Maddy Seale
@maddyseale.bsky.social
Associate Editor at Science covering plant science.
Come and work with us! Science is recruiting an editor in the area of next-generation medicine in the USA or UK. bit.ly/4bWOJfn
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bit.ly
January 28, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Come and work with us! Science is recruiting an editor in the area of next-generation medicine in the USA or UK. bit.ly/4bWOJfn
🧪
🧪
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
A feedback loop allows two shoot stem cell populations to respond differently to environmental conditions: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
A feedback loop allows two shoot stem cell populations to respond differently to environmental conditions: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
A negative feedback loop between TERMINAL FLOWER1 and LEAFY protects inflorescence indeterminacy
Inflorescences of flowering plants adopt diverse genetically programmed and environmentally tuned architectures. By contrast, continued maintenance of the stem-cell pool within the apical meristem is ...
www.science.org
January 23, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
A feedback loop allows two shoot stem cell populations to respond differently to environmental conditions: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
A feedback loop allows two shoot stem cell populations to respond differently to environmental conditions: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Out in @science.org this week: SIPS binds to a conserved region of SRK to control interspecies incompatibility in Brassicaceae. This contrasts with SRK's variable region, which is involved in self-incompatibility interactions.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Pan-family pollen signals control an interspecific stigma barrier across Brassicaceae species
Prezygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species, which limits interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompat...
www.science.org
January 23, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Out in @science.org this week: SIPS binds to a conserved region of SRK to control interspecies incompatibility in Brassicaceae. This contrasts with SRK's variable region, which is involved in self-incompatibility interactions.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Reposted by Maddy Seale
Dandelions living in downtown areas of Japan have adapted to life in the big city—perhaps a bit too much.
Urban seeds have evolved to float shorter distances than rural ones, potentially leading to inbreeding problems that could threaten these metropolitan populations. https://scim.ag/49mV964
Urban seeds have evolved to float shorter distances than rural ones, potentially leading to inbreeding problems that could threaten these metropolitan populations. https://scim.ag/49mV964
Urban dandelions have evolved to stay close to home. That’s bad news
Small seed “parachutes” may be causing inbreeding
scim.ag
January 15, 2026 at 11:46 PM
Dandelions living in downtown areas of Japan have adapted to life in the big city—perhaps a bit too much.
Urban seeds have evolved to float shorter distances than rural ones, potentially leading to inbreeding problems that could threaten these metropolitan populations. https://scim.ag/49mV964
Urban seeds have evolved to float shorter distances than rural ones, potentially leading to inbreeding problems that could threaten these metropolitan populations. https://scim.ag/49mV964
In @science.org this week:
The interaction between flavonoids and rhizobial Nod factors during legume symbiosis
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
The interaction between flavonoids and rhizobial Nod factors during legume symbiosis
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
The molecular basis of the binding and specific activation of rhizobial NodD by flavonoids
The specific partnership between legumes and rhizobia relies on a chemical dialogue. Plant flavonoids activate the bacterial transcription factor NodD, which triggers production of Nod factors that ar...
www.science.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:07 PM
In @science.org this week:
The interaction between flavonoids and rhizobial Nod factors during legume symbiosis
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
The interaction between flavonoids and rhizobial Nod factors during legume symbiosis
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
My pick for In Other Journals this week:
A flowering time regulator helps plants manage conflict between DNA replication and transcription
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
And my summary here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A flowering time regulator helps plants manage conflict between DNA replication and transcription
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
And my summary here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
In Other Journals
Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
www.science.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:06 PM
My pick for In Other Journals this week:
A flowering time regulator helps plants manage conflict between DNA replication and transcription
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
And my summary here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
A flowering time regulator helps plants manage conflict between DNA replication and transcription
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
And my summary here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
At the end of 2024 I did a chronological round up of all the #plantscience in @science.org that year.
So how did 2025 pan out? This year, I’m grouping papers thematically instead of chronologically so read on to find out what exciting plant science came out over the last 12 months. (1/22)
So how did 2025 pan out? This year, I’m grouping papers thematically instead of chronologically so read on to find out what exciting plant science came out over the last 12 months. (1/22)
January 2, 2026 at 6:24 PM
At the end of 2024 I did a chronological round up of all the #plantscience in @science.org that year.
So how did 2025 pan out? This year, I’m grouping papers thematically instead of chronologically so read on to find out what exciting plant science came out over the last 12 months. (1/22)
So how did 2025 pan out? This year, I’m grouping papers thematically instead of chronologically so read on to find out what exciting plant science came out over the last 12 months. (1/22)
Loving this beautiful cover image in this week's @science.org illustrating the paper which came out online late last year
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
January 2, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Loving this beautiful cover image in this week's @science.org illustrating the paper which came out online late last year
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
The @science.org NOSTER microbiome prize is open for entries until 14th February. $25k top prize and essay published in Science. Open to researchers up to 10 years post PhD. See the website for further details
www.science.org/content/page...
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www.science.org/content/page...
