Adam Steinbrenner

aprecruit.berkeley.eduAssistant Professor - Plant Responses to Environmental Changes - Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!

9 Sept

Two faculty searches at Berkeley Plant & Microbial Bio @PMB_Berkeley Submit applications by Sept 30 Plant Responses to Environmental Changes aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05382 Plant-Microbe Communities aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05522

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Michelle Facette

@mfacette.bsky.social

28 Aug

UMass Amherst Dept of Biology is hiring a TT faculty member in Evolutionary Biology! careers.umass.edu/jobs/assista... We have a diverse and wonderful dept - please consider joining us!

careers.umass.eduAssistant Professor - Evolutionary Biology - Amherst, Massachusetts, United StatesTitle: Assistant Professor - Evolutionary Biology Executive Area: Academic Affairs College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences Department: Biology Work Location: Amherst Schedule: Full Time Work A...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Sue Biggins

@suebiggins.bsky.social

18 Aug

Junior faculty position in Basic Sciences @fredhutch.org! Please repost!

Fred Hutch@fredhutch.org

🔬 Fred Hutch Cancer Center is hiring an Assistant or Associate Professor in the Basic Sciences Division @basicsci.fredhutch.org. Join a world-class research community in Seattle and help advance discoveries in fundamental biology. Apply: https://apply.interfolio.com/190640

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

MaizeGDB

@maizegdb.bsky.social

27 July

We are deeply saddened to share that Michael Freeling passed away on 7/20/2026 after a year-long battle with cancer. Our deepest condolences go to his family, friends, colleagues, and the many students he inspired. We will share additional memorial information soon.

27 May

Now out in Science Advances. Inceptin Receptor helps attract predatory wasps in two years of field experiments. Next steps: can we tune both receptor recognition and volatile blend traits in crops + companion plants?

Adam Steinbrenner@adsteinbrenner.bsky.social

How do predatory wasps find their caterpillar prey? In our new preprint on Biorxiv we show that the host plant's immune system detects herbivory to sound the alarm. 🌱🐛 See thread from @nataliagupa.bsky.social -- a surprising role for a plant PRR in indirect defense against herbivores.

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

27 May

science.orgA plant immune receptor mediates tritrophic interactions by linking caterpillar detection to predator recruitmentA plant receptor detects caterpillar attack and triggers emission of chemical cues to attract predatory wasps.

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Dan Garisto

@dangaristo.bsky.social

20 May

Good reporting from @weiss-a-woni.bsky.social on the reopening on the Indiana University labs.

ipm.orgUSDA finishes IU investigation, Innes lab reopensThe investigation and shutdown drew considerable attention because of Professor Roger Innes’s defense of Chinese researchers convicted of illegally importing research material.

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Alexander Haverkamp

@alexhaverkamp.bsky.social

15 May

Save the Date! SIP19 will bring the international insect-plant interaction 🌱 🐛 community to @w-u-r.bsky.social, 22 to 26 August 2027: event.wur.nl/sip19/home Keynote Speaker: @nkwhiteman.bsky.social, Christelle Robert, @adsteinbrenner.bsky.social, @sunsicker.bsky.social, @enricfrago.bsky.social

We are excited to release the BAT!🦇🚨 We've used this phylogenetic analysis pipeline in our lab for years, and grad Ben Sheppard now presents a Github release and preprint. I run BAT analyses almost daily. It makes exploring gene families routine, customizable, and fun🧵

Preprint describing use cases available here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... "BAT: an integrated pipeline for gene tree construction, annotation, and functional inference"

biorxiv.orgbiorxiv.org

github.comGitHub - steinbrennerlab/blast-align-tree: A pipeline to identify BLAST hits and perform phylogenetic analysis across multiple queries and local genome databasesA pipeline to identify BLAST hits and perform phylogenetic analysis across multiple queries and local genome databases - steinbrennerlab/blast-align-tree

We hope BAT will help molecular biologists to think in terms of gene trees. Evolutionary signal within gene families is often the first clue that there is amazing, novel biology to be found. Check out our repo and try out BAT analyses of YFGs (Your Favorite Genes!) github.com/steinbrenner...

