Catharina Merchante / Karen
@kmerchante.bsky.social
Tenured scientist @ihsmumacsic.bsky.social Curious about how plants adjust translation to adapt to their environment 👩🏻🔬🍀Science-Dog-📚-Travel-Nature-🌙-lover
Pinned
🎉 The PGRP2026 website is live & registration is OPEN!
👉 malaga-en.congresoseci.com/pgrp2026/index
Check out our amazing lineup of speakers
Don’t miss out: we´ll also select speakers from submitted abstracts ❗️
Hurry up! we have limited seats!
Join us in Málaga, Oct 5–7, 2026 🌞
👉 malaga-en.congresoseci.com/pgrp2026/index
Check out our amazing lineup of speakers
Don’t miss out: we´ll also select speakers from submitted abstracts ❗️
Hurry up! we have limited seats!
Join us in Málaga, Oct 5–7, 2026 🌞
Join us in Málaga!
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
“La cura para todo es siempre agua salada: el sudor, las lágrimas o el mar.”
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
January 25, 2026 at 1:38 PM
“La cura para todo es siempre agua salada: el sudor, las lágrimas o el mar.”
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen)
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
🔬 Ribosomes are hands down one of the most intricate molecular machines we know. Huge (for a cellular scale at least) complexes made of long RNAs (rRNAs) and proteins … a lot of different proteins.
1/6
(❗️Sound on!)
@narjournal.bsky.social
1/6
(❗️Sound on!)
@narjournal.bsky.social
January 25, 2026 at 12:41 PM
🔬 Ribosomes are hands down one of the most intricate molecular machines we know. Huge (for a cellular scale at least) complexes made of long RNAs (rRNAs) and proteins … a lot of different proteins.
1/6
(❗️Sound on!)
@narjournal.bsky.social
1/6
(❗️Sound on!)
@narjournal.bsky.social
🐮🪥🩷
Cow Tools!
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
We have lived alongside cows for nearly 10,000 years.
We breed them and exploit them
It is now, only now, that we have discovered THEY CAN USE TOOLS
Here I describe our study
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... in @currentbiology.bsky.social
with @auersperga.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 10:13 PM
🐮🪥🩷
It was great to collaborate with you @alonsostepanovalab.bsky.social , as always 🤩 Congrats, Jade, for an amazing job!
🌱🧬🩷
🌱🧬🩷
📚𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
Translational control in plants: from basic mechanisms to environmental and developmental responses 🧬🌱
✍️ Jade Lyons, @kmerchante.bsky.social @alonsostepanovalab.bsky.social
Discover the power of translation in shaping plant responses 🌱👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70647
Translational control in plants: from basic mechanisms to environmental and developmental responses 🧬🌱
✍️ Jade Lyons, @kmerchante.bsky.social @alonsostepanovalab.bsky.social
Discover the power of translation in shaping plant responses 🌱👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70647
Translational control in plants: from basic mechanisms to environmental and developmental responses
Translation is a key regulatory point in the control of gene expression. This review provides an overview of the translation process and molecular machinery that underlie it, highlights the major cis...
doi.org
January 4, 2026 at 5:39 PM
It was great to collaborate with you @alonsostepanovalab.bsky.social , as always 🤩 Congrats, Jade, for an amazing job!
🌱🧬🩷
🌱🧬🩷
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Just in time for Christmas a new paper in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social by @joannakacprzyk.bsky.social and myself.
We asked 421 plant scientists why they study plants!
Check it out and also check @plantmemories.bsky.social where we post lovely survey responses.
We asked 421 plant scientists why they study plants!
Check it out and also check @plantmemories.bsky.social where we post lovely survey responses.
Our paper is out now in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social!
Read it here:
doi.org/10.1002/ppp3...
We will start sharing plant memories from our survey!
Watch this space.
#plantsci
Read it here:
doi.org/10.1002/ppp3...
We will start sharing plant memories from our survey!
Watch this space.
#plantsci
doi.org
December 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Just in time for Christmas a new paper in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social by @joannakacprzyk.bsky.social and myself.
We asked 421 plant scientists why they study plants!
Check it out and also check @plantmemories.bsky.social where we post lovely survey responses.
We asked 421 plant scientists why they study plants!
Check it out and also check @plantmemories.bsky.social where we post lovely survey responses.
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Ya está aquí la 5ª convocatoria del Concurso «Dibuja una persona que se dedique a la ciencia y ponle un nombre». ¡Anima a tus estudiantes a participar!