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NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize
The NOSTER Science Microbiome Prize has been established to reward innovative research by young investigators working on the functional attributes of the microbiota of any organism that has potential ...
www.science.org
December 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The @science.org NOSTER microbiome prize is open for entries until 14th February. $25k top prize and essay published in Science. Open to researchers up to 10 years post PhD. See the website for further details
www.science.org/content/page...
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www.science.org/content/page...
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Very excited to highlight this week's issue of @science.org
Firstly, the news team highlight some important breakthroughs (and breakdowns) of the year. Renewable energy takes the top spot:
www.science.org/content/arti...
(1/5)
Firstly, the news team highlight some important breakthroughs (and breakdowns) of the year. Renewable energy takes the top spot:
www.science.org/content/arti...
(1/5)
Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year: The unstoppable rise of renewable energy
Clean energy infrastructure is being deployed with unmatched scale and speed—and China is leading the way
www.science.org
December 19, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Very excited to highlight this week's issue of @science.org
Firstly, the news team highlight some important breakthroughs (and breakdowns) of the year. Renewable energy takes the top spot:
www.science.org/content/arti...
(1/5)
Firstly, the news team highlight some important breakthroughs (and breakdowns) of the year. Renewable energy takes the top spot:
www.science.org/content/arti...
(1/5)
Out First Release in @science.org
Insight into how auxin and ethylene determine whether cucumbers make male or female flowers:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
Insight into how auxin and ethylene determine whether cucumbers make male or female flowers:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
ARF3-mediated auxin signaling is essential for sex determination in cucumber
Sex determination underpins genesis of male and female flowers with particularly important implications in plant breeding. Auxin and ethylene regulate femaleness in cucurbits. Here, we identified an a...
www.science.org
December 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Out First Release in @science.org
Insight into how auxin and ethylene determine whether cucumbers make male or female flowers:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
Insight into how auxin and ethylene determine whether cucumbers make male or female flowers:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#Plantscience
Nice interdisciplinary #plantscience -related paper in Science handled by our neuroscience editor, @mattiamaroso.bsky.social
Infrared heat from cycads as a pollination signal before flowers evolved.
Paper here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Infrared heat from cycads as a pollination signal before flowers evolved.
Paper here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
December 12, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Nice interdisciplinary #plantscience -related paper in Science handled by our neuroscience editor, @mattiamaroso.bsky.social
Infrared heat from cycads as a pollination signal before flowers evolved.
Paper here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Infrared heat from cycads as a pollination signal before flowers evolved.
Paper here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
This week in @science.org
Structural insight into the incorporation of far-red chlorophyll f in cyanobacterial photosystem I
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#cyanobacteria
#plantscience
Structural insight into the incorporation of far-red chlorophyll f in cyanobacterial photosystem I
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#cyanobacteria
#plantscience
Locating the missing chlorophylls f in far-red photosystem I
The discovery of chlorophyll f–containing photosystems, with their long-wavelength photochemistry, represented a distinct, low-energy paradigm for oxygenic photosynthesis. Structural studies on chloro...
www.science.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:49 PM
This week in @science.org
Structural insight into the incorporation of far-red chlorophyll f in cyanobacterial photosystem I
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#cyanobacteria
#plantscience
Structural insight into the incorporation of far-red chlorophyll f in cyanobacterial photosystem I
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#cyanobacteria
#plantscience
My pick for In Other Journals this week:
Targeted gene induction to generate stem cells for regeneration of recalcitrant species
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: doi.org/10.1093/plce...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
Targeted gene induction to generate stem cells for regeneration of recalcitrant species
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: doi.org/10.1093/plce...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
In Other Journals
Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
www.science.org
December 8, 2025 at 11:10 AM
My pick for In Other Journals this week:
Targeted gene induction to generate stem cells for regeneration of recalcitrant species
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: doi.org/10.1093/plce...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
Targeted gene induction to generate stem cells for regeneration of recalcitrant species
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: doi.org/10.1093/plce...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
Out in @science.org this week:
PME5 is sequestered in the nucleus and released during cytokinesis allowing its activity to be timed with cell division.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
PME5 is sequestered in the nucleus and released during cytokinesis allowing its activity to be timed with cell division.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
Cell wall patterning regulates plant stem cell dynamics
The plant cell wall regulates development through spatiotemporal modulation of its chemical and mechanical properties. Pectin methylesterification is recognized as a rheological switch controlling wal...
www.science.org
December 5, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Out in @science.org this week:
PME5 is sequestered in the nucleus and released during cytokinesis allowing its activity to be timed with cell division.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
PME5 is sequestered in the nucleus and released during cytokinesis allowing its activity to be timed with cell division.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
#PlantSci
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
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
Pan-family pollen signals control an interspecific stigma barrier across Brassicaceae species
Pre-zygotic interspecific incompatibility prevents hybridization between species limiting interbreeding strategies for crop improvement using wild relatives. The Brassica rapa female self-incompatibil...
www.science.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:45 PM
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
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
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
CRISPR-Cas–mediated heritable chromosome fusions in Arabidopsis
The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana consists of 10 chromosomes. By inducing CRISPR-Cas–mediated breaks at subcentromeric and subtelomeric sequences, we fused entire chromosome arms, obtaining two eight...
www.science.org
November 21, 2025 at 10:20 AM
And now we have Arabidopsis plants with 8 chromosomes instead of 10 and no obvious phenotypic differences, this week in @science.org
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#PlantScience
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Out First Release in @science.org
Exploring how MKK3 variation affects the balance between dormancy and preharvest sprouting in barley:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Exploring how MKK3 variation affects the balance between dormancy and preharvest sprouting in barley:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Postdomestication selection of MKK3 shaped seed dormancy and end-use traits in barley
Anthropogenic selection of grain traits such as dormancy has shaped the developmental trajectories of crops. In cereals, shortening dormancy provides rapid and even post-harvest germination, but incre...
