Marc Somssich
@somssich.bsky.social
Trait Program Manager (Biotic Stress) @KWSGroup.bsky.social
Author @preLights.bsky.social
Editor @ThePlantCell.bsky.social
Web: https://linktr.ee/somssich
Personal Account
Author @preLights.bsky.social
Editor @ThePlantCell.bsky.social
Web: https://linktr.ee/somssich
Personal Account
Pinned
Marc Somssich
@somssich.bsky.social
· Jun 6
𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 and 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞! 👋
Here's some content you might find interesting:
𝟏) My chapters of "𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞"
𝟐) My 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 threads
𝟑) My threads on 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬
𝟒) My Bluesky 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬
𝟓) Some info on 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
See all compiled Below 👇🧵
Here's some content you might find interesting:
𝟏) My chapters of "𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞"
𝟐) My 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 threads
𝟑) My threads on 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬
𝟒) My Bluesky 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 & 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬
𝟓) Some info on 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
See all compiled Below 👇🧵
Reposted by Marc Somssich
The new lab website is online 🤩🥰
www.photobodies.com
Please have a look 😊
So new and shiny, much info!
Thanks Freddy for your contribution :)
www.photobodies.com
Please have a look 😊
So new and shiny, much info!
Thanks Freddy for your contribution :)
Main Page | Photobodies
The homepage for the Light Signaling and Cell Biology lab of Dr. Kasper van Gelderen.
www.photobodies.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:44 AM
The new lab website is online 🤩🥰
www.photobodies.com
Please have a look 😊
So new and shiny, much info!
Thanks Freddy for your contribution :)
www.photobodies.com
Please have a look 😊
So new and shiny, much info!
Thanks Freddy for your contribution :)
Reposted by Marc Somssich
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Marc Somssich
If you believe either that Franklin discovered the double helix, and / or Watson and Crick stole her data, ask yourself how you know this. Then take a read of this article.
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:32 AM
If you believe either that Franklin discovered the double helix, and / or Watson and Crick stole her data, ask yourself how you know this. Then take a read of this article.
Reposted by Marc Somssich
The Double Helix shenanigans are getting a lot of discussion following Watson's death. This article is DJing the rounds. It's a really interesting read. But I'm interested in people's take on it.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:45 AM
The Double Helix shenanigans are getting a lot of discussion following Watson's death. This article is DJing the rounds. It's a really interesting read. But I'm interested in people's take on it.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Lottery before peer review is associated with increased female representation and reduced estimated economic cost in a German funding line | Nature Communications share.google/Ygkz9JGBF06d...
Lottery before peer review is associated with increased female representation and reduced estimated economic cost in a German funding line - Nature Communications
The authors show evidence from a German funding line that a lottery-first approach followed by peer review is accompanied by increased female representation both at the submission stage and among fund...
share.google
November 8, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Lottery before peer review is associated with increased female representation and reduced estimated economic cost in a German funding line | Nature Communications share.google/Ygkz9JGBF06d...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Latest from the lab. The conclusion is in the title!
Basically, we found that the KMN complex (outer kinetochore) is fully conserved between plants and fungi/animals, showing deep origin. (reminder, you are closer to a mushroom than a mushroom is to a plant.)
Latest from the lab. The conclusion is in the title!
Basically, we found that the KMN complex (outer kinetochore) is fully conserved between plants and fungi/animals, showing deep origin. (reminder, you are closer to a mushroom than a mushroom is to a plant.)
The composition and structure of the outer kinetochore KMN complex is conserved across kingdoms - Communications Biology
Affinity purification in Arabidopsis identified all key subunits of the outer kinetochore KMN complex. Functional analyses revealed a striking conservation of its composition and organization across k...
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:02 PM
www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Latest from the lab. The conclusion is in the title!
Basically, we found that the KMN complex (outer kinetochore) is fully conserved between plants and fungi/animals, showing deep origin. (reminder, you are closer to a mushroom than a mushroom is to a plant.)
Latest from the lab. The conclusion is in the title!
Basically, we found that the KMN complex (outer kinetochore) is fully conserved between plants and fungi/animals, showing deep origin. (reminder, you are closer to a mushroom than a mushroom is to a plant.)
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Once dismissed as a nuisance, this humble weed is now at the center of cutting-edge science 🌱
Researchers are using Arabidopsis as a model organism to boost crop resilience, fight climate stress, and even inspire new biotech innovations. 🔬
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Researchers are using Arabidopsis as a model organism to boost crop resilience, fight climate stress, and even inspire new biotech innovations. 🔬
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
How a humble weed became a superstar of biology
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
knowablemagazine.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Once dismissed as a nuisance, this humble weed is now at the center of cutting-edge science 🌱
Researchers are using Arabidopsis as a model organism to boost crop resilience, fight climate stress, and even inspire new biotech innovations. 🔬
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Researchers are using Arabidopsis as a model organism to boost crop resilience, fight climate stress, and even inspire new biotech innovations. 🔬
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Rick van de Zedde was here at @kwsgroup.bsky.social to talk about his work making sense of the tons of data generated by the #PlantScience NPEC phenotyping platform run by @wurplant.bsky.social & @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social. Very interesting work, including producing smartphone apps for easy use.
