltech’s 10-week WAVE Fellows program.

-$6K stipend + housing + $1K travel/dining

-Apply by Jan 9, 2026:
sfp.caltech.edu/undergraduat...

-Info sessions in November: sfp.caltech.edu/undergraduat...
WAVE Fellows
The 2026 WAVE Fellows award is $6,000 for the ten-week period, plus on-campus housing, and a dining and travel supplement of ~$1000. Caltech housing is available and we strongly encourage all Fellows to live on campus. The 2026 WAVE Fellows program dates are June 15 through August 21.
sfp.caltech.edu
November 6, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
botsocamerica.bsky.social
BSA’s 2026 awards cycle is now open! Kaplan Lecture, Corresponding Member, two $10k dissertation awards, and Graduate Student Research Awards—all with early 2026 deadlines. Join or renew now to be eligible and take advantage of these opportunities.

www.botany.org/home/awards.html

#BSAawards
A green promotional graphic announcing that several BSA awards are now open. At the top, large white text reads: “These BSA Awards Are Now Open!” Listed below are five award opportunities, each preceded by a small white leaf icon: – Donald R. Kaplan Memorial Lecture Nominations Deadline Jan. 15, 2026 – Corresponding Member Awards Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $10,000 – Donald R. Kaplan Dissertation Award in Comparative Morphology Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $10,000 – Graduate Student Dissertation Award in Phylogenetic Comparative Plant Biology Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $1500 – Graduate Student Research Awards (J.S. Karling Graduate Student Research Award and AJ Harris Graduate Student Research Award) Deadline Feb. 16, 2026 At the bottom is the URL “www.botany.org/home/awards.html,” a QR code, and a close-up image of a bright green leaf. BSA partner logos appear in the lower-left corner.
November 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
sse-evolution.bsky.social
Applications now open for the International Travel Stipends to attend #Evol2026! Funds cover registration, travel, food, and lodging. Apply by January 30: www.evolutionsociety.org/content/soci... @evolmtg.bsky.social
Evolution 2026 logo. Text: Evolution 2026, Cleveland, OH, June 20-24. A globe with a plane flying across it. Text: Society for the Study of Evolution International Travel Stipends, Deadline: January 30.
November 26, 2025 at 1:16 PM
plantteaching.bsky.social
We had a wonderful few days visiting my parents in California where it is still autumn and beautiful, but apparently the dog is missing us ❣️ so we are heading home tomorrow.
My mum's macular degeneration is getting serious, so our visits are particularly special to her 🥺.
Blue sky above a shorn hillside with Tom in a t shirt enjoying the lovely weather. Mary and Tom smiling in front of a vibrant red-leaved tree. Mary, Tom, Pat, and Pete standing before a dry cliffside where water sometimes flows. Mary and Tom smiling in front of a damp rock face
November 30, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
bobwmfl.bsky.social
I’ll never think of #poinsettias in the same way again after seeing this amazing display this past October near the ancient pyramid in #Cholula, #Puebla, #Mexico. This plant was easily 8-10 feet (2.5-3 m) high! 🌱 #Plants #Flowers #FlowerReport #BloomScrolling
November 29, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
noh8campaign.bsky.social
The European Court of Justice has ruled same-sex couples married in one EU country must now be recognized by all member states #NOH8
November 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
doctorzedd.bsky.social
Happy ‘I Read Canadian’ Day! 🍁
May I humbly suggest a Canadian science memoir about the history of women in botany and the struggle of being a mother in modern science research?

#ireadcanadian #womeninstem
November 5, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
davallone.bsky.social
Everyone with a platform — even a microscopic one like mine — should use their megaphone to promote other people’s great work. Particularly the work that’s not already big or popular or successful.

Always promote great work when you see it.
gregpak.net Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 2d
Sometimes I see a very famous person plug a book or movie or other creative project that they're not involved in or benefiting from and I am SHOCKED in a good way. More of that would be... good. Bizarre how rare it is.
November 28, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
a11yawareness.bsky.social
For those in America who will be in rooms with TVs tuned to football during this long Thanksgiving weekend, either by choice or not, you have a great chance to explain accessibility concepts. No, this is not a joke. Yes, this is based on past experiences. Yes, it has totally worked!

