Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
LightNews LightNews
banner
mpipz.bsky.social
Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
@mpipz.bsky.social
790 followers 160 following 41 posts
News from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne, Germany - Basic molecular biological research on plants and microbes
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
mpipz.bsky.social
Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research @mpipz.bsky.social · Nov 17
We’re #hiring! Our #IMPRS @mpipz.bsky.social & @unicologne.bsky.social recruits 4 PhD students. We look for candidates with a keen interest in experimental & computational plant biology to join us in 2026!

Find details at www.mpipz.mpg.de/imprs/imprs-... and apply by Jan 5.

#PlantSciJobs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
mpipz.bsky.social
We are #hiring!
Join Miltos Tsiantis’s lab within the IMPRS @mpipz.bsky.social to identify genes driving root sucker formation in crucifer plants — combining evolution & genetics.
📆 Deadline: Jan 5, 2026
✏️ Apply via: gradschool.mpipz.mpg.de
ℹ️ More info: mpipz.mpg.de/imprs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
December 29, 2025 at 12:55 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
📣📣Paper alert! Excited to share a new paper @pnas.org from the Tsiantis lab @mpipz.bsky.social and colleagues on how enhancer evolution shapes leaf diversity. 🌱🌿Congratulations! 👏🥳 Read more 👉 bit.ly/4583PdR #plantsci #evolution
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Evolution of repressive sequences within an enhancer contributed to morphological diversity in crucifer plants | PNAS
Cis-regulatory sequences, such as enhancers, play a crucial role in morphological evolution, but how their diversification leads to evolution of no...
www.pnas.org
December 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
nasonline.org
How do plants fight disease? 🌱 #NASmember Jane Parker studies NLR proteins that help plants sense attackers and launch powerful immune defenses. She shares her latest findings on how these proteins signal plants to resist disease in a new @pnas.org QnAs: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 26, 2025 at 6:00 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
We are #hiring!
In Nadine Töpfer’s group within the IMPRS @unicologne.bsky.social, the PhD candidate will use computational modelling to unravel metabolic interactions between plants and their root microbiota.
📆Deadline: Jan 5, 2025
✏️Apply via: gradschool.mpipz.mpg.de
ℹ️More info: mpipz.mpg.de/imprs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
December 16, 2025 at 2:20 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
Congratulations to Mingming Fang on successfully defending his PhD!
Completed at @mpipz.bsky.social in the lab of Miltos Tsiantis — all the best for what’s next! 🎉👏
#PhDone #NewDoctor #PlantScience
The post shows a picture of Mingming after successfully passing his viva on a green background with words congratulating him on acquiring the PhD title.
December 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
We are #hiring!
Join Raphael Mercier’s team within the IMPRS @mpipz.bsky.social to investigate meiotic recombination, focusing on inversions, selection & genome evolution.
📆 Deadline: Jan 5, 2025
✏️ Apply via: gradschool.mpipz.mpg.de
ℹ️ More info: mpipz.mpg.de/imprs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
December 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
We are #hiring!
This IMPRS PhD project @algazuccaro.bsky.social group @unicologne.bsky.social explores plant–microbiome interactions.
🗓️ Deadline: Jan 5, 2025
✏️ Apply via: gradschool.mpipz.mpg.de
ℹ️ IMPRS: mpipz.mpg.de/imprs
🔗 Group: ag-zuccaro.botanik.uni-koeln.de
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
📣🥳 We are thrilled to share that our director, Raphaël Mercier @raphmercier.bsky.social has been awarded the VinFuture Special Prize for Innovators with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields 🌱✨. Congratulations 👏👏 #plantsci #genetics 👉https://bit.ly/3MtCGLW
vinfutureprize.org/laureates/pr...
Professor Raphaël Mercier - VinFuture Prize
SUMMARY OF WINNING ENTRY Innovations in the development of clonal hybrid crops Hybrid vigor, refers to the higher performance of a hybrid plant in comparison to those of its parents. Although hybrid s...
vinfutureprize.org
December 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
pauformosa.bsky.social
Press release on our new work about inferring Spatial Ploidy (iSPy), a collaboration with the @roederlab.bsky.social and the Fox Lab, with @nickrussell31.bsky.social being the first author @mpipz.bsky.social @cp-cellrepmethods.bsky.social www.mpipz.mpg.de/5771290/pr-f...
Shining a Spotlight on Polyploid Cells – a tool to uncover spatial patterns of DNA content across tissues
Several research teams have collaborated to develop a new computing pipeline that enables high-throughput quantification of ploidy, i.e., the number of copies of chromosomes, in different tissues base...
www.mpipz.mpg.de
December 5, 2025 at 3:24 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
🚀New publication out by @pauformosa.bsky.social @mpipz.bsky.social and collaborators @duke-university.bsky.social, @cornelluniversity.bsky.social introducing a computational pipeline enabling high-throughput ploidy quantification. 🔬📊 👏👏 👉https://bit.ly/4pOipiq
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Spatial ploidy inference using quantitative imaging
Polyploidy (whole-genome duplication) is a common yet under-surveyed property of tissues across multicellular organisms. Polyploidy plays a critical r…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:39 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
We are #hiring!
Join Juliette de Meaux’s group within the IMPRS @unicologne.bsky.social to explore the genomic & ecological drivers of gene flow in grassland Arabis species.
🗓️ Deadline: Jan 5, 2025
✏️ Apply via: gradschool.mpipz.mpg.de
ℹ️ More info: mpipz.mpg.de/imprs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!"
December 2, 2025 at 12:00 PM
mpipz.bsky.social
We’re #hiring! Our #IMPRS @mpipz.bsky.social & @unicologne.bsky.social recruits 4 PhD students. We look for candidates with a keen interest in experimental & computational plant biology to join us in 2026!