November 7, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Rick van de Zedde was here at @kwsgroup.bsky.social to talk about his work making sense of the tons of data generated by the #PlantScience NPEC phenotyping platform run by @wurplant.bsky.social & @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social. Very interesting work, including producing smartphone apps for easy use.
Reposted by Marc Somssich
YAY! this is excellent! From Knowable Magazine: How Arabidopsis thaliana, a humble weed, became a superstar of plant biology | Knowable Magazine knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
How a humble weed became a superstar of biology
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
knowablemagazine.org
November 4, 2025 at 12:23 AM
YAY! this is excellent! From Knowable Magazine: How Arabidopsis thaliana, a humble weed, became a superstar of plant biology | Knowable Magazine knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Arabidopsis, a little weed in the mustard family, joined the celebrity ranks of Drosophila, E. coli and other model organisms in the 1980s. There was a lot of pushback-- in some circles it was referred to as the "A-word" (!)
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
How a humble weed became a superstar of biology
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
knowmag.org
November 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Arabidopsis, a little weed in the mustard family, joined the celebrity ranks of Drosophila, E. coli and other model organisms in the 1980s. There was a lot of pushback-- in some circles it was referred to as the "A-word" (!)
Reposted by Marc Somssich
1/ It is my pleasure to share the latest preprint of the team: "Symbiotic diversification relies on an ancestral gene network in plants"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Here, we identified and functionally validated a novel master regulator of intracellular symbioses!
A thread ...
#PlantScience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Here, we identified and functionally validated a novel master regulator of intracellular symbioses!
A thread ...
#PlantScience
Symbiotic diversification relies on an ancestral gene network in plants
Symbioses have been fundamental to colonization of terrestrial ecosystems by plants and their evolution. Emergence of the ancient arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis was followed by the diversification o...
doi.org
November 4, 2025 at 8:06 AM
1/ It is my pleasure to share the latest preprint of the team: "Symbiotic diversification relies on an ancestral gene network in plants"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Here, we identified and functionally validated a novel master regulator of intracellular symbioses!
A thread ...
#PlantScience
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Here, we identified and functionally validated a novel master regulator of intracellular symbioses!
A thread ...
#PlantScience
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
How a humble weed became a superstar of biology
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
knowmag.org
November 4, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
✍️ Rachel Ehrenberg
knowmag.org/4hImL8e
Reposted by Marc Somssich
A very good historical perspective why you want to work on the weed…
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
How a humble weed became a superstar of biology
Arabidopsis thaliana was always an unlikely candidate for the limelight. But 25 years ago, the diminutive thale cress launched the botanical world into the molecular era.
knowablemagazine.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:46 AM
A very good historical perspective why you want to work on the weed…
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
new paper! this one holds a special place in my heart--it's the project that brought me to South Africa--just a short 6 years later, we have a product
Myrothamnus is a resurrection plant with deep cultural roots. it's been a privilege to study this iconic species that survives with so little.
Myrothamnus is a resurrection plant with deep cultural roots. it's been a privilege to study this iconic species that survives with so little.
November 3, 2025 at 11:48 PM
new paper! this one holds a special place in my heart--it's the project that brought me to South Africa--just a short 6 years later, we have a product
Myrothamnus is a resurrection plant with deep cultural roots. it's been a privilege to study this iconic species that survives with so little.
Myrothamnus is a resurrection plant with deep cultural roots. it's been a privilege to study this iconic species that survives with so little.
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Guns in rosettes: The Arabidopsis chemical weapons arsenal (Marc Somssich, Daniel J Kliebenstein, Tonni Grube Andersen) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial
Guns in rosettes: The Arabidopsis chemical weapons arsenal
Arabidopsis remains one of the best-studied models today and has a number of remarkable chemical defense systems which actively engage, interact, and preve
doi.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Guns in rosettes: The Arabidopsis chemical weapons arsenal (Marc Somssich, Daniel J Kliebenstein, Tonni Grube Andersen) doi.org/10.1093/plph... #PlantScience @aspbofficial
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
November 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Nature suggests you use their "Manuscript Adviser" bot to get advice before submitting
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
I uploaded the classic Watson & Crick paper about DNA structure, and the Adviser had this to say about one of the greatest paper endings of the century:
Reposted by Marc Somssich
My new Emmy Noether Group is recruiting!
