AmirAli Toghani
@amiralito.bsky.social
Biologist @thesainsburylab.bsky.social. Currently doing a PhD with @kamounlab.bsky.social
Curious about plant immune receptors, molecular evolution, and other stuff. 🌿💻 #evoMPMI
Find out more here:
amiralito.github.io
Curious about plant immune receptors, molecular evolution, and other stuff. 🌿💻 #evoMPMI
Find out more here:
amiralito.github.io
Pinned
AmirAli Toghani
@amiralito.bsky.social
· Feb 26
A hierarchical immune receptor network in lettuce reveals contrasting patterns of evolution in sensor and helper NLRs
Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) are known for their rapid evolution, even at the intraspecific level, yet the rates of evolution differ significantly across v...
www.biorxiv.org
🧵 🥬 Lettuce begin! Super excited to share our new manuscript on contrasting patterns of evolution in sensor and helper NLRs in the NRC network! Tune in for some plant immunology and molecular evolution… 🌱🧬💻 (1/14)
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
If you're a #teacher interested in a great #openaccess write up on reading #phylogenetic trees, check out www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/system... created by @jonhendricks.bsky.social and Elizabeth Hermsen.
2.1 Reading Trees
Chapter contents: Systematics — 1. Taxonomy — 2. Phylogenetics —— 2.1 Reading trees ← —— 2.2 Building trees —— 2.3 Character mapping —— 2.4 Phylogenetic trees and classificationParts of a tree A phylo...
www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org
November 11, 2025 at 10:05 PM
If you're a #teacher interested in a great #openaccess write up on reading #phylogenetic trees, check out www.digitalatlasofancientlife.org/learn/system... created by @jonhendricks.bsky.social and Elizabeth Hermsen.
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Our paper on the #genome of the Trebouxia #photobiont from Xanthoria is now out in @newphyt.bsky.social! Check below for a near-chromosome level assembly, secretome analysis, evidence of ancient HGT, and transcriptomic comparison of the alga in symbiosis and in pure culture
doi.org/10.1111/nph.70728
doi.org/10.1111/nph.70728
November 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Our paper on the #genome of the Trebouxia #photobiont from Xanthoria is now out in @newphyt.bsky.social! Check below for a near-chromosome level assembly, secretome analysis, evidence of ancient HGT, and transcriptomic comparison of the alga in symbiosis and in pure culture
doi.org/10.1111/nph.70728
doi.org/10.1111/nph.70728
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
New paper led by @metalichen.bsky.social from our group presenting a chromosome-level assembly of the Trebouxia photobiont alga from the lichen Xanthoria parietina - a resource we hope will enable significant new insight into the symbiosis @newphyt.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/nph....
November 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
New paper led by @metalichen.bsky.social from our group presenting a chromosome-level assembly of the Trebouxia photobiont alga from the lichen Xanthoria parietina - a resource we hope will enable significant new insight into the symbiosis @newphyt.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
My new Emmy Noether Group is recruiting!
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
Aktuelle Ausschreibungen
Aktuelle Ausschreibungen
www.uni-kiel.de
November 3, 2025 at 9:03 AM
My new Emmy Noether Group is recruiting!
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
We sequenced the genome of the Phytophthora infestans from that particular historical sample back in 2013 to characterize the genetic makeup of the strain that cause the pandemic outbreak of potato late blight. elifesciences.org/articles/00731 @kamounlab.bsky.social
The rise and fall of the Phytophthora infestans lineage that triggered the Irish potato famine
The strain of Phytophthora infestans that caused the Great Famine in the late 1840s was caused by a single genotype that is distinct from, but closely related to, the most prevalent modern genotype.
elifesciences.org
November 1, 2025 at 8:10 PM
We sequenced the genome of the Phytophthora infestans from that particular historical sample back in 2013 to characterize the genetic makeup of the strain that cause the pandemic outbreak of potato late blight. elifesciences.org/articles/00731 @kamounlab.bsky.social
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
📣 Now announcing the journal publication 📄 of our work in @newphyt.bsky.social on how Verticillium undermines the plant's 🌱 "cry for help": terrific work by @antonkraege.bsky.social & @wolki95.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Undermining the cry for help: the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae secretes an antimicrobial effector protein to undermine host recruitment of antagonistic Pseudomonas bacteria
During pathogen attack, plants recruit beneficial microbes in a ‘cry for help’ to mitigate disease development. Simultaneously, pathogens secrete effectors to promote host colonisation through vario...
doi.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:47 AM
📣 Now announcing the journal publication 📄 of our work in @newphyt.bsky.social on how Verticillium undermines the plant's 🌱 "cry for help": terrific work by @antonkraege.bsky.social & @wolki95.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/nph....
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Spooky season has arrived! 👻
We held our annual Pumpkin Carving Competition at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social —vote for your favourite carve! 🎃🕯️
We held our annual Pumpkin Carving Competition at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social —vote for your favourite carve! 🎃🕯️
October 30, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Spooky season has arrived! 👻
We held our annual Pumpkin Carving Competition at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social —vote for your favourite carve! 🎃🕯️
We held our annual Pumpkin Carving Competition at @thesainsburylab.bsky.social —vote for your favourite carve! 🎃🕯️
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
New pre-print from the team!
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
Primary metabolism underpins the execution of immune responses in different tissues of the same plant https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.11.681807v1
October 14, 2025 at 7:16 AM
New pre-print from the team!
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Our paper on the evolution (duplicated) gene expression divergence in spatially resolved plant transcriptomes is now out @theplantcell.bsky.social
w/ @yvdp.bsky.social
#PlantSci #Evolution
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
w/ @yvdp.bsky.social
#PlantSci #Evolution
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
Gene expression divergence following gene and genome duplications in spatially resolved plant transcriptomes
After gene and genome duplications, expression divergence across cell types is not random, and it can be explained by a combination of gene age, gene funct
academic.oup.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Our paper on the evolution (duplicated) gene expression divergence in spatially resolved plant transcriptomes is now out @theplantcell.bsky.social
w/ @yvdp.bsky.social
#PlantSci #Evolution
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
w/ @yvdp.bsky.social
#PlantSci #Evolution
academic.oup.com/plcell/advan...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Fantastic hosting the @GoogleDeepMind team at TSL with @kamounlab.bsky.social 🌱
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
October 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Fantastic hosting the @GoogleDeepMind team at TSL with @kamounlab.bsky.social 🌱
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs.
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Beyond Immunity: Uncovering the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs (SCHLIMPERT_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Join us in exploring the hidden functions of ancient immune proteins in bacteria. Bacteria, like plants and animals, have evolved sophisticated systems to detect and respond to threats.
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 13, 2025 at 6:46 AM
We have a PhD opportunity available in our group @johninnescentre.bsky.social through the NRP Doctoral Training Partnership. Help us uncover the Hidden Diversity of Bacterial NLRs.
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Start date: October 2026. For more information and how to apply👉 biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/bey...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
New PhD opportunity in my group @thesainsburylab.bsky.social through the BBSRC NRP DTP Programme - see details of host to apply below
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
Vanishing Virulence: Investigating pathogenicity loss in a plant pathogenic fungus (TALBOT_T26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
What makes a plant killer lose its edge? This project will investigate why fungal pathogens lose virulence when they are grown in laboratory culture away from their host plant. Use cutting-edge…
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
New PhD opportunity in my group @thesainsburylab.bsky.social through the BBSRC NRP DTP Programme - see details of host to apply below
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/van...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
We have a project available for 2026 NRP Doctoral Training Partnership entry (i.e. PhD studentship opportunity!)
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it’s hot? (FAULKNER_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Plant cells are connected to their neighbours via ‘tubes’ called plasmodesmata, creating an interconnected cytoplasm that joins cells within and between tissues and organs.
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 12, 2025 at 11:48 AM
We have a project available for 2026 NRP Doctoral Training Partnership entry (i.e. PhD studentship opportunity!)
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
How do cells communicate when it's hot?
Don't know? Me either! Come work with us @johninnescentre.bsky.social and figure it out
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/how...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
New opportunity to undertake a PhD in my group at the John Innes Centre - if you’re interested in plant immunity and evolution check out the link!
Understanding Host Compatibility in the Marchantia-Phytophthora System (CARELLA_J26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
The fossil record demonstrates that filamentous microbes invaded ancient plant cells with intracellular hyphal structures over 450 million years ago. To this day, a rich diversity of extant land plant...
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
New opportunity to undertake a PhD in my group at the John Innes Centre - if you’re interested in plant immunity and evolution check out the link!
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Huge congratulations to PhD students @lenaknorr.bsky.social, from the Ma group, and @amiralito.bsky.social, from the @kamounlab.bsky.social, for their 2025 ASM poster awards! 🎉🌱
October 10, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Huge congratulations to PhD students @lenaknorr.bsky.social, from the Ma group, and @amiralito.bsky.social, from the @kamounlab.bsky.social, for their 2025 ASM poster awards! 🎉🌱
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
1/13 Thankfully, both you and your plants have a lot of sophisticated ways to fight off invading pathogens.
In our new preprint, we describe a new way in which animals and plants share a common strategy to ward off harmful bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In our new preprint, we describe a new way in which animals and plants share a common strategy to ward off harmful bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A secreted citrus protease cleaves an outer membrane protein of the Huanglongbing pathogen
Plants secrete a variety of proteases as a defense response during infection by microbial pathogens. However, the relationship between their catalytic activities and antimicrobial functions remains la...
www.biorxiv.org
October 10, 2025 at 2:15 PM
1/13 Thankfully, both you and your plants have a lot of sophisticated ways to fight off invading pathogens.