Find details at www.mpipz.mpg.de/imprs/imprs-... and apply by Jan 5.

#PlantSciJobs
A Banner that shows the open call for the international PhD program on interdisciplinary Plant Biology in Cologne Germany between University of Cologne and Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. A button reads "apply now!".
November 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
vitorfalavigna.bsky.social
Honoured to have participated in this amazing story uncovering novel #florigen roles in #Arabidopsis Congrats to @HeGao @NaDing and collaborators!!
Check it out @nature.com
🌱 🌸 🧬 🔬

#bZIP #proteinphosphorylation @mpipz.bsky.social
rdcu.be/ePPjS
Florigen activation complex forms via multifaceted assembly in Arabidopsis
Nature - In flowering plants, DNA–FD–14-3-3 recruits FT to the florigen activation complex both through DNA–FT interactions and by reducing liquid phase condensation of FD...
rdcu.be
November 14, 2025 at 1:42 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
📣Paper alert! New paper out in @nature.com by the group of George Coupland @mpipz.bsky.social and colleagues on new roles for the florigen protein in flowering 🌱🌿. Congratulations!👏👏 👉https://www.mpipz.mpg.de/pr-coupland-2025-11-en
#Arabidopsis #plantsci
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Florigen activation complex forms via multifaceted assembly in Arabidopsis - Nature
In flowering plants, DNA–FD–14-3-3 recruits FT to the florigen activation complex both through DNA–FT interactions and by reducing liquid phase condensation of FD protein, which promotes dimerization,...
www.nature.com
November 14, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
pauformosa.bsky.social
Check out our story in @plosbiology.org about how a nonrandom, clustered giant cell pattern forms in the sepal and leaf epidermis! It has been a great journey with @gweissbart.bsky.social, Frances Clark, Xihang Wang, @roederlab.bsky.social and co-authors.
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
A common pathway controls cell size in the sepal and leaf epidermis leading to a nonrandom pattern of giant cells
Arabidopsis leaf epidermal cells have a wide range of sizes and ploidies, but the mechanisms patterning their size and spatial distribution remain unclear. This study shows that the pathway controllin...
journals.plos.org
November 12, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
labschneeberger.bsky.social
🌱 Postdoc position in Plant Genomics/Bioinformatics!

Love genome plasticity, computational methods, and solving big questions in plant biology? Join our newly established Institute for Crop Biology at HHU Düsseldorf.

More info on schneebergerlab.org/career/
Apply by Nov. 30 | 3-year position
Career – Schneeberger Lab
schneebergerlab.org
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
🌟 We celebrate Dr. Mung Hsia Foo from Hirofumi Nakagami’s lab @mpipz.bsky.social for completing her PhD! 🎓👏 Best of luck for the exciting journey ahead! 🌱
#PhDSuccess #PlantScience #PhDone #ScientificAchievement
The post shows a picture of Mung after successfully passing her viva on a green background with words congratulating her on acquiring the PhD title.
October 27, 2025 at 9:35 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
🎉 Fantastic news! Dr. Raissa Krone from Stanislav Kopriva’s group within the IMPRS @mpipz.bsky.social and @unicologne.bsky.social has earned her PhD. Congrats on this great achievement and best wishes for what’s next! 🌿✨
#PhDSuccess #PlantScience #PhDone #ScientificAchievement
The post shows a picture of Raissa after successfully passing her viva on a green background with words congratulating her on acquiring the PhD title.
October 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
👏 Congratulations to Dr. Lara Van Dijck from Jane Parker’s lab @mpipz.bsky.social on successfully completing her PhD! Wishing you continued success ahead! 🎓🌱
#PhDSuccess #PlantScience #PhDone #ScientificAchievement
The post shows a picture of Lara after successfully passing her viva on a green background with words congratulating her on acquiring the PhD title.
October 27, 2025 at 9:21 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
📣New @natgenet.nature.com The Hartwig group @mpipz.bsky.social and colleagues @hhu.de unveil a scalable way to map plant genomic "switches" - these overlooked regions hold huge promise for crop breeding & climate resilience. 👉http://bit.ly/41BmCwD #plantsci
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genetic variation at transcription factor binding sites largely explains phenotypic heritability in maize - Nature Genetics
Pan-cistrome of the maize leaf under well-watered and drought conditions profiled by haplotype-specific MOA-seq highlights the relevance of transcription factor binding QTLs for understanding phenotyp...
www.nature.com
August 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
ceplas.bsky.social
Please RT: We are hiring 📣! We are looking for a coordinator of our CEPLAS Graduate School!
If you are interested in working in an international and dynamic academic environment with highly motivated and talented ECRs, check out the details here: karriere.hhu.de/index.php?ac...
Speech bubble with text: we are hiring
July 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
johninnescentre.bsky.social
We’re pleased to announce two new vacancies for senior roles at our institute:

Group Leader in Discovery Plant Sciences: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/gr...

🗓️ Closes 25 August

Independent Fellowship in Plant-Associated Microbial Interactions: www.jic.ac.uk/vacancies/in...

🗓️ Closes 5 September
July 17, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research
maxplanck.de
Director at Max Planck - a unique position! The Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships is open now and can be submitted by the 31st of October 2025. ➡️ mpg.de/directors - Please share the Open Call among potential candidates.
Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships: Expressions of interest can be submitted until 31 October 2025.
August 1, 2025 at 9:06 AM
mpipz.bsky.social
🎓👏 Congratulations to Dr. @nickdunken.bsky.social Nick Dunken on the successful PhD defense in the lab of @algazuccaro.bsky.social at the University of Cologne and @mpipz.bsky.social! Welcome to the circle of doctors!
#phdone #plantscience #sciencecareer
The post shows a picture of Nick after successfully passing his viva on a green background with words congratulating him on acquiring the PhD title.
August 20, 2025 at 8:31 AM