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
Aktuelle Ausschreibungen
Aktuelle Ausschreibungen
www.uni-kiel.de
November 3, 2025 at 9:03 AM
My new Emmy Noether Group is recruiting!
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
🔬 Two PhD positions in plant pathogen evolution
🧬 Start: April 2026 (flexible)
📍 Dept. of Phytopathology & Plant Protection @rstam.bsky.social @uni-kiel.de
⏰ Apply by 15 Dec 2025
🔗 More info: www.uni-kiel.de/personal/de/...
Do get in touch or share 😊
Reposted by Marc Somssich
A wheat NLR conferring broad-spectrum resistance against powdery mildew by recognizing two structurally diverse AVR effectors. Interested? Check out our newest preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Dual recognition of structurally unrelated mildew effectors underlies the broad-spectrum resistance of Pm3e in wheat
Broad-spectrum resistance genes are highly valuable for sustainable crop protection, yet the molecular basis of their activity is often unknown. The Pm3 allelic series in wheat encodes NLR receptors t...
www.biorxiv.org
November 2, 2025 at 1:29 PM
A wheat NLR conferring broad-spectrum resistance against powdery mildew by recognizing two structurally diverse AVR effectors. Interested? Check out our newest preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Registration is open to take part in the Molecular Biology of Plants (#MBP2026), which especially invites early career scientists to present their molecular #plantsci research www.pflanzen-molekularbiologie.de/en/conferenc...
October 31, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Registration is open to take part in the Molecular Biology of Plants (#MBP2026), which especially invites early career scientists to present their molecular #plantsci research www.pflanzen-molekularbiologie.de/en/conferenc...
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Review: The plant chemical defense arsenal (Plant Physiol.) @somssich.bsky.social (Summary by Mary Williams)
buff.ly/GwdOqZN
#PlantaePSRW
buff.ly/GwdOqZN
#PlantaePSRW
Review: The plant chemical defense arsenal | Plantae
This review by Somssich et al., part of a forthcoming Focus Collection on Metabolites, provides an overview of the chemical arsenal of defense compounds in plants. Playfully titled “Guns in Rosettes”…
buff.ly
October 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Review: The plant chemical defense arsenal (Plant Physiol.) @somssich.bsky.social (Summary by Mary Williams)
buff.ly/GwdOqZN
#PlantaePSRW
buff.ly/GwdOqZN
#PlantaePSRW
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Nature Communications will publish ~10K papers in 2025 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov?term=%22Natu...
That's ~$70M in revenue, while many of the non-profit journals that used to occupy that slot in the journal hierarchy have seen a precipitous decline in submissions in the 15 years it's existed.
That's ~$70M in revenue, while many of the non-profit journals that used to occupy that slot in the journal hierarchy have seen a precipitous decline in submissions in the 15 years it's existed.
October 27, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Nature Communications will publish ~10K papers in 2025 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov?term=%22Natu...
That's ~$70M in revenue, while many of the non-profit journals that used to occupy that slot in the journal hierarchy have seen a precipitous decline in submissions in the 15 years it's existed.
That's ~$70M in revenue, while many of the non-profit journals that used to occupy that slot in the journal hierarchy have seen a precipitous decline in submissions in the 15 years it's existed.
Reposted by Marc Somssich
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Review: The why, why and how of symptom development in viral disease (Annu. Rev. Phytopathology) (Summary by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching.bsky.social) @geminiteamlab.bsky.social buff.ly/dsQwgbo
#PlantaePSRW
#PlantaePSRW
Review: The what, how and why of symptom development in viral disease | Plantae
I was initially drawn to this review by curiosity about its title; I realized I hadn’t ever wondered how and why viral infections cause symptoms in plants. I’m so glad I looked into it!
buff.ly
October 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Plant Science Research Weekly -- Review: The why, why and how of symptom development in viral disease (Annu. Rev. Phytopathology) (Summary by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching.bsky.social) @geminiteamlab.bsky.social buff.ly/dsQwgbo
#PlantaePSRW
#PlantaePSRW
Reposted by Marc Somssich
👏 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
#PhDSuccess #PlantScience #PhDone #ScientificAchievement
October 27, 2025 at 9:21 AM
👏 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
#PhDSuccess #PlantScience #PhDone #ScientificAchievement
Reposted by Marc Somssich
PSA: Many of you may have noticed a website floating around called formatmypaper(dot)com. People rightly noted something was fishy. I dig into what happened here:
open.substack.com/pub/ubadah/p...
open.substack.com/pub/ubadah/p...
Beware giving this site your unpublished data
Users noticed the website had fake testimonials and a domain name registered seemingly overnight.
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM
PSA: Many of you may have noticed a website floating around called formatmypaper(dot)com. People rightly noted something was fishy. I dig into what happened here:
open.substack.com/pub/ubadah/p...
open.substack.com/pub/ubadah/p...