In our new preprint, we describe a new way in which animals and plants share a common strategy to ward off harmful bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
In our new preprint, we describe a new way in which animals and plants share a common strategy to ward off harmful bacteria.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
A new preprint from the lab. I won't do a tweetorial until this is peer reviewed, but I think it's a banger, led by
@JedNzy. It's about Rubisco and what chaperones are really for. He's on the market, get him while you can. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@JedNzy. It's about Rubisco and what chaperones are really for. He's on the market, get him while you can. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Origin of chaperone dependence and assembly complexity in Rubisco biogenesis
Molecular chaperones assist with the folding and assembly of protein clients. Consequently, they are essential to diverse cellular functions. In most aerobic photosynthetic organisms such as B-cyanoba...
www.biorxiv.org
September 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
A new preprint from the lab. I won't do a tweetorial until this is peer reviewed, but I think it's a banger, led by
@JedNzy. It's about Rubisco and what chaperones are really for. He's on the market, get him while you can. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@JedNzy. It's about Rubisco and what chaperones are really for. He's on the market, get him while you can. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
Sea slugs steal foreign chloroplasts and store them in specialized organelles that
facilitate photosynthesis and eventual digestion to mediate starvation resistance.
www.cell.com
September 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
A host organelle (in sea slugs) integrates stolen chloroplasts for animal photosynthesis
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
The sequences of 91,366 NLR immune proteins from 230 superasterid genomes are now printed in 931 bound volumes #OpenScience #OpenPlantNLR
September 14, 2025 at 1:11 PM
The sequences of 91,366 NLR immune proteins from 230 superasterid genomes are now printed in 931 bound volumes #OpenScience #OpenPlantNLR
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
We are pleased to announce that @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social has been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026 by the @bspp.bsky.social.
“I am humbled to have been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026. I’d like to thank my research group and my TSL colleagues for their inspiration and support.”
buff.ly/VvoR27Q
“I am humbled to have been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026. I’d like to thank my research group and my TSL colleagues for their inspiration and support.”
buff.ly/VvoR27Q
September 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
We are pleased to announce that @talbotlabtsl.bsky.social has been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026 by the @bspp.bsky.social.
“I am humbled to have been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026. I’d like to thank my research group and my TSL colleagues for their inspiration and support.”
buff.ly/VvoR27Q
“I am humbled to have been awarded the RKS Wood Prize 2026. I’d like to thank my research group and my TSL colleagues for their inspiration and support.”
buff.ly/VvoR27Q
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Our latest work on how chloroplasts contribute to immunity: Membrane contact sites between chloroplasts and the pathogen interface underpin plant focal immune responses url: academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Validate User
academic.oup.com
September 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Our latest work on how chloroplasts contribute to immunity: Membrane contact sites between chloroplasts and the pathogen interface underpin plant focal immune responses url: academic.oup.com/plcell/artic...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Very happy to share our latest work “Systematic discovery and engineering of synthetic immune receptors in plants” out in @science.org !
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Systematic discovery and engineering of synthetic immune receptors in plants
Plants deploy a diverse array of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which perceive microbe-associated molecular patterns to activate immune responses. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase subgr...
www.science.org
September 4, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Very happy to share our latest work “Systematic discovery and engineering of synthetic immune receptors in plants” out in @science.org !
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
Thrilled to share our new bioRxiv preprint!✨ Huge credit to first author Yujin Chen and thanks to all co-authors. Extra special: my first paper as co-corresponding author (with Lieve Gheysen).
Check how nematodes uncouple FLS2–BSK signalling in 🌱👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Check how nematodes uncouple FLS2–BSK signalling in 🌱👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Thrilled to share our new bioRxiv preprint!✨ Huge credit to first author Yujin Chen and thanks to all co-authors. Extra special: my first paper as co-corresponding author (with Lieve Gheysen).
Check how nematodes uncouple FLS2–BSK signalling in 🌱👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Check how nematodes uncouple FLS2–BSK signalling in 🌱👇
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
First a pentamer, then a hexamer… now an octamer!
The riddle of the enigmatic CCG10-NLR immune receptor family cracked open 🔥
Congrats Guanghao @GuanghaoGuo He Zhang @mhz1989 Selva @M__Selvaraj et al.
#NLRbiology #plantsci #immunology
The riddle of the enigmatic CCG10-NLR immune receptor family cracked open 🔥
Congrats Guanghao @GuanghaoGuo He Zhang @mhz1989 Selva @M__Selvaraj et al.
#NLRbiology #plantsci #immunology
August 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
First a pentamer, then a hexamer… now an octamer!
The riddle of the enigmatic CCG10-NLR immune receptor family cracked open 🔥
Congrats Guanghao @GuanghaoGuo He Zhang @mhz1989 Selva @M__Selvaraj et al.
#NLRbiology #plantsci #immunology
The riddle of the enigmatic CCG10-NLR immune receptor family cracked open 🔥
Congrats Guanghao @GuanghaoGuo He Zhang @mhz1989 Selva @M__Selvaraj et al.
#NLRbiology #plantsci #immunology
Reposted by AmirAli Toghani
August 29, 2025 at 12:20 AM