Fay-Wei Li
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fernway.bsky.social
Fay-Wei Li
@fernway.bsky.social
1.2K followers 330 following 25 posts
A fern and hornwort enthusiast at Boyce Thompson Institute and Cornell. I study evolutionary genomics of seed-free plants.

www.fernway.net
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
btiscience.bsky.social
Now accepting applications for the Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at BTI! 🌿 Supporting bold scientists tackling plant science frontiers with cross-disciplinary approaches. Full funding for high-risk, high-reward research. Apply by Jan 15, 2026! 🧬 spf.btiscience.org
Promotional graphic for the Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Text reads: 'Jane Silverthorne Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Supporting early-career scientists with high-risk, high-reward research projects that bridge fundamental science with real-world solutions. BTI – Powered by the Jane Silverthorne Innovation Fund. Now Accepting Applications.' On the right side, there is a circular photo of a woman with long blonde hair and glasses, wearing a black top. The design includes green and white waves with a leaf and circuit logo.
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
philcarella.bsky.social
Join us for the 4th annual NonSeed Plant Meeting in Norwich this year! @johninnescentre.bsky.social
gensocuknonseed.bsky.social Genetics Society Non-Seed Plant SIG @gensocuknonseed.bsky.social · Sep 12
Registration for #nonseedUK25 is officially open: www.jic.ac.uk/event/4th-ge.... If you wish to be considered for a talk, please submit your abstract by 30th October. Thanks to @philcarella.bsky.social for acting as local organizer this year 😃
a sign that says open with red lights on it .
ALT: a sign that says open with red lights on it .
media.tenor.com
September 12, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
lars-brudvig.bsky.social
Michigan State University is hiring a new Director of our herbarium!

This is an open rank, tenure-stream faculty position, with research focus in plant or fungal systematics, ecology, and/or evolution

Please consider applying and help spread the word!

plantbiology.natsci.msu.edu/job-postings...
plantbiology.natsci.msu.edu
August 22, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
ferncurator.bsky.social
The NMNH Department of Botany is looking for a Museum Specialist. Please spread the word!
Museum Specialist (Natural Science), IS-1016-09
Job Opening: Museum Specialist (Natural Science), IS-1016-09 at National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
trustcareers.si.edu
August 7, 2025 at 8:26 PM
fernway.bsky.social
Botany is already happening in the Denver airport #botany2025
July 26, 2025 at 1:38 AM
fernway.bsky.social
Shameless self-promotion continues...🙃 You might find this #fern book in your local bookstores! mailchi.mp/btiscience/f...
May 30, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
btiscience.bsky.social
New on This Green Earth: “Survival of Nature’s Fittest May Go to Ferns.” BTI’s @fernway.bsky.social & Jacob Suissa explore their new book Ferns: Lessons in Survival. 400 million years of resilience—what ferns can teach us today.
www.kpcw.org/show/this-gr...

#PlantScience #ferns
Survival of nature's fittest may go to ferns
Scientists Fay Wei Li and Jacob Suissa discuss their new book, "Ferns: Lessons in Survival From Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants."
www.kpcw.org
May 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
btiscience.bsky.social
Meet the authors behind Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth's Most Adaptable Plants! BTI's @fernway.bsky.social and Jacob S. Suissa explore the ancient, resilient world of ferns — plants that have thrived for over 400 million years.

Learn more go.btiscience.org/ferns.

#FernsBook #PlantScience
Text reads "About The Authors". There is an illustration of a fern across the top. There is a headshot of Fay-Wei holding a fern on the left and then an illustration of a fern on the bottom. Text reads "Fay-Wei Li grew up in Taiwan, a subtropical fern paradise and studies for his PhD at Duke University where he and his advisor, Kathleen Pryer, named a new fern genus Gaga after Lady Gaga. In 2017, Fay-Wei joined the Boyce Thompson Institute as a faculty member. His research has been featured in NY Times, the Economist, and Rolling Stone. Text reads "Jacob S. Suissa is a classically trained botanist and fern biologist who earned his PhD in Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on the evolution of form and function in ferns. Jacob also co-founded the educational non-profit Lets Botanize, which is dedicated to inspiring curiosity and passion for plants. There is al illustration of a fern and headshot of Jacob. Text reads "Learn more at go.btiscience.org/ferns.
May 9, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
science.org
Exclusive: National Science Foundation staff were told today that the agency’s 37 divisions—across all eight directorates—are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced.
Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions
Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund
scim.ag
May 8, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
btiscience.bsky.social
Travel 400M years in a flip. FERNS explores the evolution, survival, and modern ties of Earth’s most adaptable plants. By @fernway.bsky.social & Jacob Suissa, illustrated by Laura Silburn. Out May 6: go.btiscience.org/ferns #FernsBook #PlantScience
May 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
jjinsing.bsky.social
My NSF PRFB on the genetics of female polymorphism in hummingbirds was terminated yesterday.

