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
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.
🦙
🦙
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Hi fellow PIs, how do you feel with all the leadership / managing tasks that were bestowed onto you at some point? Did you get formal training? Did you seek any training? Are you following any principles/guidance or are you just winging it and hope for the best?
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Hi fellow PIs, how do you feel with all the leadership / managing tasks that were bestowed onto you at some point? Did you get formal training? Did you seek any training? Are you following any principles/guidance or are you just winging it and hope for the best?
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
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 Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Postdoc position in my lab in Cologne starting early next year or latest in spring to get this exciting project started.
jobportal.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun...
jobportal.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun...
jobportal.uni-koeln.de
November 2, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Postdoc position in my lab in Cologne starting early next year or latest in spring to get this exciting project started.
jobportal.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun...
jobportal.uni-koeln.de/ausschreibun...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Very excited to finally share my PhD paper, about advancing #chloroplast #synbio through high-throughput plastome engineering of #Chlamydomonas.
Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
November 3, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Very excited to finally share my PhD paper, about advancing #chloroplast #synbio through high-throughput plastome engineering of #Chlamydomonas.
Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Huge thanks to the whole team!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Nominations for the Darbaker Prize close TOMORROW, November 1!
This joint award from the Botanical Society of America and the Phycological Society of America recognizes excellence in research on microscopic algae.
💰 Award increased to $2500!
botany.org/home/awards/...
#BSAwards
This joint award from the Botanical Society of America and the Phycological Society of America recognizes excellence in research on microscopic algae.
💰 Award increased to $2500!
botany.org/home/awards/...
#BSAwards
October 31, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Nominations for the Darbaker Prize close TOMORROW, November 1!
This joint award from the Botanical Society of America and the Phycological Society of America recognizes excellence in research on microscopic algae.
💰 Award increased to $2500!
botany.org/home/awards/...
#BSAwards
This joint award from the Botanical Society of America and the Phycological Society of America recognizes excellence in research on microscopic algae.
💰 Award increased to $2500!
botany.org/home/awards/...
#BSAwards
Seemingly everyone in my extended friendship and social circles:
Getting married, buying an apartment/house, and/or having babies.
Versus me, telling them my exciting news:
“So, I’m making this really cool set of plasmids…”
🙃
Getting married, buying an apartment/house, and/or having babies.
Versus me, telling them my exciting news:
“So, I’m making this really cool set of plasmids…”
🙃
October 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Seemingly everyone in my extended friendship and social circles:
Getting married, buying an apartment/house, and/or having babies.
Versus me, telling them my exciting news:
“So, I’m making this really cool set of plasmids…”
🙃
Getting married, buying an apartment/house, and/or having babies.
Versus me, telling them my exciting news:
“So, I’m making this really cool set of plasmids…”
🙃
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
If you’re fed up with MacOS, here’s a really nice Linux version that runs on recent Macs. Super easy installation.
Run in terminal:
curl alx.sh | sh
Run in terminal:
curl alx.sh | sh
October 24, 2025 at 1:34 PM
If you’re fed up with MacOS, here’s a really nice Linux version that runs on recent Macs. Super easy installation.
Run in terminal:
curl alx.sh | sh
Run in terminal:
curl alx.sh | sh
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Please repost:
What are the current costs of kit-based RNA extractions per sample? Qiagen quoted my grad student a "discount" that came to $10/sample. That seemed /way/ too high
What are the current costs of kit-based RNA extractions per sample? Qiagen quoted my grad student a "discount" that came to $10/sample. That seemed /way/ too high
October 22, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Please repost:
What are the current costs of kit-based RNA extractions per sample? Qiagen quoted my grad student a "discount" that came to $10/sample. That seemed /way/ too high
What are the current costs of kit-based RNA extractions per sample? Qiagen quoted my grad student a "discount" that came to $10/sample. That seemed /way/ too high
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Imagine: you are visiting a colleague's office, or a conference room, and you want to explain something. You turn to the chalkboard and <GASP> you are struck by the sight of this. CAN YOU EVEN DO SCIENCE WITH THIS? Unlikely. Better to be prepared.
