Friendly reminder that we call eggplant eggplant because the "normal" eggplant used to look like this

An in planta single-cell screen to accelerate functional genetics--very cool application of the TMV vector pTRBO by Elizabeth Sattely’s Lab 😎 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

My comment on “AlphaFold models of host-pathogen interactions elucidate the prevalence and structural modes of molecular mimicry”. 👇🏼 "I thank the authors for sharing this impressive large-scale analysis of AlphaFold models for…" — @kamounlab disq.us/p/34sf7oq

A new twist on the apoplastic interactions taking place between Phytophthora infestans and tomato 🍅 Kudos Jie Huang @jieoxford et al. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

What is the major role of anthocyanins—painting flowers, acting as sunscreens, responding to stress, or defending against pathogens? Our latest paper dives into the diversity and ecological functions of anthocyanins 🌈🌿 doi.org/10.1186/s128... #PlantSciences #Anthocyanins @bpucker.bsky.social

The Peter Principle—promotion is a precursor to problems—random promotions would be a better system? I love reading @TheEconomist — makes you think apple.news/AOXKm1ZChQIm...

Last newsletter of 2025 highlighting a few of GetGenome’s recent activities.

“Original” blots/gel scans (before cropping) as source data, says @cellpress.bsky.social #CellOnions Good principle, but it’s just theatre. #ScienceCrisis 🤡

Mostly sunny 😎 #Norwich

I just published: A Zeagroni for 2026 🌽🍸 On writing as thinking, cocktails as cultural mashups, and why pauses matter. A brief New Year note before the blog goes quiet — and a glass is raised. medium.com/p/a-zeagroni...

And it shall forever be known as the #Zeagroni 🌽🇲🇽🇮🇹🥂https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize

It’s icy in Norwich. Just heard my PhD student slipped on the ice. Don’t worry — the laptop is OK. 😝

It's that time of year when I go on an online detox in some not so secret location 😊📷 🌱 🐜 🐝 🦋 🦅 🦢 🏝️ Switched off X/twitter, bluesky, email etc. Happy Hols & New Year! Back Jan5 Meanwhile, here is a reflection on what 2025 was like👇🏼

Brahim Dahak | La préparation du thé | 2001 L’ècole de Tunis animée par @NanoBanana 🇹🇳 fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89c...

I hear about it every time I click on something… ⁦‪@Cloudflare‬⁩ stocks.apple.com/AVodYgH7dR9O...

The Florentine Codex in Motion: 16th Century Aztec Farmer 🇲🇽 @NanoBanana en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florent...

🌍🚜👩‍🌾🌽🐄🥛Climate change will hit hard with new (or supercharged) weeds, pests and diseases while making current practices less efficient. We know what research is needed, govts need to fund it. Scientists must talk with farmers, consumers and decision makers. And cut the flashy buy flaky pseudocience.

“At that moment, you are a scientist.”

The key global crops, wheat, rice and maize, are expected to see the losses to pests increase by about 46%, 19% and 31% respectively when global heating reaches 2C 👇 www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

I just published: 2025 the year in review It’s that time of year when we recap our team’s publications and other highlights. medium.com/p/2025-the-y...

Cloudflare @cloudflare.social is killing the internet

Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) provides fully funded scholarships forDPhil/PhD study at University of Oxford, where students directly aim to solve some of humanity’s most enduring challenges. Applications now open! www.eit.org/scholars/gra...

I just published: GetGenome in 2025: onward and upward 2025 was a big year for @GetGenome. We doubled down on our mission to democratize genomics, connect early-career researchers, and amplify microbial voices from every corner of the planet. medium.com/p/getgenome-...

