Tiffany Lowe-Power 🌱🦠
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tlowepower.bsky.social
Tiffany Lowe-Power 🌱🦠
@tlowepower.bsky.social
2.8K followers 1.7K following 1.2K posts
I study how bacteria kill plants. Interested across biological scales: molecular 🧬, cellular🦠, organismal 🧫, ecological 🥀🌍, and evolutionary 🧬.

Optimistic pessimist: The world is dark, so how can we slow the decline?
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tlowepower.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 2:37 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
At Sacramento Speaks, the closing question to Pete Buttigieg asked how he maintains hope.

He said something to the effect of: "Hope is not the cause of Action. Hope is the consequence of the actions you take. So it's up to each of us to identify an action that will generate hope."
October 23, 2025 at 2:24 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Action shot with my trusty Defend Freedom sign.
October 21, 2025 at 2:11 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
This year, I have protested against the wannabe dictator and Project2025 in Sacramento several times, but also in Davis, Woodland, and Winters.

In a town of 7,800 hundreds of people showed up at 10 am last Saturday for the No Kings protest in Winters. We chose Winters because family moved there.
October 21, 2025 at 2:09 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
I think this is a positive way for institutions to celebrate Postdoc Appreciation week.

When I was a PD, I felt like the extent of my institution's appreciation was a free sandwich.
..." "It is essential that all postdoc supervisors and mentors are familiar with the terms of the Postdoctoral Scholars’ labor agreement, which affirms that “adequate opportunities for professional development are essential and that a reasonable portion of paid work time will be allocated to professional development activities” (Article 20). Postdoctoral scholars are not merely temporary research staff—they are emerging professionals in a critical phase of their career development. Their time at UC Davis should empower them to build the skills, networks, and experience necessary for future success, whether in academia, industry, government, or beyond. The University of California formally recognizes their right to pursue professional development activities during paid work time, reflecting our broader commitment to their growth. As a mentor, you play a pivotal role in ensuring postdocs thrive. We ask that you actively support your postdoctoral scholars by: Allocating time – Provide sufficient paid time for participation in career and professional development activities, including workshops, conferences, and courses. Facilitating resources – Where possible, help identify and secure funding for these opportunities, such as registration fees and travel costs. External grants and fellowships can be invaluable in expanding access to these experiences. Fostering mentorship – Maintain regular, open dialogue about research progress, career aspirations, and developmental goals. Encouraging initiative – Empower postdocs to pursue new opportunities and build professional networks that will sustain their long-term success. When postdocs are supported in developing their professional skills, everyone benefits—the quality of our research, the vibrancy of our academic community, and the broader impact of UC Davis as a leader in discovery and innovation."
October 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
When will we officially create a department of propaganda?
October 6, 2025 at 6:09 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
... digest things, and then load up antigens like 20 aa peptide fragments into their MHC surface receptors. This allows them to present their antigen to T cells to find a T cell that matches the antigen.

(Source: cellcartoons.net)
October 6, 2025 at 2:12 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
I wish they had labeled the antigen presenting cells in these cartoons or had legends.

I was somewhere confused and wouldn't have puzzled it out if I hadn't had an animal immunology course almost 2 decades ago.

(The beige ones are macrophages or dendritic cells which phagocytose things, ...
October 6, 2025 at 2:12 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
I said this was the new policy as a sarcastic joke when we were told there would no longer be custodial services for trash cans at work.

I can't believe this is a real marketing flyer
October 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Ugh. The incorrect spelling suggestion is not present in my "custom dictionary", which confirms my suspicion that I had not added the incorrect spelling.
@microsoft.com @microsoftofficial.bsky.social You have a very, very bad bug in your Microsoft Word Editor LLM
September 23, 2025 at 8:23 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
I think the update to Microsoft word is hallucinating misspelled niche jargon.

The u and r are in the wrong position in this suggestion...

It would be embarrassing to spell my organism incorrectly in papers and grants...
September 23, 2025 at 8:18 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Please repost -- The Univ. California Davis dept of Plant Pathology is hiring a Fungal biologist / Mycologist

Applications due Dec 1

Application portal: recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339

Screenshot shows part of the job posting (with alt-text of the same text)
he Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California, Davis is seeking applications for a fulltime, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Mycology, with a focus on plant pathogenic, symbiotic, or mycotoxigenic fungi and fungal-like organisms (e.g., oomycetes). We are looking for a highly motivated and creative scientist with a strong background in mycology and/or the biology of fungi and fungal-like organisms that interact with plants. The successful candidate will be expected to develop a world-class, externally funded research program that integrates both fundamental and applied aspects of fungal biology within the context of plant pathology. We welcome applicants pursuing a wide range of research topics related to plant-associated fungi, including but not limited to mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis or symbiosis with plants, population genomics and evolution of fungal plant pathogens, plant-associated fungal microbiomes and plant-microbe interactions, and/or one health approaches to fungal diseases and antifungal resistance. Applicants working in other relevant research areas involving pathogenic, symbiotic, or mycotoxigenic fungi or fungal-like organisms that affect plant health are also encouraged to apply. The successful candidate will have significant opportunities for collaboration with faculty in plant pathology, microbiology, genomics, and agricultural sciences, and to contribute to addressing issues of importance to California’s agricultural and natural ecosystems. The appointee primary teaching responsibilities will be teaching Introductory Mycology, an upperdivision lab class, and SAS 30, Mushroom, Molds & Society, a general education class for non-majors. Additional graduate and undergraduate teaching responsibilities may be assigned based on departmental needs and the candidate’s expertise. The department offers modern instructional facilities, including a newly renovated teaching laboratory.
September 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
This figure shows how users might use the drop-down menus to focus on strains isolated from specific plants.