I don't have much to say, I'm just sad. We've discovered so much, and could have gone so much further.

If anyone else is in the same boat, esp postdocs, please reach out, it would be good to connect.
April 26, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
science.org
NSF has spent decades—and billions of dollars—trying to attract more women and members of underrepresented groups into STEM.

Not anymore. scim.ag/3RUtgZg
NSF starts to kill grants that violate Trump’s war on diversity efforts
Attracting women and minorities into science and studying misinformation are no longer priorities, agency says
scim.ag
April 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
fernway.bsky.social
Jacob Suissa and I wrote a #book about #ferns! It's beautifully illustrated by the amazing artist Laura Silburn. Will be released in May and you can preorder from Amazon. We hope this book could help you forget all the bad things happening on Earth right now. More here: mailchi.mp/btiscience/f...
April 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
jcarlosvillarreal.bsky.social
apprendre plus sur les anthocérotes et leur importance potentielle ? #photosynthese www.pourlascience.fr/sd/biologie-... @fernway.bsky.social @tarobison.bsky.social
Une piste pour améliorer la photosynthèse des plantes agricoles grâce aux anthocérotes
Les anthocérotes, des plantes méconnues, possèdent les capacités de photosynthèse exceptionnelles des algues. Les gènes responsables ont été identifiés. De quoi espérer améliorer la productivité agricole…
www.pourlascience.fr
April 5, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
ljrissler.bsky.social
"I want parents who have children to know that opportunities for your kids, if they aspire to be scientists or engineers, are being stripped away right in front of you," the NSF employee told Axios.

www.axios.com/2025/03/10/a...
Exclusive: Science and tech agency cuts spark industry pushback
As Trump administration cuts hit research, some fear American leadership in computer science is at risk.
www.axios.com
March 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
ljrissler.bsky.social
The National Science Foundation benefits communities in every state.
NSF fact sheet
March 2, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
reactionnorm.bsky.social
Just extended the deadline to March 21 for this position in the Plant Phylogenomics group at the University of Vienna. It is sort of a "post doc plus" position funded for up to six years.

Please reach out if you want to chat - I'd love to talk to you about it!

jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...
University Assistant postdoctoral
University Assistant postdoctoral
jobs.univie.ac.at
February 26, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
mdcarling.bsky.social
As many of you know, ~170 Program Officers at #NSF were fired on Tuesday, including a number that worked in Divisions important to the EEB community (e.g., DEB and GEO/OPP).
1/3
February 21, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
btiscience.bsky.social
A tiny plant with a powerful secret! The Li Lab discovered that hornworts have a unique CO₂ booster that could supercharge photosynthesis and boost crop yields by up to 50%! Could this be the future of agriculture? Find out more: ambrook.com/research/stu...

@fernway.bsky.social
#PlantScience
The Funny Little Plant That Could Upend Agriculture - Ambrook Research
Hornworts, an otherwise unremarkable bit of flora, has a unique photosynthesis booster. New research finds this booster has the potential to increase crop yields up to 50%.
ambrook.com
February 19, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
ljrissler.bsky.social
Firings happening right now at the NSF.
February 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
pierremarcdelaux.bsky.social
1/6 Super excited to share with you our work on Marchantia intra-specific diversity and pan-genomics, just out @naturegenet.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Everything on the discoveries in the thread by @chloe-beaulieu.bsky.social

I want to emphasize 5 additional points:
www.nature.com
February 17, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
kheyduk.bsky.social
Some good news: just got an email attempting to reschedule an NSF panel that was cancelled last week.
February 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
blekhman.bsky.social
- 10,000 research grants flagged for review by NSF Program Directors

- Reviews due by 5 p.m. today

- They flag grants with "broadening participation" language, foreign aid, climate science, domestic energy, and "discriminatory programs including illegal DEI"
dangaristo.bsky.social Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · Feb 3
NEW: We obtained the directions NSF program officers are following to review all grants for compliance with the Trump EOs and the turmoil it has created in an agency mandated to broaden STEM participation. Our story: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders
The US National Science Foundation has unfrozen grant funding, but it continues to scrutinize research projects, sowing turmoil.
www.nature.com
February 3, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Reposted by Fay-Wei Li
stairwaytokevin.bsky.social
The dismantling of American Science continues. The Organismal Response to Climate Change grant call has been cancelled. The NSF Director is a disgrace
Email text: [EXT] Grants.gov Opportunities Update External Email The following grant opportunities were created, updated, or deleted on Grants.gov: NSF National Science Foundation 25-504 - Organismal Response to Climate Change Deletion Comments: Opportunity deleted
February 1, 2025 at 6:53 PM