PlantLink

PlantLink Newsletter September 2020

We are happy to welcome you back to a new autumn with PlantLink!

As you understand we are closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation through LU and SLU recommendations as well as NordPlant member universities and are working on back-up plans and modifications for this autumn’s events. Updates will be posted/communicated as soon as any changes are made. To keep updated on activities, invite new colleagues to sign up for the newsletter here.

Newsletter content

  1. PlantLink Day 14 October
  2. NordPlant literature webinar 22 September
  3. Webinar Plant Biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa
  4. Pufendorf IAS Theme CRISPRideas symposium 13-14 October
  5. Virtual conference on Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food 20-21 October
  6. NordPlant Annual day Tromsö, Norway, 4-6 November
  7. CEC Fellows concept seminar on Food Security 
  8. Swedish Oikos conference 8-10 February 2021, Gothenburg
  9. Webinar series (LINXS): Let´s Drive into Atoms! 
  10. PhD course in Evolutionary Integrated Pest Management 26-27 Nov Alnarp
  11. Future Week at Lund UniversityForces in Motion 12-18 Oct
  12. Bioinformatics update and Varma new position
  13. BOKU position: Postdoctoral Research Associate
  14. UiT position: open Post doc position in Plant Molecular Biology
  15. PlantLink Researcher Rajni Hatti-Kaul and colleagues interviewed
  16. Researcher in the spotlight! We take this opportunity to congratulate Paul Becher and Klas Flärdh for their high-impact journal Nature Microbiology paper

1. PlantLink Day 14 October

Remember to sign up for the next PlantLink Day 14 October in Lund. It has the theme Plant Health. Confirmed speakers are Jack Vossen (WUR), Aruppillai Suthaparan (NMBU), Anna Runemark (LU), Louise Holmquist (MariboHilleshög), Aakash Chawade (SLU) and Lars Hestbjerg Hansen (University of Copenhagen). We will also have a theme on PlantHealth and education with Dominique This (L’institut Agro Montpellier/Erasmus+ ESCAPdE) and Josep Armengol Fortí(Universitat Politècnica de València/Erasmus Mundus Plant Health in Sustainable Cropping Systems). Sign up here:https://www.plantlink.se/sign-up-for-plantlink-day-14-october-1200-1630-in-lund/

2. NordPlant literature webinar 22 September

On 22 September we invite you all to NordPlant literature webinar. We will discuss a paper about automated quantification and classification of post-harvest damage by Emina Mulaosmanovic and colleagues. Emina is a PhD at the Department of Biosystems and Technology at SLU Alnarp. Anyone interested is welcome to join us at https://slu-se.zoom.us/j/65309503030 or join us in the Crafoord Hall, Alnarp. More info here: https://www.nordplant.org/2020/08/21/new-paper-on-automated-quantification-and-classification-of-post-harvest-damage-webinar-on-25-august/

3. Webinar “Plant Biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa” 23-24 September

Welcome to this webinar on “Plant Biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa – technology transfer and new policies”, 23 and 24 September 2020

Sub-Saharan Africa, where 60% of the population still live in rural areas, is the region in the world with the highest prevalence of undernourishment. To abolish hunger and feed a growing population without depleting natural resources, new innovations and tools are required. In this two-part webinar we will discuss the implications of plant biotechnology policies with a focus on selected East and West African countries (day 1) as well as potential use of plant biotechnology for cassava and potato crop improvement in sub-Saharan Africa. It targets researchers and those interested. Find the program and more information here: https://www.plantlink.se/webinar-plant-biotechnology-in-sub-saharan-africa-technology-transfer-and-new-policies-23-and-24-september-2020/

If you want to join please sign up to join the webinar below. It will be live through Zoom Webinar: https://slu-se.zoom.us/j/68461221546 or come to the physical venue: Crafoord Hall, at SLU Alnarp, Sweden

“Plant Biotechnology in sub-Saharan Africa – technology transfer and new policies” is a collaboration between SLU. CIP, IITA and UBIC funded by VR Swedish Research Links.

4. Pufendorf IAS Theme CRISPRideas symposium on “New genome editing technologies for medicine and agriculture – implications for society” 13-14 October

The symposium will take place in Lund and be livestreamed.

WHEN: 13-14 October 2020 (lunch to lunch symposium starting at 1 pm October 13

WHERE: Main lecture hall, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund or online

The symposium is organised by the Pufendorf IAS Theme CRISPRideas.

For programme and registration visit https://www.pi.lu.se/en/activities/theme-crisprideas/symposium

Genome-editing techniques have sparked a revolution in biological and medical research, as they allow precise, user-defined modification of the genomes of almost any plant or animal. This symposium will present scientific breakthroughs and their implications for research and the public. In the end, this will help us understand how this technology may change our society.

5. Virtual conference on Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food 20-21 October

Purpose: Understanding public concerns, values, and trust issues regarding gene editing in agriculture and food is a prerequisite to developing socially responsive policies, regulations, and private governance. This conference will present research and insights from social scientists and other scholars regarding social concerns and public engagement on gene editing in agriculture and food. Find more information here: https://geneeditedfoods.soc.iastate.edu/conference/

Register: This virtual conference event is free and open to decision makers, stakeholders, and the public.  Registration is required. Information on how to register coming in early September.

