The life of a plant scientist… In order of magnification: me taking some #Marchantia from my courtyard, the picture I took in that very moment, and the microscopy image of that sample sectioned through a gemma cup. Turquoise: chlorophyll, yellow: WGA-FITC (binds chitin of e.g. fungi)!

Last week’s #2025ISMPMI and #OMGN2025 were really fun! My first conference visit in the field of plant microbe interactions, so I learned a lot (brain is still achy)! I’m grateful to @dromius.bsky.social for this opportunity and to the rest of the Schornack batch for awesome company!

With over 800 posters at #2025ISMPMI it might be tricky to find me. But here’s a little helping video.

Come today (Wednesday) between 13:30 and 15:15 to Poster P-425 to hear about #Marchantia #Phytophthora interaction and a GRAS transcription factor!

Full circle moment for me at #2025ISMPMI: the Congress started out in #Bielefeld where I did my undergrad in biochemistry!

First batch of Team Schornack @dromius.bsky.social have just landed in Cologne for plant-microbe chat at #2025ISMPMI!
@ic416.bsky.social @matt-macleod.bsky.social

Excitingly, we also made it on the cover of the current issue of @theplantjournal.bsky.social with some of my #microscopy images checking for #immunofluorescence signal of FLAG-tagged cytochrome c6A in #chlamydomonas!

Had a lovely time at the #FestivalofPlants @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social on Saturday showcasing our research @slcuplants.bsky.social. Spot me at the stereoscope looking at flowers and of course #Marchantia!

Video credit: Kathy Grube from SLCU.

A real joy to represent @slcuplants.bsky.social & @dromius.bsky.social’s research group at the #ChelseaFlowerShow today! Got to tell many plant enthusiasts about our research into plant-microbe interactions and why #Marchantia is a cool model. Also, our pollinator patch was liked by bees and people!

Great speeches by expert scientists, @chrisgpackham.bsky.social and Sir David King, the former UK chief scientific advisor. Politics must act on facts. This is especially important when it comes to the #climatecrisis.
#bringsciencetopolitics

I was looking at some antheridiophores this morning. They are the male sexual reproductive structures of Marchantia. A little flower-esque, right? Might be close enough to fit some Marchantia on the stand of @slcuplants.bsky.social at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 🤓

I'm pretty new to working with #Marchantia, but have had the pleasure to look at it on different scales over the last few weeks. A, outside my home. B, Gemma. C, Gemmaling looking like Triceratops. D & E, Line expressing mCitrine under a stereoscope and confocal microscope, respectively.

I’m shocked by the blatant attack of the Trump administration on science in the US. How are people over there dealing with this?
(Attached a pic from the @natureportfolio.nature.com newsletter) and the associated links:

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...

Really fun way to dive into a new field of research for me at #nonseedUK24 in beautiful Madingley Hall. I met many nice people already and learned lots about non-seed plants!

Last week I passed my PhD viva! I’m very happy to have successfully completed my #PhD on #photosynthesis and am hugely grateful to my supervisor and many academic supporters as well as my family and friends without whom this rollercoaster ride of 4 years would have not been so enjoyable 🎢 THANK YOU!