Thread 🧵
November 27, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
yiliangding.bsky.social
Rather than a static database, we've built an AI plant scientist that could continuously learn new knowledge😃Hope it will help the plant science [email protected] @johninnescentre.bsky.social @thesainsburylab.bsky.social @universityofexeter.bsky.social #AIscientist
haopengyu.bsky.social haopengyu.bsky.social @haopengyu.bsky.social · Oct 28
We’ve built this virtual plant scientist PlantScience.ai to grow alongside human researchers🌿. It thinks like an expert, cites like a scholar, and never stops learning. Come and have a chat with it! @yiliangding.bsky.social @johninnescentre.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
PlantScience.ai
PlantScience.ai
October 28, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
yiliangding.bsky.social
New PhD opportunity available in my lab, in collaboration with Betty Chung (Cambridge), focusing on plant RNA viruses and AI-driven design. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
AI RNA Design for Developing Antiviral Solutions in Sugar Beet (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - AI RNA Design for Developing Antiviral Solutions in Sugar Beet (Plant BioDesign JIC project) at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
philcarella.bsky.social
PhD opportunity in our lab - deadline passes on Dec 2nd - don’t miss out!
November 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
alileverett.bsky.social
Can anyone help:

I want to take photos of arabidopsis rosettes everyday as they grow to get growth curves for a lot of ecotypes. Does anyone know of software that can be used to read the label from inside the photo and rename the file with the plant ID and then amend the date to the file name too?
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
plantteaching.bsky.social
Excellent article, perfect reading to prepare for family and social gatherings.
psyche.co/guides/how-t...
How to be a good friend to an Autistic person | Psyche Guides
Autistic and non-autistic people see the social world differently. But openness and empathy can foster a valuable bond
psyche.co
November 28, 2025 at 5:41 PM
plantteaching.bsky.social
Travel awards for 2026 plant science conferences.
Apply by Dec 5!
@aspbofficial.bsky.social
@botsocamerica.bsky.social
@naascarabidopsis.bsky.social
@jefowlerjr.bsky.social
Student-mentor pairs, 1 must be a member of @sacnas.bsky.social MANRRS or AISES.
rootandshoot.org/2026-root-sh...
root-shoot.bsky.social ROOT-SHOOT RCN @root-shoot.bsky.social · 25d
The 2026 plant science conference travel award program is open!
Awards are given to student/mentor pairs.
At lease one of the pair must be a member of SACNAS or MANRRS or AISES.
Please share, applications due by Dec 5, 2025.
@sacnas.bsky.social
rootandshoot.org/2026-root-sh...
ROOT & SHOOT 2026 travel awards. Q. Member of MANRRS, SACNAS, or AISES? Q. Curious about plant science? A. Apply for a ROOT & SHOOT travel award! Up to $3000 to attend a plant science conference in 2026.
November 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
aribidopsis.bsky.social
It's good to be back with a new season of #No_Time_To_Read_podcast! 🍀

This podcast, which I started as a postdoc, is growing with me. Thanks for your support over the years.

We have great a line up of awesome plant scientists appearing in Season 4! 🎙️

open.spotify.com/episode/4xHh...
November 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
jefowlerjr.bsky.social
Lovely paper! Thank you to all the authors for their work, including writing it up for all of us -
November 23, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
maddyseale.bsky.social
Out First Release in @science.org
A pollen ligand, SIPS, binds to the female receptor, SRK. SIPS binds to a conserved region of SRK, for interspecific incompatibility, unlike the self-incompatibility factor, which binds to a different, variable region
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Pan-family pollen signals control an interspecific stigma barrier across Brassicaceae species
Pre-zygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species limiting interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompatibil...
www.science.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
mattstarrfineart.bsky.social
Nov. 28th is National Maize Day. This is my acrylic painting of ears of calico corn, sometimes known as Indian corn, flint corn or maize. fineartamerica.com/featured/1-c...

#mattstarrfineart #maize #corn
November 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
barkerms.bsky.social
Please pass along - We've extended the CAMBIUM fellowship deadline to December 15! Our NSF NRT supports new grad students to harness biodiversity big data to adapt to & mitigate climate change impacts. Great fit for evolutionary genomics, bioinformatics, ecology & more. cambium.arizona.edu 🧬🌐🌎
Sonoran Desert landscape looking west across Avra Valley from Tucson Mountain Park. In the foreground, a desert trail winds through cholla cacti, saguaros, ocotillo, and native shrubs. The valley stretches to distant mountain ranges on the horizon under a dramatic sky of blue patches and white cumulus clouds with rays of light breaking through.
November 26, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching
razda5.bsky.social
Thanks Mary! Available in all good bookstores ;)
November 28, 2025 at 3:25 PM
plantteaching.bsky.social
It's gift-giving season!
Why not give the gift of plant knowledge?
Here are some excellent, accessible books to engage & excite.
Fantastic offerings from @berondam.bsky.social (& a new one out in Jan)
@jondrori.co.uk (& a new kids book)
@razda5.bsky.social 💚
@ferrisjabr.bsky.social 👍
Novels too!
Plants need champions! People who can tell engaging stories about plants. People who understand plants and explain how plants function People who can explain that plants are critical for human survival. Books shown from David Attenborough, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Jonathan Drori, Richard Powers, Danny Chamovitz, Ferris Jabr, Malcolm Wilkins, Charlotte McConaghy, Andy Weir, Beronda Montgomery, and Amanda Rasmussen.
November 28, 2025 at 1:59 PM