October 23, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Imagine: you are visiting a colleague's office, or a conference room, and you want to explain something. You turn to the chalkboard and <GASP> you are struck by the sight of this. CAN YOU EVEN DO SCIENCE WITH THIS? Unlikely. Better to be prepared.
The automatic assumption from Adobe Acrobat that I would like to have their AI "help" me read paper PDFs has driven me slightly mad.
Thankfully, it is simple to turn it off.
(Even if I would prefer that one would need to actively turn it on, instead of off.)
helpx.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/u...
Thankfully, it is simple to turn it off.
(Even if I would prefer that one would need to actively turn it on, instead of off.)
helpx.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/u...
October 20, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The automatic assumption from Adobe Acrobat that I would like to have their AI "help" me read paper PDFs has driven me slightly mad.
Thankfully, it is simple to turn it off.
(Even if I would prefer that one would need to actively turn it on, instead of off.)
helpx.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/u...
Thankfully, it is simple to turn it off.
(Even if I would prefer that one would need to actively turn it on, instead of off.)
helpx.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/u...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
JOB ALERT! We are looking for a LAB MANAGER (7-year position!) to help us build the MOLECULAR BIODIVERSITY lab in our @terra-cluster.org at @unituebingen.bsky.social. Are you a NGS wet lab expert, and you like the idea of supporting research on natural biodiversity, then apply!
Please re-post!
Please re-post!
October 17, 2025 at 11:51 AM
JOB ALERT! We are looking for a LAB MANAGER (7-year position!) to help us build the MOLECULAR BIODIVERSITY lab in our @terra-cluster.org at @unituebingen.bsky.social. Are you a NGS wet lab expert, and you like the idea of supporting research on natural biodiversity, then apply!
Please re-post!
Please re-post!
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
New pre-print from the team!
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
Primary metabolism underpins the execution of immune responses in different tissues of the same plant https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.11.681807v1
October 14, 2025 at 7:16 AM
New pre-print from the team!
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
The manuscript is @emma-raven.bsky.social's PhD work showing that whether a leaf is a carbon sink or a carbon source influences how they execute immune responses.
Have a read!
#PlantScience
@johninnescentre.bsky.social
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Want to do a PhD in biology? Our projects for 2026 are now live! If you're considering a PhD, or know someone who is, we have projects that span the biosciences to serve as inspiration.
Reach out to our academics to discuss these or more options if you have an idea of your own 👇
bit.ly/dphilbio25
Reach out to our academics to discuss these or more options if you have an idea of your own 👇
bit.ly/dphilbio25
October 20, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Want to do a PhD in biology? Our projects for 2026 are now live! If you're considering a PhD, or know someone who is, we have projects that span the biosciences to serve as inspiration.
Reach out to our academics to discuss these or more options if you have an idea of your own 👇
bit.ly/dphilbio25
Reach out to our academics to discuss these or more options if you have an idea of your own 👇
bit.ly/dphilbio25
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
🦖 Something HUGE just hatched.
Plasmidsaurus now offers RNA sequencing for gene expression analysis:
• As fast as 3 day turnaround
• $50/sample for academia, $80 for industry
• Up to ~10M unique transcript 3’ end reads per sample
• Interactive results
Explore Plasmidsaurus RNA-Seq today.
Plasmidsaurus now offers RNA sequencing for gene expression analysis:
• As fast as 3 day turnaround
• $50/sample for academia, $80 for industry
• Up to ~10M unique transcript 3’ end reads per sample
• Interactive results
Explore Plasmidsaurus RNA-Seq today.
October 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
🦖 Something HUGE just hatched.
Plasmidsaurus now offers RNA sequencing for gene expression analysis:
• As fast as 3 day turnaround
• $50/sample for academia, $80 for industry
• Up to ~10M unique transcript 3’ end reads per sample
• Interactive results
Explore Plasmidsaurus RNA-Seq today.