We chose to highlight strains isolated from the banana/plantain family (Musaceae)
RSSC diversity and distribution by host (Case Study: Banana/Plantain Family). A) Reactive information boxes summarize the filtered data: 709 isolates, 61 sources, 26 countries, and 4 unique host species. B) The map shows the geographic distribution of reported entries isolated from Musaceae hosts. C) Phylotype abundance per Musa species (count). D) Phylotype abundance by country (count). E) Phylotype abundance by continent (count).
September 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
This figure shows how users might use the drop-down menus to focus on strains isolated in a specific region.

Here, strains from Africa and islands in the SW Indian Ocean are shown.
RSSC diversity and distribution by location (Case Study: Africa). A) Reactive information boxes summarize the filtered data: 2,449 isolates, 82 sources, 36 countries, and 70 unique host species. B) The map shows the reported geographic distribution of RSSC isolated in Africa. C) Phylotype abundance by host species (count). D) Phylotype abundance by host species (proportion). E) Phylotype abundance by country (count).
September 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
This figure visualizes impacts of a clonal pandemic lineage of Ralstonia. This lineage causes potato brown rot and has been estimated as causing a 3% global yield loss of potato!
RSSC diversity and distribution by lineage (Case Study: IIB-1 and IIB-2). A) Reactive information boxes summarize the filtered data: 1,834 isolates, 70 sources, 62 countries, and 24 unique host species. B) The map shows the reported geographic distribution of IIB-1 and IIB-2 isolates. C) IIB-1 and IIB-2 abundance by host species (count). D) IIB-1 and IIB-2 abundance by country (count). E) IIB-1 and IIB-2 abundance by continent (count).
September 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
This figure visualizes broad patterns between the four phylotypes of Ralstonia
RSSC diversity and distribution (Case Study: Phylotypes). Maps display the reported strain distribution of A) phylotype I, B) phylotype II, C) phylotype III, and D) phylotype IV. The literature varied in reporting specificity for location (e.g. from city, province, country, etc.), so we employed Mapbox to infer latitude and longitude coordinates for the average center of the reported locations. The default view using jitter is shown; jitter randomly staggers symbols with identical geographical coordinates, yielding clusters that convey frequency of reports at specific locations. E-G) Stacked bar charts display the reported phylotype abundance of E) top 20 host species, F) top 10 botanical families, and G) top 20 countries. All chart data can be plotted either by count (E and G) or by proportion (F).
September 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
The Ralstonia Dashboard is live!

This is an interactive dashboard that communicates information on over 9,000 isolations of Ralstonia wilt pathogens around the world!

Vienna Elmgreen built the dashboard (co-mentored by myself and Tessa Pierce Ward)

ralstoniadashboard.shinyapps.io/RalstoniaWil...
September 11, 2025 at 8:32 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
After a month and a half of being associate, I finally remembered to update my signature
August 14, 2025 at 11:12 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Some days, we are not at our best.

Same for squirrels, judging by this attempt to store/hide a walnut for winter.
August 14, 2025 at 3:05 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
APS Press is also selling great enamel pathogen pins! #planthealth2025
August 4, 2025 at 8:39 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Purchased new notebooks at #planthealth2025

Excellent price! Buy one to help staff bring less back to headquarters.
August 4, 2025 at 8:38 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
At #PlantHealth2025, check Ralstonia research at Lowe-Power lab posters.

At P-614 (Tuesday!), I'm presenting Vienna Elmgreen and Tessa Pierce-Ward's work to develop an interactive dashboard for Ralstonia isolation around the world.
ralstoniadashboard.shinyapps.io/RalstoniaWiltDashboard
August 3, 2025 at 7:43 PM
tlowepower.bsky.social
The shrubs are overgrown, but I love it
July 25, 2025 at 2:49 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Recently collaborator Tessa Pierce Ward helped mentor M.S. student Vienna Elmgreen to make a dashboard to visualize our meta-analysis of almost 10,000 Ralstonia isolations.

ralstoniadashboard.shinyapps.io/RalstoniaWil...
Preview of the dashboard
July 8, 2025 at 4:05 AM
tlowepower.bsky.social
Fun! My lab has been working on the first systematic review of Ralstonia host range since 1953.

Happy that I finally bought the 1994 book where Chris Hayward published his updated summary of Ralstonia host range.

#microsky 🧪
July 8, 2025 at 4:00 AM