Caspar Chater
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casparchater.bsky.social
Caspar Chater
@casparchater.bsky.social
Plant Scientist. Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Reposted by Caspar Chater
UK science and technology is suffering from a lack of investment, a hostile immigration system, and fragile university finances, reports @cathleenogrady.bsky.social 🧪 #scipolicy
www.science.org/content/arti...
U.K. science sector is ‘bleeding to death,’ lawmakers say in report
House of Lords committee urges government to stem exodus of science and technology companies
www.science.org
November 10, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Reconsider the potential suspension of Plant Biology Courses at UoN - Sign the Petition! c.org/p5jy2GXHcX via
@UKChange
Sign the Petition
Reconsider the potential suspension of Plant Biology Courses at UoN
c.org
November 8, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
PhD opportunity in plant developmental biology for UK based students of Black heritage!

How do they know when to grow up? Join us at the University of Bristol to find out.

Application deadline Jan 6th

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

#PlantSciencePhDs @blackinplantsci.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
There's still just about time to apply for this postdoc position - a super cool project and I can highly recommend working with Caspar!

Deadline 02/11/25
October 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Plant scientists Professor Graham Farquhar and Professor Susanne von Caemmerer transformed the world's understanding of photosynthesis, and now they have been jointly awarded the Royal Medal (Biological) from The Royal Society, at a ceremony in London.

science.anu.edu.au/news-events/...
October 27, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
"The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels.

Not reduce.

Not abate.

Phaseout."

@UN Secretary General @antonioguterres
| #ActOnClimate #climate #energy
October 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
"The findings show that the rapid adoption of renewable energy worldwide is not matched by changes in higher education, since universities continue to prioritise coal and petroleum studies"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The failure to decarbonize the global energy education system: Carbon lock-in and stranded skill sets
The energy transition involves the transformation of professions and labour markets, which in turn depend on the availability of a workforce with the …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
☀️🌱 RESEARCH 🌱☀️

Maize leaf tips exhibit the lowest photosynthetic recovery post-drought, due to water storage deficits and hydraulic failure, reducing whole-leaf water use efficiency - Liu et al.

🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

#PlantScience 🧪
October 23, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Have you ever seen gold on a flower before?

This is the flower of the carnivorous plant Drosera calycina, which has striking deep red petals and sepals that glitter like gold in the afternoon sunlight.
#ozflora #fierceflora #Droseraceae #wildoz #nativeplants #bloomscrolling #nature
October 21, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
The EU will not now delay the introduction of its deforestation law which is a bit of good news given the war on environmental protections currently underway in Brussels

www.politico.eu/article/brus...
Brussels U-turns on anti-deforestation law delay
The surprise decision follows a string of unexpected changes to the EU’s main tool to end deforestation.
www.politico.eu
October 21, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
We could also frame it like this:

"Refusing to regulate AI will 'kill' the arts industry."
October 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Call for Papers: 2026 Focus Issue on Early Land Plant Evolution – Phylogenetics, Paleobotany, and Evo-devo Physiology. Submission Deadline: 03/2026. academic.oup.com/plphys/pages...

#plantscience
July 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Join us for a PhD in Oxford to decipher how a genetic-hormonal pas de deux drives pea pod growth and development.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
October 20, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Leveraging Crop Wild Relatives and Ploidy Level for Climate-Resilient Annual Ryegrass
doi.org/10.1101/2025...

High contiguity de novo genome sequence assembly of Trifoliate yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) using long read sequencing
doi.org/10.1101/2020...

#Crops #Genomics
Leveraging Crop Wild Relatives and Ploidy Level for Climate-Resilient Annual Ryegrass
Leveraging crop wild relatives and chromosome manipulations are powerful tools for developing climate-resilient agroecosystems. Yet, the combined effects of polyploidy and diverse genetic makeup on pl...
doi.org
October 19, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
#Intercropping & #CropRotation are ancient #agricultural practices that increase yield & #DiseaseResistance in #crops. This Essay discusses the role of plant-derived metabolites & microbes in these systems and how they can contribute to #SustainableAgriculture @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4op7k6W
October 17, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Wow, nature is too cool! Structures on stinkbug hind legs that used to be interpreted as ears are actually chambers with fungi. The bugs coat their eggs in those fungi to protect them against parasitoid wasps. 🧪

Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs
Dinidorid stinkbugs were reported to possess a conspicuous tympanal organ on female hindlegs. In this study, we show that this organ is specialized to retain microbial symbionts rather than to perceiv...
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Autumnal collection, including little owl feather, seedheads & various lovely things that fell off trees.
Zoom in to the details if you’re feeling stressed-the patterns in nature have been shown to help our brains relax🪶:
October 15, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
A late flowering Common Vetch on a road verge at Canworthy Water in Cornwall today for #WildflowerHour

Vicia sativa subsp segetalis
October 12, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
October 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
"50 % of profits went to the wealthiest 1 % of individuals, predominantly through direct shareholdings and private company ownership. In contrast the bottom 50 % only received 1 %."

It was a cost-of-living crisis only for the many.

#Inequality

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Best of times, worst of times: record fossil-fuel profits, inflation and inequality
The 2022 oil and gas crisis resulted in record fossil-fuel profits globally that rehabilitated the oil and gas industry, obstructed the energy transit…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Caspar Chater
I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io
October 6, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Do you love crop diversity and plant physiology? Apply to this new postdoc position open in my lab: careers.kew.org/vacancy/rese...

Please spread the word!
Research Associate (Plant Molecular Genetics and Physiology) - Careers | Kew Gardens
RBG Kew is seeking a highly organised post-doctoral Research Associate in Plant Molecular Genetics and Physiology who will be tasked to lead the genotypic and phenotypic analyses of our target crops: ...
careers.kew.org
October 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM