Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
@samwalds.bsky.social
Fascinated by what I can "squeeze" out of plant cells under microscopes spiced up with synthetic biology. 🔬
PhDone 🌱 at JIC (UK), now a postdoc at the MPIPZ (Cologne, Germany). Sometimes too sarcastic. 🇪🇺🏳️🌈 he/him
https://linktr.ee/samwalds
PhDone 🌱 at JIC (UK), now a postdoc at the MPIPZ (Cologne, Germany). Sometimes too sarcastic. 🇪🇺🏳️🌈 he/him
https://linktr.ee/samwalds
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado
In avocado and certain wild relatives in Lauraceae, pollination occurs via a synchronized rhythm of floral sex timing between two hermaphroditic flowering types. A-type plants present female-phase flo...
www.biorxiv.org
December 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Did you know there are 2 types of avocado varieties? A-types switch from female to male, B-types male to female, within a single day. This reciprocal sex alternation promotes cross-pollination and has a simple genetic basis. Read more in this recent preprint from the final chapter of my PhD thesis 🥑
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
A few years ago, through luck and vibes, I managed to produce this blue colored bean variety.
This was an early step in trying to answer the question, [paraphrased] "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"
This was an early step in trying to answer the question, [paraphrased] "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"
December 29, 2025 at 7:14 AM
A few years ago, through luck and vibes, I managed to produce this blue colored bean variety.
This was an early step in trying to answer the question, [paraphrased] "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"
This was an early step in trying to answer the question, [paraphrased] "Why isn't blue as common as red in beans, even though they're both anthocyanins and the plant has the genes for both?"
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 🎄✨
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 🎄✨
December 24, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 🎄✨
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! 🎄✨
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
CYCLING CITIES goes international! Dear friends of the int. cycling community. My new movie CYCLING CITIES is now available with english subtitles to hopefully inspire people worldwide to push for change. Please share within your int. network.
Thank you and merry christmas❤️
youtu.be/R5jQc1jXLAU?...
Thank you and merry christmas❤️
youtu.be/R5jQc1jXLAU?...
December 23, 2025 at 11:01 AM
CYCLING CITIES goes international! Dear friends of the int. cycling community. My new movie CYCLING CITIES is now available with english subtitles to hopefully inspire people worldwide to push for change. Please share within your int. network.
Thank you and merry christmas❤️
youtu.be/R5jQc1jXLAU?...
Thank you and merry christmas❤️
youtu.be/R5jQc1jXLAU?...
US based gardeners: Go get yourself the coolest tomato seeds of this decade for your garden! 🍅💜🧡
December 23, 2025 at 7:31 AM
US based gardeners: Go get yourself the coolest tomato seeds of this decade for your garden! 🍅💜🧡
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
HS1 Ltd is expanding the capacity at St Pancras... 🤔 I have known for AGES this is in planning (and was leaked some documents about it, also ages ago). I can't tell if this story is some new plan, or re-hashing the old ones. In any case it's welcome! #CrossChannelRail www.ft.com/content/ff71...
London St Pancras revamp aims to cut Eurostar waiting time to 15 minutes
Planned £100mn overhaul of train station will seek to end ‘holding pen’ experience for passengers
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:33 PM
HS1 Ltd is expanding the capacity at St Pancras... 🤔 I have known for AGES this is in planning (and was leaked some documents about it, also ages ago). I can't tell if this story is some new plan, or re-hashing the old ones. In any case it's welcome! #CrossChannelRail www.ft.com/content/ff71...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
The Clavel Group is recruiting a new postdoc for two possible projects dealing with plant-virus interactions and selective autophagy! More (wordy) details below ⬇️🌱🦠
December 16, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The Clavel Group is recruiting a new postdoc for two possible projects dealing with plant-virus interactions and selective autophagy! More (wordy) details below ⬇️🌱🦠
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Alright scientists! It's that time again!
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
December 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Alright scientists! It's that time again!
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Time to sign up for Skype a Scientist's spring semester.
Want to get matched with a classroom in 2026?
Sign up now 🥰
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
New release of #BigVolumeBrowser. Many things were added: UI improvement (thanks to @kwolbachia.bsky.social feedback), pyramidization for BioFormats dataset, bug fixes.
Now there is an isosurface rendering mode (1/4)
Now there is an isosurface rendering mode (1/4)
December 12, 2025 at 10:10 AM
New release of #BigVolumeBrowser. Many things were added: UI improvement (thanks to @kwolbachia.bsky.social feedback), pyramidization for BioFormats dataset, bug fixes.
Now there is an isosurface rendering mode (1/4)
Now there is an isosurface rendering mode (1/4)
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN NON-SEED PLANT DIVERSITY (BRYOPHYTES, FERNS, LYCOPHYTES).
Vancouver, Canada.
#plantscijobs #plantscijob
botany.ubc.ca/job-postings...
Vancouver, Canada.
#plantscijobs #plantscijob
botany.ubc.ca/job-postings...
UBC
botany.ubc.ca
December 12, 2025 at 8:42 AM
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN NON-SEED PLANT DIVERSITY (BRYOPHYTES, FERNS, LYCOPHYTES).
Vancouver, Canada.
#plantscijobs #plantscijob
botany.ubc.ca/job-postings...
Vancouver, Canada.
#plantscijobs #plantscijob
botany.ubc.ca/job-postings...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
In a recent interview with the @oeaw.bsky.social, Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid of the GMI discusses the advantages, opportunities, and risks presented by new genomic technologies (NGTs) and the recent loosening of regulations in the EU. Read more ⤵️
Was bringt die Lockerung der #Gentechnik-Regeln? ÖAW-Pflanzengenetikerin Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid @gmivienna.bsky.social erklärt, warum das eine gute Entscheidung ist – für die Wissenschaft, die Landwirtschaft und die Verbraucher:innen. Mehr dazu ⤵️
www.oeaw.ac.at/news/warum-d...
www.oeaw.ac.at/news/warum-d...
Warum die Lockerung der Gentechnik-Regeln allen etwas bringt
Pflanzen, die mit neuen gentechnischen Techniken (NGTs) verändert werden, sollen in der EU zukünftig ähnlich reguliert werden, wie Züchtungen mit konventionellen Methoden. Darauf haben sich Vertreter:...
www.oeaw.ac.at
December 9, 2025 at 1:27 PM
In a recent interview with the @oeaw.bsky.social, Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid of the GMI discusses the advantages, opportunities, and risks presented by new genomic technologies (NGTs) and the recent loosening of regulations in the EU. Read more ⤵️
Some of my friends and I clearly think much too similarly. 😅
December 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Some of my friends and I clearly think much too similarly. 😅
We just put up our eel facts advent calendar in the lab. ✨
Always happy to support initiatives such as @skypeascientist.bsky.social www.skypeascientist.com by purchasing cool merch squidfacts.bigcartel.com
(Don't worry, we also have another advent calendar with chocolates.)
Always happy to support initiatives such as @skypeascientist.bsky.social www.skypeascientist.com by purchasing cool merch squidfacts.bigcartel.com
(Don't worry, we also have another advent calendar with chocolates.)
November 27, 2025 at 7:38 AM
We just put up our eel facts advent calendar in the lab. ✨
Always happy to support initiatives such as @skypeascientist.bsky.social www.skypeascientist.com by purchasing cool merch squidfacts.bigcartel.com
(Don't worry, we also have another advent calendar with chocolates.)
Always happy to support initiatives such as @skypeascientist.bsky.social www.skypeascientist.com by purchasing cool merch squidfacts.bigcartel.com
(Don't worry, we also have another advent calendar with chocolates.)
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Very excited to share my first solo Tansley Insight. An integrated view on the hydraulics of aboveground plant meristems, and the framework of my future work as part of this community #PlantScience
@newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
On growth and flow: hydraulic aspects of aboveground meristems
Water is essential for plant growth under both normal and stress conditions. Aboveground, two key meristems control plant development: the shoot apical meristem and the vascular cambium. Here, stem c...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Very excited to share my first solo Tansley Insight. An integrated view on the hydraulics of aboveground plant meristems, and the framework of my future work as part of this community #PlantScience
@newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
@newphyt.bsky.social
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Delighted to report that our group's passion project over the last 6+ years to make DNA cloning more accessible, efficient, and scalable using a software-assisted workflow called CloneCoordinate is now out in ACS Synbio!
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
CloneCoordinate: Open-Source Software for Collaborative DNA Construction
Custom DNA constructs have never been more common or important in the life sciences. Many researchers therefore devote substantial time and effort to molecular cloning, aided by abundant computer-aide...
pubs.acs.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Delighted to report that our group's passion project over the last 6+ years to make DNA cloning more accessible, efficient, and scalable using a software-assisted workflow called CloneCoordinate is now out in ACS Synbio!
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Very happy to share that this paper is now online on @currentbiology.bsky.social !! 🥳🧪 Check out the final published verion here: www.cell.com/current-biol...
#mimuluspropaganda
#mimuluspropaganda
November 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Very happy to share that this paper is now online on @currentbiology.bsky.social !! 🥳🧪 Check out the final published verion here: www.cell.com/current-biol...
#mimuluspropaganda
#mimuluspropaganda
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Understanding bioRxiv/medRxiv DOIs. How openRxiv assigns them, a changing prefix, and the embedded priority date in citations openrxiv.org/dois-for-pre...
Understanding DOIs for preprints: how openRxiv assigns and manages persistent identifiers - openRxiv
Digital object identifiers (DOIs) are a class of persistent identifier (PID) assigned to an object to ensure that it can always be uniquely identified and, ideally, accessed reliably. Each DOI is a un...
openrxiv.org
November 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Understanding bioRxiv/medRxiv DOIs. How openRxiv assigns them, a changing prefix, and the embedded priority date in citations openrxiv.org/dois-for-pre...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Getting ready for our #PlantGenomics courses! 🌱🔬
The course is almost full, so check out the details soon if you want to join and learn about the power of long-read sequencing and cloud-based data analysis.
Feel free to spread the word!
👉 www.izmb.uni-bonn.de/en/pbb/news#...
@puckerlab.bsky.social
The course is almost full, so check out the details soon if you want to join and learn about the power of long-read sequencing and cloud-based data analysis.
Feel free to spread the word!
👉 www.izmb.uni-bonn.de/en/pbb/news#...
@puckerlab.bsky.social
November 19, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Getting ready for our #PlantGenomics courses! 🌱🔬
The course is almost full, so check out the details soon if you want to join and learn about the power of long-read sequencing and cloud-based data analysis.
Feel free to spread the word!
👉 www.izmb.uni-bonn.de/en/pbb/news#...
@puckerlab.bsky.social
The course is almost full, so check out the details soon if you want to join and learn about the power of long-read sequencing and cloud-based data analysis.
Feel free to spread the word!
👉 www.izmb.uni-bonn.de/en/pbb/news#...
@puckerlab.bsky.social
I'm quite excited for mine to arrive. ✨
If you want one too, you still have a chance to go for it!
The proceeds go to support @skypeascientist.bsky.social outreach! squidfacts.bigcartel.com
If you want one too, you still have a chance to go for it!
The proceeds go to support @skypeascientist.bsky.social outreach! squidfacts.bigcartel.com
This year we have sold 31% of the advent calendars that we sold last year 😓
The art is so pretty and colorful 🥺
The facts are so good 🥺
Eels are so cool 🥺
Get an eel facts advent calendar at EelFacts.net
The art is so pretty and colorful 🥺
The facts are so good 🥺
Eels are so cool 🥺
Get an eel facts advent calendar at EelFacts.net
November 18, 2025 at 5:47 PM
I'm quite excited for mine to arrive. ✨
If you want one too, you still have a chance to go for it!
The proceeds go to support @skypeascientist.bsky.social outreach! squidfacts.bigcartel.com
If you want one too, you still have a chance to go for it!
The proceeds go to support @skypeascientist.bsky.social outreach! squidfacts.bigcartel.com
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
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
Find details at www.mpipz.mpg.de/imprs/imprs-... and apply by Jan 5.
#PlantSciJobs
November 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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
Find details at www.mpipz.mpg.de/imprs/imprs-... and apply by Jan 5.
#PlantSciJobs
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
🌍Open call: Junior Group Leader positions!
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
November 10, 2025 at 1:26 PM
🌍Open call: Junior Group Leader positions!
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Join a world-class biomedical research institute at the heart of the Vienna BioCenter, where curiosity drives discovery.
Lead your own lab, pursue bold ideas, and shape the future of science at the IMP: www.imp.ac.at/career/open-...
Looking to move out of the USA and to Germany for a postdoc, as you can't conduct your work in the USA under the current political restrictions? (e.g visa issues, funding cuts, etc.)
The state of Baden-Württemberg funds novel postdoc fellowships for this:
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
The state of Baden-Württemberg funds novel postdoc fellowships for this:
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
November 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Looking to move out of the USA and to Germany for a postdoc, as you can't conduct your work in the USA under the current political restrictions? (e.g visa issues, funding cuts, etc.)
The state of Baden-Württemberg funds novel postdoc fellowships for this:
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
The state of Baden-Württemberg funds novel postdoc fellowships for this:
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
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/...
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
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/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
BREAKING: European Sleeper will start a Paris-Berlin sleeper train from 26 March 2026, after Nightjet pulls out in December.
It'll run via Brussels (with Eurostar connection from London) 3 times a week. This + existing train = Brussels-Berlin 6 times a week. www.europeansleeper.eu/paris
It'll run via Brussels (with Eurostar connection from London) 3 times a week. This + existing train = Brussels-Berlin 6 times a week. www.europeansleeper.eu/paris
November 12, 2025 at 7:16 AM
BREAKING: European Sleeper will start a Paris-Berlin sleeper train from 26 March 2026, after Nightjet pulls out in December.
It'll run via Brussels (with Eurostar connection from London) 3 times a week. This + existing train = Brussels-Berlin 6 times a week. www.europeansleeper.eu/paris
It'll run via Brussels (with Eurostar connection from London) 3 times a week. This + existing train = Brussels-Berlin 6 times a week. www.europeansleeper.eu/paris
I, for one, am very pro having a lama to hug at all future conferences.
🦙
🦙
Things I was not even remotely expecting to do today at #EntSoc25: hug a llama. 😊
It was a true pleasure to meet Caesar the No Drama Llama and his human assitants.
Thank you for all the good work you do, Ceasar.
It was a true pleasure to meet Caesar the No Drama Llama and his human assitants.
Thank you for all the good work you do, Ceasar.
November 11, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I, for one, am very pro having a lama to hug at all future conferences.
🦙
🦙