THE DOCTORS CAN’T STOP GENOCIDE THE WORLD’S LEADERS CAN Condesa, CDMX 🇲🇽 🇵🇸

New preprint on pop #genomics of #spittlebug—the main insect vector of Xylella, the bacterium that has ravaged olive groves in southern Italy 🇮🇹 🫒 Take-home: problematic insect vector may be less widespread than initially thought—important implications for disease control 💥 👇

We have a new preprint! In this study, we use #genomic data to uncover population structure and adaptive potential in the meadow #spittlebug, the main European #vector of #Xylella fastidiosa.

In Praise of Experts “AI is about to flood the internet (and the scientific literature) with even more content. Some of it will be brilliant…Much of it will be mediocre. A lot of it will be confidently wrong.…The risk is that we end up…where nonsense begets more nonsense…passed off as insight.”

Shoutout to @annualreviews.bsky.social “In a sea of polished, plausible noise, expertise matters more than ever.” New blog 👇🏾

"Expertise matters more than ever" I agree #Editors😉

"If you want to live a happy life, tie to a goal, not to a person or an object" — Alberto Einsteino

I just published: In praise of experts: distinguishing sense from nonsense in the age of AI Can chatbots flag bad science? In a sea of polished, plausible noise, expertise matters more than ever. medium.com/p/in-praise-...

We live in a matcha world. And don’t like it.

Shakshuka mexicana 🇲🇽 🇹🇳 #MexFood #TunFood

Stunning #MexFood 🇲🇽 dinner at @ Raiz (roots) in Polanco CDM. Highlight: escamoles—ant eggs, a.k.a. caviar with attitude. 🐜✨ www.restauranteraiz.com

#MustRead Europe: The Continent is stuck on a path of disastrous decline apple.news/A5Y7HFlc7QoG...

“If you don’t train them, it starts to deteriorate a little bit.”— Mikel Arteta

More unsolicited advice for early career researchers: 8. Just do it! Just keep moving, keep taking initiative, and good things will follow. It’s the only sensible way to spend our limited time on this planet and value life. kamounlab.medium.com/7-random-uns...

I’m appalled at how #UltraProceasedFood continues to take over the UK. @GOVUK asleep at the wheel… This now @HeathrowAirport 👇🏼 “Jude’s Very Vanilla is UPF (NOVA 4). Even the “nice” ice creams usually rely on stabilisers/emulsifiers.”

GetGenome is proud to partner with @johninnescentre.bsky.social , @cimmyt.bsky.social , @gatesfoundation.bsky.social and #DEWAS to advance a bottom-up, equitable approach to access genomics 🌾 🧬 “Battling crop diseases without borders” www.jic.ac.uk/blog/battlin...

Apparently, there is something called the PSL Scale. And it’s not about pumpkins 🎃 👀 www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/insi...

🌱 2x David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships at @slcuplants.bsky.social Unique opportunity for early-career researchers to launch their own independent research programme in quantitative plant development, with generous support & world-class facilities. www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/david-s...

If I get any of these emails, the whole domain goes in the spamlist. I dare @Wiley

This is creepy, full-on predatory-journal energy. Yo @WileyGlobal Get a grip! #WileyCoyote #sciencecrisis

This is brilliant! AI for Science Strategy @GOVUK www.gov.uk/government/p...

#HeardToday #LabMeeting “That’s just stamp collecting.” …And what exactly is wrong with stamp collecting?

Please RT‼️ #TenureTrack position @zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de one of the best #proteostasis research centres in the world. www.nature.com/naturecareer...

Thank you Roger Castells-Graells @rcastellsg.bsky.social for the shoutout! 🙏 Love seeing the next gen of cancer biologists getting started 💥 #CelebratingAlumni doi.org/10.1038/s430...

Structural biologist dividing their birthday cake… naturally assembles it as a hexadecamer. Symmetry first, wishes second.

Congrats Agnieszka Golics, New @WageningenUR Chair in Plant Breeding: ‘The tech revolution is boosting crop improvement’ www.wur.nl/en/news/new-...

Thrilled to join the @kamounlab.bsky.social! Looking forward to contributing and collaborating on exciting projects ahead. Thanks for the warm welcome Sophien!