Contact: GEFconference@keystone.org

6. NordPlant Annual day Tromsö, Norway, 4-6 November

The next annual day for NordPlant will take place in Tromsö, Norway, 4-6 November with the title “Plant phenotyping and modelling for improved resilience in changing climate”. This day will also feature 2 short workshops, one for facility managers of phenotyping and climate facilities as well one on joint data standards for phenotyping data. Klára Panzarová from Photon Systems Instruments, Czech Republic, Annette Menzel from Technical University of Munich School of Life Sciences, Germany, Odd Arne Rognli/Morten Lillemo from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Kaisa Nieminen at LUKE and Timo Hytönen from the University of Helsinki. More information and sign up here: https://www.nordplant.org/2020/04/25/sign-up-for-the-2nd-nordplant-annual-meeting-5-6-november-2020-in-tromso/

7. CEC Fellows concept seminar on Food Security 

CEC Fellows concept seminar on Food Security at the 20th of May. The interesting presentations facilitated fruitful discussion and networking among the participants. We are planning on two more concept seminars during autumn, if you have suggestions for concepts please contact Marianne Hall (marianne.hall@cec.lu.se).
More information at cec.lu.se

8. Swedish Oikos conference8-10 February 2021

The conference will take place in Gothenburg, and the titles for 2 sessions are already set: (i) Biodiversity changes in the Anthropocene, and
(ii) Global change ecology from the Arctic to the Tropics.

More sessions are to come, read here for more information about the conference and updates : https://nordicsocietyoikos.eventbank.com/event/oikos-meeting-sweden-2021-19146/.

The organizers state that given the current uncertain situation with the coronavirus, the plan for the conference should be viewed as preliminary.

9. Webinar series (LINXS): Let´s Drive into Atoms! 

LINXS is launching a new webinar series introducing x-rays and neutrons from a methods perspective. The aim is to create a fundamental understanding of how you as a researcher can use the techniques offered by MAX IV and ESS in your own research, and how to write a proposal for beamtime at large scale facilities. The seminar series started the 3rd of June and will continue in September. Find more information here: https://www.linxs.se/linxs-webinar-series

10. PhD course in Evolutionary Integrated Pest Management 26-27 Nov Alnarp

A PhD course in Evolutionary Integrated Pest Management (1.5 credits) will be given online 26th-27th of Nove​mber and is now open for registration until 1st of November.

Modern agriculture suffers from pests and pathogens that evolved resistance to pesticides, a lack of genetic variation in crops, and the constant emergence of new and invasive pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic approach to combat pests using a combination of preventive and curative actions, which is prescribed as the future pest management strategy within the EU. The objective of the course is to exemplify how evolutionary research could be used within integrated pest management and to foster interdisciplinary research and collaboration. We also aim to bring together PhD students in evolutionary biology, agriculture and horticulture to increase their network and to stimulate new research ideas.

Read more about the course here: https://www.slu.se/utbildning/program-kurser/kurser/?sprak=en&anmkod=P0014.2021

Deadline to register for the course is 1st of November and should be made to Kristina.karlsson.green@slu.se.

11.  Future Week at Lund University: Forces in Motion 12-18 Oct 2020.

The popular science Future Week (Framtidsveckan) will be held in Lund on 12-18 October. This year, the Future Week will be organized either as a physical meeting or virtually. Under the topic “Forces in Motion”, the Future Week will debate what small and large forces are set in motion – in society and in nature – and how these can affect our future.

To participate, contact project manager Louise Pierce, louise.pierce@kommunikation.lu.se

Read more at lu.se

12. Bioinformatics update and Varma’s new position

We would like to thank bioinformatician Varma Saripella who stopped working for PlantLink in May. Since 2012 PlantLink has given support to about 20 larger bioinformatics projects leading to more than 20 publications. It has also supported the infrastructure of the “PlantLink server” (still alive!), which was complemented with the server “Udda” in 2018 and now most recently with a third server “Even” in 2020. Our commitment to bioinformatics in plant research continues, however, and will find new venues. Varma is continuing as a full time staff bioinformatician at SLU Alnarp as part of the SLUBI initiative. https://www.plantlink.se/plantlink-bioinformatics/

13. BOKU position: Postdoctoral Research Associate

A Postdoctoral Research Associate at BOKU in Vienna in the field of plant pathology, innovative and sustainable plant protection is available: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/548488

14. UiT position: open Post doc position in Plant Molecular Biology

UiT position: Connected to our new Bioenergy project, we have an open Post doc position in Plant Molecular Biology in UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø:

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/190646/postdoctoral-research-fellow-in-plant-biotechnology-bioenergy

15. PlantLink Researcher Rajni Hatti-Kaul and colleagues interviewed

PlantLink Researcher Rajni Hatti-Kaul and colleagues were interviewed about the production of future sustainable plastic in the STEPS project. Read more in this article on the LTH website: – http://www.lth.se/article/nu-fylls-ett-kunskapsglapp-kring-plast/

16. Researcher in the spotlight

We take this opportunity to congratulate Paul Becher and Klas Flärdh for high-impact journal Nature Microbiologypaper “Developmentally regulated volatiles geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol attract a soil arthropod to Streptomyces bacteria promoting spore dispersal” which was partly funded by a PlantLink seed money grant!