We are devastated to announce that our colleague and friend Professor Philippa Borrill died over the Easter weekend following a rare immune system disorder (HLH). She was a fantastic scientist, collaborator and mentor, and a close friend to many: www.jic.ac.uk/news/profess...

Our #pint26 programme and tickets are released in 2 weeks! To celebrate we will have a taster event in Norwich on Mon 13 April. 🎫Get your tickets here: pintofscience.co.uk/event/a-half... Pint of Science will be 18-20 May. @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social @johninnescentre.bsky.social

Plant science research weekly, March 27 plantae.org/plant-scienc... Review: Rare variants in crop genomes; “Conservatory” uncovers conserved non-coding sequences; Quinine deconstructed; Hornwort Rubisco promotes pyrenoids in other plants; Salt extrusion from mangrove pneumatophores (1/2)

Congratulations to the Seung group for its @currentbiology.bsky.social article based on a survey of 105 species in the grass family Pooideae 🌾: www.cell.com/current-biol...

The February 2026 issue of Plant Physiology from ASPB @aspbofficial and Oxford University Press is now COMPLETE! Check it out here: academic.oup.com/plphys/issue... #PlantSci

We recently ran our second intro event for colleagues from across the JIC and Norwich Research Park to come and explore our Historic Collections 📖🔬 If you‘re interested in arranging a visit, you can learn more on our website now: www.jic.ac.uk/research-imp...

@monogram-uk.bsky.social Monogram UK 2026 Pre-conference ECR Workshop sign ups are now open! Free to attend, with loads of skills development and fun networking opportunities. Sign up via QR code below. Please share!

Amyloplasts of Brachypodium endosperm Esch et al. @johninnescentre.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

📅 Advanced registration closes Monday, 15 December 2025! Don’t miss your chance to secure your spot at the International Wheat Congress 2026. Register now: www.iwc2026.com

I used to run this event. Today I am working at it with @braininjuryhrc.bsky.social

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 📚🌱

We're still buzzing after yesterday’s session with 95 amazing students diving into plant science, food security, and sustainability. Their enthusiasm and questions show that the next generation of scientists is ready to make a difference. 🌾🌱

I had great fun joining this event today. It was a privilege to share my career journey so far and I enjoyed chatting with undergraduates about everything relating to wheat and plant science 🌱🌾

📣 Applications are now OPEN for the John Innes Foundation Rotation PhD Programme This 4-year #PhD programme trains graduate students in Plant & Microbial Sciences at The Sainsbury Laboratory, @johninnescentre.bsky.social and @earlhaminst.bsky.social 🗓️ Apply before 13 Nov '25 ➡️ okt.to/qjy60T

Applications are now OPEN for the JIF Rotation PhD Programme This prestigious 4-year #PhD programme trains graduate students in Plant and Microbial Sciences at the JIC, @thesainsburylab.bsky.social and @earlhaminst.bsky.social. 🗓️ Closing date - 13 November 2025 www.jic.ac.uk/training-car...

Today I had a great time attending a writing workshop led by Mary Williams (@plantteaching.bsky.social). I came away with many tips for writing papers, a greater understanding of the peer review process and I enjoyed our discussion about AI and writing 📝 🖥️

It was so great having you at @johninnescentre.bsky.social! Some amazing conversations on AI in writing, teaching, and the importance of plants 🌾 Grateful to be a part of the @aspbofficial.bsky.social community ❤️

Today's the last day to apply for the Plant Cell Assistant Features Editor (AFE) program, usually postdocs or senior PhD students! It's a fantastic opportunity, a great learning experience & a lot of fun too. If you aren't quite ready, in June 2026 Plant Physiology will open its own call for AFEs 👍

I'm really looking forward to visiting Norwich again and sharing my perspective on why plants are the most amazing and important organisms in the universe! 🌱💚

🚨The Plant Cell Assistant Features Editors Application is Closing Soon!🌿 Learn more and apply now👉https://blog.aspb.org/the-plant-cell-is-accepting-applications-for-assistant-features-editors/. #PlantScience

#PlastidPreview2025 A big thank you to all our excellent presenters and participants for making this meeting such a stimulating and engaging event. Grateful to be part of the inspiring Plastid Biology community!!

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!

We are now joined by @rosemcn.bsky.social‬ from the @johninnescentre.bsky.social‬, who is sharing her work on generating giant starch granules in wheat. What a fantastic project! #PlastidPreview2025

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...