Molecular biologists are especially interested in domains and motifs with known functions. BAT can highlight user-provided HMM profiles and amino acid motifs (via the ggtree R package) to visualize these features on a gene tree. Domain gain/loss is placed in evolutionary context.

Any labels or quantitative data (e.g. transcriptomic datasets) also integrate easily to the BAT pipeline. There is built-in FASTA header parsing ensures gene labels always match the dataset you are visualizing. For plant folks: we ship a subset of the Klepikova expression atlas.

BAT instead runs locally on any CDS or protein .fasta databases, even custom genomes with poor annotations. You can pip install blast-align-tree and fetch model organism genomes 🧑🐭🐀🐒🐟🪰🪱🍞 It's easy to add any other new genome, just add the CDS or protein to /genomes folder.

As an example, immune receptor homologs often have complex evolutionary relationships collapsed by genome-wide orthogroup analyses. We show a BAT example for the NAIP family of mammalian NLRs, where mouse lineage-specific paralogs are known to have distinct recognition functions.

BLAST-Align-Tree (BAT) does what it says on the tin: 1) finds homologs 2) aligns gene sequences 3) constructs a gene tree This is how you start any gene family analysis, but is still difficult to do from scratch or in genome portals. It's prohibitively hard in non-model species

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Gitta Coaker

@gittacoaker.bsky.social

17 Apr

We are hiring! We’re excited to recruit a postdoc to our lab at UC Davis to work on plant immune engineering and single-cell analyses of plant pathogen interactions. Apply by June 1. Please repost. www.coakerlab.org/postdoctoral...

This cherry blossom season is extra fun for us.🌸 Students sequenced the genome of one of the iconic Yoshino cherry trees on the University of Washington quad, and found nearly identical clonal relatives in Japan! A great project with Alex Harkess and the American Campus Tree Genomes (ACTG) project

Our tree was most closely related to a lineage of trees sampled in Tokyo (Ueno park), Okayama, and Shimane University. We hope as additional trees are sequenced we will find even closer relatives.

Four amazing summer interns got the work done, and did a great job applying modern genomic technologies! A fun way to connect to the heritage of our favorite trees 🌸🌸 Read more here: facilities.uw.edu/blog/posts/2...

Our trees were moved to the UW quad in the 1960s from their original (1930s) arboretum location. But planting records haven't been found, so their origin is unknown. To investigate, we collected leaves of the northernmost tree outside Raitt hall and performed PacBio sequencing.

@spicybotrytis.bsky.social

Students used simple phylogenetic inference to determine relatedness based on the very small number of SNP difference among trees of the Somei-Yoshino variety. A recently published resequencing study made the comparisons possible academic.oup.com/dnaresearch/...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Noam Ross

@noamross.net

2 Feb

NSF GRFP applicants (and mentors): Was your application Returned Without Review and deemed ineligible despite fitting in the allowed topics? 1) Write NSF 2) Write your Congressperson 3) CC us at grfp@grant-witness.us so we can compile + follow up Details and template at grant-witness.us/grfp-letter

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Dan Kliebenstein

15 Jan

Ever wondered if diverse plant species respond similarly when infected by the same exact pathogen? Infect different asterids and rosids with the same Botrytis genotypes and teh short answer, quite differently. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @annajomu.bsky.social @ccaseys.bsky.social (1/3)

biorxiv.orgA multi-plant transcriptomic atlas reveals conserved and lineage specific defense architectures in response to Botrytis cinereaGeneralist pathogens pose a challenge to plant immunity by infecting diverse hosts while harboring extensive intraspecific genetic variation. Whether evolutionary distant plant lineages rely on a shar...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Alexandra Weisberg

@weisbergaj.bsky.social

14 Jan

This position is still open. The Weisberg lab is recruiting a postdoc or Ph.D. student to study horizontal gene transfer in plant-associated microbial communities. Please see the job ad for more information and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Alexandra Weisberg@weisbergaj.bsky.social