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Out First Release in @science.org
Exploring how MKK3 variation affects the balance between dormancy and preharvest sprouting in barley:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
Exploring how MKK3 variation affects the balance between dormancy and preharvest sprouting in barley:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
#plantscience
My pick for In Other Journals this week: A MYB transcription factor regulates lignin deposition on thorn tips:
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
In Other Journals
Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:58 AM
My pick for In Other Journals this week: A MYB transcription factor regulates lignin deposition on thorn tips:
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
New #plantscience Review article out in this week's @science.org looking at how technological advances are informing brassinosteroid research:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thanks to authors
@jennyrussinova.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thanks to authors
@jennyrussinova.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social
Unlocking the potential of brassinosteroids: A path to precision plant engineering
Brassinosteroids are essential plant hormones that play a central role in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Their impact on plant architecture and productivity makes them attractiv...
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
New #plantscience Review article out in this week's @science.org looking at how technological advances are informing brassinosteroid research:
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thanks to authors
@jennyrussinova.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Thanks to authors
@jennyrussinova.bsky.social @trevormnolan.bsky.social @nvukas.bsky.social
If you're less than 10 years post PhD and have translated your research commercially, you have until Nov 1st to apply for the Science and BII essay prize for bioinnovation. $10-25k prizes and your essay published in @science.org
www.science.org/content/page...
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www.science.org/content/page...
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BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation
The BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation seeks to recognize bold researchers who are asking fundamental questions at the intersection of the life sciences and entrepreneurship. We se...
www.science.org
October 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
If you're less than 10 years post PhD and have translated your research commercially, you have until Nov 1st to apply for the Science and BII essay prize for bioinnovation. $10-25k prizes and your essay published in @science.org
www.science.org/content/page...
🧪
www.science.org/content/page...
🧪
My pick for In Other Journals:
Engineering agricultural nitrogen fixation. Nishida et al bred soybean lines and modified rhizobial bacteria to enhance infection and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#PlantScience
Engineering agricultural nitrogen fixation. Nishida et al bred soybean lines and modified rhizobial bacteria to enhance infection and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#PlantScience
In Other Journals
Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
www.science.org
October 10, 2025 at 9:15 AM
My pick for In Other Journals:
Engineering agricultural nitrogen fixation. Nishida et al bred soybean lines and modified rhizobial bacteria to enhance infection and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#PlantScience
Engineering agricultural nitrogen fixation. Nishida et al bred soybean lines and modified rhizobial bacteria to enhance infection and reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
My summary here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here:
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#PlantScience
Out in @science.org this week:
A new FRET sensor for salicylic acid gives insight into spatial dynamics of pathogen infection www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
(1/2)
#PlantScience
A new FRET sensor for salicylic acid gives insight into spatial dynamics of pathogen infection www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
(1/2)
#PlantScience
SALICYLIC ACID SENSOR1 reveals the propagation of an SA hormone surge during plant pathogen advance
Salicylic acid (SA) is a key phytohormone that orchestrates immune responses against pathogens, including Pseudomonas syringae bacteria. The timing and extent of SA accumulation are tightly controlled...
www.science.org
October 10, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Out in @science.org this week:
A new FRET sensor for salicylic acid gives insight into spatial dynamics of pathogen infection www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
(1/2)
#PlantScience
A new FRET sensor for salicylic acid gives insight into spatial dynamics of pathogen infection www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
(1/2)
#PlantScience
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
The development of a directed evolution strategy with proof of concept in plant immune protein engineering.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The development of a directed evolution strategy with proof of concept in plant immune protein engineering.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Engineered geminivirus replicons enable rapid in planta directed evolution
Directed evolution can rapidly generate genetic variants with new and enhanced properties, yet efficient platforms for performing such evolution directly in plant cells have been lacking. We developed...
www.science.org
October 7, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Out First Release in @science.org this week:
The development of a directed evolution strategy with proof of concept in plant immune protein engineering.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The development of a directed evolution strategy with proof of concept in plant immune protein engineering.
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Wonderful to see this beautiful image on the cover of Science this week highlighting a paper that uses high resolution imaging to show the spatial patterns of bacterial attraction to glutamine from roots.
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
October 7, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Wonderful to see this beautiful image on the cover of Science this week highlighting a paper that uses high resolution imaging to show the spatial patterns of bacterial attraction to glutamine from roots.
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Paper here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...