Bases y plantilla aquí:
https://f.mtr.cool/tpngzjqedi
Bases y plantilla aquí:
https://f.mtr.cool/tpngzjqedi
December 22, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Ya está aquí la 5ª convocatoria del Concurso «Dibuja una persona que se dedique a la ciencia y ponle un nombre». ¡Anima a tus estudiantes a participar!
Bases y plantilla aquí:
https://f.mtr.cool/tpngzjqedi
Bases y plantilla aquí:
https://f.mtr.cool/tpngzjqedi
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
🗣️ Today, Rosa Lozano-Durán from the Center for Molecular Plant Biology (ZMBP), @unituebingen.bsky.social (Germany) came to visit us in Málaga to share her research with a great talk entitled “The Cell Snatchers -- viral strategies to hijack a plant” as part of our #IHSMLaMayoraSeminars
December 19, 2025 at 9:52 AM
🗣️ Today, Rosa Lozano-Durán from the Center for Molecular Plant Biology (ZMBP), @unituebingen.bsky.social (Germany) came to visit us in Málaga to share her research with a great talk entitled “The Cell Snatchers -- viral strategies to hijack a plant” as part of our #IHSMLaMayoraSeminars
How lucky are we?! 🤩 Rosa Lozano-Durán @geminiteamlab.bsky.social will be here!
So looking forward to hearing you, my friend!
🌱🦠
So looking forward to hearing you, my friend!
🌱🦠
📋 Join us on Friday 19th for a fascinating talk by Rosa Lozano-Durán from Center for Molecular Plant Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen (Germany) @unituebingen.bsky.social as part of the #IHSMLaMayoraSeminars series
Don't miss it!
🕑 9:30 AM
📍 IHSM La Mayora Auditorium
More information here ⬇️
Don't miss it!
🕑 9:30 AM
📍 IHSM La Mayora Auditorium
More information here ⬇️
December 16, 2025 at 1:38 PM
How lucky are we?! 🤩 Rosa Lozano-Durán @geminiteamlab.bsky.social will be here!
So looking forward to hearing you, my friend!
🌱🦠
So looking forward to hearing you, my friend!
🌱🦠
“Science is the beautifu pursuit of building knowledge. It thrives when you are happy”
This is so true 🥹
This is so true 🥹
💼 💔 Academia’s toxic love language is playing “hard to get”
🧪 💓 Science is the beautiful pursuit of building knowledge
I wrote an essay for Nature Human Behaviour on treating academia as “just a job” www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What ideas would you add? 💡
#HigherEd #PhDLife #DiversityInSTEM
🧪 💓 Science is the beautiful pursuit of building knowledge
I wrote an essay for Nature Human Behaviour on treating academia as “just a job” www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What ideas would you add? 💡
#HigherEd #PhDLife #DiversityInSTEM
www.nature.com
December 8, 2025 at 9:55 AM
“Science is the beautifu pursuit of building knowledge. It thrives when you are happy”
This is so true 🥹
This is so true 🥹
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
🔭 Flying Over the Earth at Night
Video Credit: Gateway to Astronaut Photography, NASA ; Compilation: David Peterson (YouTube); Music: Freedom Fighters (Two Steps from Hell)
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25120...
Video Credit: Gateway to Astronaut Photography, NASA ; Compilation: David Peterson (YouTube); Music: Freedom Fighters (Two Steps from Hell)
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25120...
All Alone in the Night - Time-lapse footage of the Earth as seen from the ISS
YouTube video by David Peterson
www.youtube.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
🔭 Flying Over the Earth at Night
Video Credit: Gateway to Astronaut Photography, NASA ; Compilation: David Peterson (YouTube); Music: Freedom Fighters (Two Steps from Hell)
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25120...
Video Credit: Gateway to Astronaut Photography, NASA ; Compilation: David Peterson (YouTube); Music: Freedom Fighters (Two Steps from Hell)
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap25120...
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Timing of transcription controls the selective translation of newly synthesized mRNAs during acute environmental stress
Timing of transcription controls the selective translation of newly synthesized mRNAs during acute environmental stress
Under stress, cells adapt their gene expression programs through changes in transcription and translation. It is unclear how cells determine which mRNAs are translated or repressed. Zedan et al. show that the timing of mRNA production alone determines the selectivity of translation, thereby coupling the processes of transcription and translation.
dlvr.it
December 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Timing of transcription controls the selective translation of newly synthesized mRNAs during acute environmental stress
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Metamorphosis is nature at its weirdest and historian Oren Harman has just written a beautiful book about it.
