Have you ever seen a first edition copy of 'On the Origin of Species'? Or seen the first in print drawing of a potato 🥔?

These were just some of the treasures hiding away in the @johninnescentre.bsky.social rare books room which I was fortunate to visit last week. A truly amazing experience 📚🌱

Part of the #PlastidPreview2025 program involved a trip to the plant growth facility at @universityofessex.bsky.social

It was super cool to see all the amazing facilities including onions growing in a vertical farm, how to measure photosynthesis and some impressive dynamic growth rooms 🌱

The second and final day of #PlastidPreview2025 has been really insightful! I enjoyed networking with other early career researchers and it was an honour to present my work from my post doc. I was so pleased that so many people enjoyed hearing about starch and the many fruitful followup discussions!

It's been a great day at #PlastidPreciew2025 at the @universityofessex.bsky.social I've learnt about chloroplast development, retrograde signalling and even macroalgae!

@ciara-obrien.bsky.social, Thomas and Carol (my Seung group lab mates) gave fab talks and I'm looking forward to my go tomorrow...

Earlier this week I spoke to students from @liysf.bsky.social about my journey through science and life at the John Innes Centre studying plants 🌱 It was a real full circle moment as I attended LIYSF myself when I was 18!

Today I was lucky enough to attend an International Wheat Symposium at the @johninnescentre.bsky.social 🌾 There were many inspiring talks and I learnt so much about disease resistance, biofortification, breeding.... And I loved being able to share my work on starch in wheat wild relatives

This week I joined the Rosalind Franklin Women In Wheat annual workshop. I was inspired by Jess Wade's talk about academia's hidden curriculum, and enjoyed learning about fellowship opportunities and elevator pitches. Yet my highlight was meeting other early career scientists studying wheat 🌾

What a way to end @pintofscience.uk 2025 🍻🎉 We had 12 brilliant talks covering everything from inbreeding in birds (and the Royal family 👑) to bugs and prostate cancer

A massive thank you to our 🌟 amazing 🌟 event managers who have planned and hosted 15 events over the past 3 days!

#pint25

Did you know Einstein has links to the invention of the paper towel? Or that the earth is closest to the sun in January 🌍 These are just some of the cool things I learnt tonight at @pintofscience.uk in Norwich🍺

Join us for our final 5 events tomorrow ⤵️
pintofscience.co.uk/events/norwich

#pint25

The first night of @pintofscience.uk has been great 🎉🍻

I've learnt about droughts (did you know East Anglia is drier than Morocco) ☀️, how our brains perceive 🧠 and links between the menopause and Alzheimer's🩸

Buy tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday now ⤵️
pintofscience.co.uk/events/norwich

#pint25

It was a pleasure to be invited by and hosted by Professor Jiang Qiantao and his group and we had many interesting discussions about starch and other research being conducted. To read more about my visit please visit xms.sicau.edu.cn/info/1003/39...

Last week I was invited to the Tritceae Research Institute at the Sichuan Agricultural University to give a seminar and engage in academic discussions. This was an insightful experience and I met many people doing impressive work and enjoyed seeing new wheat cultivars at the wheat breeding base 🌾

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the CEPAMS symposium in Shanghai. I really enjoyed meeting scientists from Shanghai and Beijing and had many fruitful discussions about my work.

The Norwich @pintofscience.uk ticket launch 🎟️ team did a fantastic job last night putting on an amazing event with incredible speakers, quizzes and activities 🐝🐥🦠

Can't wait for the rest of the Norwich events (19th - 21st of May). Get your tickets here ⤵️
pintofscience.co.uk/events/norwich

#pint25

Recently I gave a lecture about photosynthesis to undergraduate biology students at the @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social and then MSc students at the @johninnescentre.bsky.social 🌱☀️

It was a great experience and encouraging to see the enthusiasm in the next generation of students 👩‍🎓

It was a great privilege to give the keynote talk at the Norfolk Science Teaching Conference at the @johninnescentre.bsky.social this morning. I loved sharing my journey of going from science camp to scientist and my experience of plant science teaching 🌱👩‍🏫

It's a full house for our @pintofscience.uk Norwich Science Festival Under The Lens event 🔍🔬🔭

We're learning about clocks in bacteria 🦠, wheat development 🌾, science and faith ⛪and science and art with Edible East 🎨

With @katielong.bsky.social, Jack Dorling and David Andrews

Yesterday I successfully defended my PhD thesis 🎉 Thanks to my examiners Philippa Borrill and Claire Halpin for the great discussion. Thanks to my supervisor David for supporting me over the last 4 years and thanks to my amazing lab mates for my fantastic PhD hat!

Had a really great time speaking about starch at the John Innes Centre Christmas lecture yesterday 🌾 🥔 🎄