And we are off! The conference has officially begun with our opening remarks from @thepallavisingh.bsky.social. A huge welcome to everyone joining us, both in person and online! Let's get started 🌱🚀 #PlastidPreview2025

Up first in Session I, we have Thomas Navarro from the Seung Lab at @johninnescentre.bsky.social! He is sharing his exciting work on how to improve diploid potatoes using a novel gene silencing technology. What an interesting project! #PlastidPreview2025‬

The stage is now with @ciara-obrien.bsky.social‬ from the Seung Lab at @johninnescentre.bsky.social. She is presenting on how starch phosphorylase is necessary for normal starch granule initiation in potato tubers. Great insight into potato biology! #PlastidPreview2025‬

The Plastid Preview 2025 spirit has taken over the Pallavi Singh Lab! 🌿🧬 We are gearing up for an exciting meeting of early career researchers in the plant sciences community. Don’t miss the excitement, we look forward to seeing you on 1–2 September! 📅 #PlastidPreview2025 #PlantScience

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!

Plantae Fellows from past and present, near and far, gathered #IRL at #PlantBio2025, creating community year after year!🌱 📣Application is now open for the 2025-2026 Plantae Fellows program! Learn more and apply by August 31! plantae.org/2026fellowsapp/

I had a great time presenting my work on potato starch at #PlantBio2025 🥔 @aspbofficial.bsky.social For more info see my poster 300-73! Great to have two presentations from the Seung Lab at @johninnescentre.bsky.social in the same session, and another on Tuesday 🌱

Wonderful wildflowers: #LifeAtJIC home and away 🌼🌷 Thanks to Dr Anne Edwards for sharing snaps of the special wildflower mixes (“Flowers of the Great White Wall” and “Medieval Carpet”) which were sold to staff and students on-site this year - just one of our many #biodiversity boosting initiatives!

✨ #pint25 in the world 🌎27 countries 📍+500 cities 📅2900 events 🗣️6100 speakers 💪6850 organisers 🤩+130 000 attendees WHAT A YEAR!! Share your experience with us, anywhere in the world as an attendee, speaker or team. We want to hear from you! 🥳🔽 forms.gle/7BAZCygXu2nY...

This is a great program. We started in in 2016 and it just gets better and better! Check out some past fellows who are on Bluesky: @philcarella.bsky.social @mattbnt.bsky.social @psaima.bsky.social @fromani.bsky.social @sjb287.bsky.social @aribidopsis.bsky.social @cavycavs.bsky.social

Someone asked if they could use this recording in their teaching. #PlantSci YES! 😁 Please share this with students - the topics raised are so important. Let's teach students (and colleagues?) to think critically about expectations for basic research, & be realistic about applications! 🌱🌾🌽

Attended several great talks today at the International Wheat Symposium hosted by @johninnescentre.bsky.social Got a great glimpse into the cutting edge wheat research and breeding efforts happening across major international institutes. #WheatResearch #CropGenetetics #WheatBreeding

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 🌾

I'll be there, talking about plants, of course 💚.

#NoCass2025 registration now open! If you're a student or post-doc at Norwich or Cambridge, join us at the Norwich-Cambridge Science Symposium on 4-5 September - a great chance to share research & form collaborations. Find out more & register: lnkd.in/eH3We78t @nocassofficial.bsky.social

Last week I had a great time at Pint of Science talking about all things biofilm! I spoke about why biofilm research is important and how it affects your every day life. Thanks to all the organisers for this fab experience!! #pint25 @pintofscience.uk @quadraminstitute.bsky.social

Really enjoyed tonight's pint of science talks in Norwich, about NMR and ferrofluids - very cool! 🧲🍩 #pint25

Great event yesterday at the @pintofscience.uk in Norwich. We looked at electrifying microbes in an anaerobic environment but also at the definitions of infinite and its implications in cosmology. What's better than drinking beer and listening to science?

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

🔥This is what the second night of #pint25 looked like in the UK🇬🇧! What an amazing night across our 45 locations! Thanks for all your posts!👓 Can you spot yourself in the collage?✨ Are you ready for the final night? Don't miss your last chance to join us! Programme & tickets: pintofscience.co.uk

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

It’s Pint of Science Festival this week! 🍺🧬🧪 We are off to a great start with fabulous talks at our development-themed event last night 🎉🫀🐥🧠 Tickets are still available for the next two nights of science at 5 venues across Norwich! See pintofscience.co.uk to grab yours! 🍺 #pint25 @pintofscience.uk

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