Also check out this link for free access to the review I wrote about the book for this week's Nature: nature.com/articles/d41...
Also check out this link for free access to the review I wrote about the book for this week's Nature: nature.com/articles/d41...
December 4, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Metamorphosis is nature at its weirdest and historian Oren Harman has just written a beautiful book about it.
Also check out this link for free access to the review I wrote about the book for this week's Nature: nature.com/articles/d41...
Also check out this link for free access to the review I wrote about the book for this week's Nature: nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
“A program with a 0.5% success rate is not elite. It’s wasteful. Thousands of highly trained scientists will sink dozens of hours into writing proposals with vanishing odds of success. This is not just inefficient — it’s disrespectful of scientific labour.” Very well said @kamounlab.bsky.social!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I just published: ERC-Plus: jackpot science or missed chance to fix academia?
My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re building.
medium.com/p/erc-plus-j...
My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re building.
medium.com/p/erc-plus-j...
ERC-Plus: jackpot science or missed chance to fix academia?
My reflections on ERC-Plus, Europe’s newest ultra-competitive research grant and what it tells us about the academic culture we’re…
medium.com
December 3, 2025 at 10:15 PM
“A program with a 0.5% success rate is not elite. It’s wasteful. Thousands of highly trained scientists will sink dozens of hours into writing proposals with vanishing odds of success. This is not just inefficient — it’s disrespectful of scientific labour.” Very well said @kamounlab.bsky.social!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
“Shared wonder”, the gorilla and the butterfly, is, simply, beautiful 🩷
In Nature’s The month’s best science images 👉
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
In Nature’s The month’s best science images 👉
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
December 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM
“Shared wonder”, the gorilla and the butterfly, is, simply, beautiful 🩷
In Nature’s The month’s best science images 👉
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
In Nature’s The month’s best science images 👉
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
So looking forward to it!! 🤩
📋 Join us on Friday 5th for a fascinating seminar with the researcher Detlef Weigel (Max Planck Tübingen, Germany)
Don't miss it!
🕓 9:30 AM
📍 IHSM La Mayora Auditorium
More information here! ⬇️
Don't miss it!
🕓 9:30 AM
📍 IHSM La Mayora Auditorium
More information here! ⬇️
December 3, 2025 at 7:19 PM
So looking forward to it!! 🤩
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Defender or accomplice? Dual roles of plant #vesicle #trafficking in restricting and enabling #geminiviral systemic infection
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Cana-Quijada et al.
@WileyPlantSci #PlantScience
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Cana-Quijada et al.
@WileyPlantSci #PlantScience
December 1, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Defender or accomplice? Dual roles of plant #vesicle #trafficking in restricting and enabling #geminiviral systemic infection
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Cana-Quijada et al.
@WileyPlantSci #PlantScience
📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
by Cana-Quijada et al.
@WileyPlantSci #PlantScience
So glad I got to be a part of this! It was a beautiful meeting. Thank you to the organizers @ewjwallace.bsky.social, Matthew Brook, for inviting me. I truly appreciated and enjoyed it.
www.biochemistry.org/about-us/new...
www.biochemistry.org/about-us/new...
Celebrating 30 Years of Translation UK
The Biochemical Society celebrate the 30th ‘birthday’ of their Translation UK conference, honouring a legacy by bringing together researchers at all levels and providing networking and collaboration o...
www.biochemistry.org
November 30, 2025 at 10:59 AM
So glad I got to be a part of this! It was a beautiful meeting. Thank you to the organizers @ewjwallace.bsky.social, Matthew Brook, for inviting me. I truly appreciated and enjoyed it.
www.biochemistry.org/about-us/new...
www.biochemistry.org/about-us/new...
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
November 29, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Join us in Málaga!
🎉 The PGRP2026 website is live & registration is OPEN!
👉 malaga-en.congresoseci.com/pgrp2026/index
Check out our amazing lineup of speakers
Don’t miss out: we´ll also select speakers from submitted abstracts ❗️
Hurry up! we have limited seats!
Join us in Málaga, Oct 5–7, 2026 🌞
👉 malaga-en.congresoseci.com/pgrp2026/index
Check out our amazing lineup of speakers
Don’t miss out: we´ll also select speakers from submitted abstracts ❗️
Hurry up! we have limited seats!