The Weisberg Lab at Oregon State University is recruiting a postdoctoral scholar in molecular microbiology to study mobile genetic element host range and transmission in microbial communities. Please see the full job description here: files-dev.cqls.oregonstate.edu/Weisberg_Lab...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Alexandra Weisberg

@weisbergaj.bsky.social

25 Aug 2025

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Maddy Seale

@maddyseale.bsky.social

24 Nov 2025

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

science.orgPan-family pollen signals control an interspecific stigma barrier across Brassicaceae speciesPre-zygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species limiting interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompatibil...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

PlantEvolution 🌱🌾

@plantevolution.bsky.social

24 Nov 2025

We (Nordborg & Weigel labs) need input on the next generation of genome browsers & data download modes for the #Arabidopsis #1001GenomesPlus project. We have now a curated collection of over 500 long read genomes. Please help us by filling out this questionnaire: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.comNext generation of 1001 Genomes Plus browser and data downloadPlease indicate all features you would like to see in a browser that displays features of completely sequenced Arabidopsis thaliana genomes

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Brendan Nyhan

@brendannyhan.bsky.social

12 Nov 2025

A staggering statistic: "North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year." What are we doing?

Mark A. Hanson@hansonmark.bsky.social

We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing: a 🧵 1/n Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820 Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/... Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Genetics Society UK

@gensocuk.bsky.social

14 Nov 2025

Congratulations to Joe Felsenstein on being awarded the 2026 Mendel Medal!

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Roland Hatzenpichler

@environmicrobio.bsky.social

14 Nov 2025

“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”

science.orgU.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborationsResearchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Natalia Guayazán Palacios

@nataliagupa.bsky.social

6 Nov 2025

Now that Im finally here, I'm excited to announce that I've joined @salkinstitute.bsky.social as a postdoc with @lmueller.bsky.social Keep your eyes open for everything AMF symbiosis, peptide biogenesis, and the apoplast!

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Chenxin Li, PhD

@chenxinli2.bsky.social

6 Oct 2025

It's grad school application season! My lab (cxli233.github.io/cxLi_lab/ ) will be recruiting a PhD student via the MPS program at MSU (mps.natsci.msu.edu) for Fall 2026. Happy to take inquires via email (which can be found in the lab website) if you are applying this cycle.

cxli233.github.iocxli233.github.ioOur current carbon economy relies on fossil fuels, from which we isolate small organic molecules to produce medicines, plastics, cosmetic, or other chemicals that we use everyday. However, sustainability requires a more biomass-based carbon economy, where we engineer plants to produce precursor molecules, which can then be assembled to desired chemicals that we use daily. Plants have evolved an amazing diversity of metabolites, but these metabolites are not produced in every cell of the plant. Therefore, it is essential to understand how plants can express different metabolic pathways across different organs, tissues, and even cell types. We are interested in the following questions: How are metabolic pathways (especially specialized metabolism) controlled by cell fate? How can we reprogram plant cell fates for biomanufacturing? How can we toggle between differentiated cell states for metabolic engineering and totipotent cell state for genetic engineering?

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

The Plant Journal

@theplantjournal.bsky.social

29 Sept 2025

📢Announcement! The call for 𝐓𝐏𝐉 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 is now open! 🌟 It is designed to offer support and mentorship to researchers transitioning from post-doctoral scientists to principal investigators Info: 👉http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/TPJ-fellowships & in 🧵

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Lauren Kuehne

@omfishient.bsky.social

29 Sept 2025

🧪 Were you one of the many thousands of STEM students (and mentors) impacted by the sudden change in #NSF #GRFP eligibility last week? We created a petition to NSF leadership and Congress to reverse the changes - please sign and share your stories here!! laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/

laurenkuehne.github.ioPetition to NSF to Restore Eligibility for the 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program Competition

Adam Steinbrenner reposted

Daniel Bolnick

@danielbolnick.bsky.social

26 Sept 2025

The GRFP announcement from NSF cuts out an entire cohort of 2nd year students from consideration, without warning. This is so deeply unfair that it warrants a formal protest from the scientific community. If someone wants to work with me to craft an open letter and solicit signatures, LMK.

Dan Garisto@dangaristo.bsky.social

New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

nsf.govNSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)