Frank Hochholdinger
@hochholdingerf.bsky.social
Maize 🌽 geneticist and Professor for Crop Functional Genomics at the University of Bonn. Interested in root development and heterosis.
Nice coverage of one of our recent papers by a media outlet. Not so happy with the AI generated maize root system they used to illustrate their article. 😬
October 6, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Nice coverage of one of our recent papers by a media outlet. Not so happy with the AI generated maize root system they used to illustrate their article. 😬
Finally, we identified a gene that regulates lateral root density in hybrids depending on the genetic constitution of its regulatory eQTL. 7/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Finally, we identified a gene that regulates lateral root density in hybrids depending on the genetic constitution of its regulatory eQTL. 7/7
Importantly, SPE genes were mainly regulated by heterozygous eQTL, underscoring the importance of heterozygosity for the regulation of dominant loci, thus reconciling the competing genetic hypotheses of overdominance (heterozygote advantage) and dominance (complementation) to explain heterosis. 6/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Importantly, SPE genes were mainly regulated by heterozygous eQTL, underscoring the importance of heterozygosity for the regulation of dominant loci, thus reconciling the competing genetic hypotheses of overdominance (heterozygote advantage) and dominance (complementation) to explain heterosis. 6/7
Single parent expression (SPE) complementation, an expression pattern in which genes are expressed in only one parent and in the hybrid, consistent with dominance, explained up to 29% of heterotic variance for root traits. 5/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Single parent expression (SPE) complementation, an expression pattern in which genes are expressed in only one parent and in the hybrid, consistent with dominance, explained up to 29% of heterotic variance for root traits. 5/7
In general, these partial hybrids expressed more genes than their parental lines (IBM-RIL and B73 or Mo17). 4/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
In general, these partial hybrids expressed more genes than their parental lines (IBM-RIL and B73 or Mo17). 4/7
Replicated RNA-seq of 852 samples led to clearly separated genotypic clusters in an MDS plot. 3/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Replicated RNA-seq of 852 samples led to clearly separated genotypic clusters in an MDS plot. 3/7
We generated backcrosses of 112 intermated B73xM17 recombinant inbred lines to their parents B73 and Mo17, thus generating a set of partial hybrids with an average heterozygosity of 50%. 2/7
September 25, 2025 at 9:09 AM
We generated backcrosses of 112 intermated B73xM17 recombinant inbred lines to their parents B73 and Mo17, thus generating a set of partial hybrids with an average heterozygosity of 50%. 2/7
Could all reviewers please be as kind as reviewer 1?
August 11, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Could all reviewers please be as kind as reviewer 1?
Congratulations to Michaela Matthes for successfully completing her habilitation.🎉🍾👏
July 2, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Congratulations to Michaela Matthes for successfully completing her habilitation.🎉🍾👏
We have sent sequence indexed BonnMu maize 🌽 stocks to 130 labs worldwide. See their location on the maps below. 👇
June 24, 2025 at 7:56 AM
We have sent sequence indexed BonnMu maize 🌽 stocks to 130 labs worldwide. See their location on the maps below. 👇
Congratulations to Marion Pitz for successfully completing her PhD 🎉💐🍾
June 24, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Congratulations to Marion Pitz for successfully completing her PhD 🎉💐🍾
Ready to move!
May 19, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Ready to move!
Pro tip: always delete the ChatGPT prompt before sending your motivation letter for a position in my group.
May 4, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Pro tip: always delete the ChatGPT prompt before sending your motivation letter for a position in my group.
The maize collaborator award is now on display in my office together with some #MGM2025 memorabilia and the two awesome books by Helen Anne Curry that just arrived. Everything is guarded by Gregor Mendel.
March 20, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The maize collaborator award is now on display in my office together with some #MGM2025 memorabilia and the two awesome books by Helen Anne Curry that just arrived. Everything is guarded by Gregor Mendel.
Finally time to celebrate our maize genetics collaborator award together with Caroline and the lab.
March 20, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Finally time to celebrate our maize genetics collaborator award together with Caroline and the lab.
Due to a delay of my ✈️ back, I visited the St. Louis Art Museum. They host the world’s largest collection of Max Beckmann (1884-1950) paintings, one of the most eminent German 20th century artists. After he fled Nazi Germany, he lived in the US & worked from 1947-49 at Washington Univ in St. Louis.
March 9, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Due to a delay of my ✈️ back, I visited the St. Louis Art Museum. They host the world’s largest collection of Max Beckmann (1884-1950) paintings, one of the most eminent German 20th century artists. After he fled Nazi Germany, he lived in the US & worked from 1947-49 at Washington Univ in St. Louis.
When you do your travel planning for the 2026 maize genetics meeting in Cologne, Germany (Feb 26 - Mar 1) consider some extra time before or after the meeting to visit some interesting place in or around the city. In brackets time to reach these destinations by train.
March 9, 2025 at 5:39 PM
When you do your travel planning for the 2026 maize genetics meeting in Cologne, Germany (Feb 26 - Mar 1) consider some extra time before or after the meeting to visit some interesting place in or around the city. In brackets time to reach these destinations by train.
Marion Pitz @unibonn.bsky.social gave the final talk of the 2025 maize meeting about her work on heterosis in maize 🌽. Very well done Marion 👏. #MGM2025.
March 9, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Marion Pitz @unibonn.bsky.social gave the final talk of the 2025 maize meeting about her work on heterosis in maize 🌽. Very well done Marion 👏. #MGM2025.
Ed Buckler received the 2025 McClintock prize for his groundbreaking research contributions. The McClintock prize for plant genetics and genomics is the most prestigous award of the maize genetics community. #MGM2025
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClint...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClint...
March 8, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Ed Buckler received the 2025 McClintock prize for his groundbreaking research contributions. The McClintock prize for plant genetics and genomics is the most prestigous award of the maize genetics community. #MGM2025
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClint...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/McClint...
This years‘ Maize Genetics Coop early career award went to Erin Sparks (sorry forgot to take a photo). Mid career award to Sherry Flint Garcia and lifetime award to Zac Cande and Brian Larkins ( posthumously).
March 8, 2025 at 11:19 AM
This years‘ Maize Genetics Coop early career award went to Erin Sparks (sorry forgot to take a photo). Mid career award to Sherry Flint Garcia and lifetime award to Zac Cande and Brian Larkins ( posthumously).
Earlier today, Xuelian Du from Caroline Marcon‘s BonnMu group gave a excellent lightening talk on the status of the BonnMu collection. #MGM2025
March 8, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Earlier today, Xuelian Du from Caroline Marcon‘s BonnMu group gave a excellent lightening talk on the status of the BonnMu collection. #MGM2025
What an honor to receive the 2025 maize genetics cooperator award together with Caroline Marcon for our work on BonnMu and together with Karen Koch and Don McCarty for their UniformMu work.
March 8, 2025 at 5:06 AM
What an honor to receive the 2025 maize genetics cooperator award together with Caroline Marcon for our work on BonnMu and together with Karen Koch and Don McCarty for their UniformMu work.