Plasmidsaurus now offers RNA sequencing for gene expression analysis:
• As fast as 3 day turnaround
• $50/sample for academia, $80 for industry
• Up to ~10M unique transcript 3’ end reads per sample
• Interactive results
Explore Plasmidsaurus RNA-Seq today.
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
🌿 Amazing opportunity for scientists from any field to move into plant biology! I might host a fellow in the area of root-microbe or root-environment interactions (DM me). 👉 simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-postdoctoral-fellowships-in-plant-biology
#PlantScience #ClimateChange #HarnessingPlants
#PlantScience #ClimateChange #HarnessingPlants
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology on Simons Foundation
simonsfoundation.org
October 13, 2025 at 6:16 PM
🌿 Amazing opportunity for scientists from any field to move into plant biology! I might host a fellow in the area of root-microbe or root-environment interactions (DM me). 👉 simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-postdoctoral-fellowships-in-plant-biology
#PlantScience #ClimateChange #HarnessingPlants
#PlantScience #ClimateChange #HarnessingPlants
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Excited to share DupyliCate - our new tool for discovery and characterization of gene duplications:
"DupyliCate - mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#Bioinformatics #Python #Genomics #Evolution
@puckerlab.bsky.social
"DupyliCate - mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#Bioinformatics #Python #Genomics #Evolution
@puckerlab.bsky.social
DupyliCate - mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications
Paralogs, copies of a gene, form an important basis for novelty during evolution. Analysis of such gene duplications is important to understand the emergence of novel traits during evolution. DupyliCa...
doi.org
October 14, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Excited to share DupyliCate - our new tool for discovery and characterization of gene duplications:
"DupyliCate - mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#Bioinformatics #Python #Genomics #Evolution
@puckerlab.bsky.social
"DupyliCate - mining, classifying, and characterizing gene duplications"
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#Bioinformatics #Python #Genomics #Evolution
@puckerlab.bsky.social
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
If you're on the job market and are working in any area of Plant Molecular Biology, check this out. We have a very strong group: Jeff Dangl, Joe Kieber, Greg Copenhaver, Jason Reed, Zack Nimchuk, and an incoming new assistant professor starting in January
bio.unc.edu/people/facul...
bio.unc.edu/people/facul...
October 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM
If you're on the job market and are working in any area of Plant Molecular Biology, check this out. We have a very strong group: Jeff Dangl, Joe Kieber, Greg Copenhaver, Jason Reed, Zack Nimchuk, and an incoming new assistant professor starting in January
bio.unc.edu/people/facul...
bio.unc.edu/people/facul...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
The @crick.ac.uk is recruiting Early Career Group Leaders
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Early career group leaders
We appoint researchers from across biology and biomedicine to set up their first groups at the Crick.
www.crick.ac.uk
October 10, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The @crick.ac.uk is recruiting Early Career Group Leaders
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
- Lab set-up, research costs, salaries for up to 5 researchers
- Support for up to 12 years
- Access to our core facilities
- Competitive salary
- Fantastic colleagues
- All areas of biology
Deadline 27 Nov
www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Look I know we're called Skype a Scientist but this semester the reality has been Zoom an Archaeologist lmao
Look I know it'll shock you to know this, but we are almost out of archeologists AGAIN.
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...
two men are pushing a small boat through the water .
Alt: Three young men are on a rowboat when it capsizes and then they salute as the ship sinks
media.tenor.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Look I know we're called Skype a Scientist but this semester the reality has been Zoom an Archaeologist lmao
Reposted by Sebastian Samwald (Basti) he/him
Look I know it'll shock you to know this, but we are almost out of archeologists AGAIN.
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...
two men are pushing a small boat through the water .
Alt: Three young men are on a rowboat when it capsizes and then they salute as the ship sinks
media.tenor.com
October 9, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Look I know it'll shock you to know this, but we are almost out of archeologists AGAIN.
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...
Do you know any archeologists? Are they willing to be matched with a LEGO team?
Please send 'em our way we need all hands on deck (STILL!)
We have had 585 requests for archeologists 🫠
forms.gle/PU3x7oayXGr3...