Join us in Málaga, Oct 5–7, 2026 🌞
November 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Join us in Málaga!
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
🏆 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐏𝐉 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭! 🏆
Read our EiC
@katherinedenby.bsky.social
´s editorial about the prizes and 2024 winners 👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70567
Discover the winners of the six award categories in the thread below 🧵
🌟Congratulations to all authors! 🎉
Read our EiC
@katherinedenby.bsky.social
´s editorial about the prizes and 2024 winners 👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70567
Discover the winners of the six award categories in the thread below 🧵
🌟Congratulations to all authors! 🎉
Editorial for TPJ paper prizes 2024
Click on the article title to read more.
doi.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:51 PM
🏆 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐏𝐉 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭! 🏆
Read our EiC
@katherinedenby.bsky.social
´s editorial about the prizes and 2024 winners 👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70567
Discover the winners of the six award categories in the thread below 🧵
🌟Congratulations to all authors! 🎉
Read our EiC
@katherinedenby.bsky.social
´s editorial about the prizes and 2024 winners 👉 doi.org/10.1111/tpj.70567
Discover the winners of the six award categories in the thread below 🧵
🌟Congratulations to all authors! 🎉
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Looking for 2 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬!
🌿 Join TPJ! You´ll:
🧬 Select standout TPJ papers
📰 Write short commentaries
🎨 Choose cover images
💬 Work with authors & SEB team
👉https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/rheditor
📩 Rosie Trice 𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞@𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦
🗓️24Nov2025
🌿 Join TPJ! You´ll:
🧬 Select standout TPJ papers
📰 Write short commentaries
🎨 Choose cover images
💬 Work with authors & SEB team
👉https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/rheditor
📩 Rosie Trice 𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞@𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦
🗓️24Nov2025
October 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Looking for 2 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬!
🌿 Join TPJ! You´ll:
🧬 Select standout TPJ papers
📰 Write short commentaries
🎨 Choose cover images
💬 Work with authors & SEB team
👉https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/rheditor
📩 Rosie Trice 𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞@𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦
🗓️24Nov2025
🌿 Join TPJ! You´ll:
🧬 Select standout TPJ papers
📰 Write short commentaries
🎨 Choose cover images
💬 Work with authors & SEB team
👉https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/1365313x/homepage/rheditor
📩 Rosie Trice 𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞@𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲.𝐜𝐨𝐦
🗓️24Nov2025
Join us in beautiful Málaga 😊
𝐏𝐆𝐑𝐏𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐨! 🎉
Kudos to the artist: @laura-ah.bsky.social
Website and registration info coming VERY soon — how exciting! 🤩
Kudos to the artist: @laura-ah.bsky.social
Website and registration info coming VERY soon — how exciting! 🤩
November 6, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Join us in beautiful Málaga 😊
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
Libro precioso
November 2, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Libro precioso
Reposted by Catharina Merchante / Karen
📢 Abstract submission is now OPEN!
Join us for the 77th International Symposium on Crop Protection (ISCP 2026) 🪴
🗓️ 19 May 2026 | Ghent University, Belgium
🔗 Details here: www.ugent.be/bw/plants-an...
#ISCP2026 #GhentUniversity #CropProtection #PlantHealth #SustainableAgriculture #Research
Join us for the 77th International Symposium on Crop Protection (ISCP 2026) 🪴
🗓️ 19 May 2026 | Ghent University, Belgium
🔗 Details here: www.ugent.be/bw/plants-an...
#ISCP2026 #GhentUniversity #CropProtection #PlantHealth #SustainableAgriculture #Research
International Symposium on Crop Protection
The 76th International Symposium on Crop Protection will take place on Tuesday 20 May 2025. The official language of the Symposium is English.
www.ugent.be
November 1, 2025 at 12:42 PM
📢 Abstract submission is now OPEN!
Join us for the 77th International Symposium on Crop Protection (ISCP 2026) 🪴
🗓️ 19 May 2026 | Ghent University, Belgium
🔗 Details here: www.ugent.be/bw/plants-an...
#ISCP2026 #GhentUniversity #CropProtection #PlantHealth #SustainableAgriculture #Research
Join us for the 77th International Symposium on Crop Protection (ISCP 2026) 🪴
🗓️ 19 May 2026 | Ghent University, Belgium
🔗 Details here: www.ugent.be/bw/plants-an...
#ISCP2026 #GhentUniversity #CropProtection #PlantHealth #SustainableAgriculture #Research