🦠 Happy #WorldMicrobiomeDay!

The future of European #nematology will be built by networks. The new COST Action #NEXUS (CA25155) is now open. If you’re a PhD student, postdoc, early-career PI, or work with nematodes, explore the Working Groups and apply. 📄 More information: www.cost.eu/actions/CA25...

Are you a recent Ph.D. graduate? Apply for the Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists. The $30,000 grand prize will be awarded for outstanding research in cell and molecular biology, genomics, ecology, or molecular medicine. Apply by 15 July: https://scim.ag/4lUpKMN

Scientists target soybean cyst nematode by cutting off its food supply phys.org/news/2026-06...

💼 Two job opportunities! 1️⃣ Senior Nematologist position at BASF, Ghent 🇧🇪 workatbasfgent.be/job/nematolo... 2️⃣ Unit Head: Nematology, Western Cape 🇿🇦 senwes.mcidirecthire.com/External/Job...

🌲 Suppressing a nematode in the lab & protecting a plant are not the same thing. Key message from a seminar I gave last week: strong in vitro nematode suppression doesn't necessarily translate into consistent host protection. Bridging this gap remains a major challenge for biocontrol.

For colonization success, should hosts and microbes travel alone, together, or swap partners along the way? Usui et al. @usuitakuji.bsky.social @mfrederickson.bsky.social nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Results from Y. J. Wang et al. indicate that #Pinus koraiensis deploys multitiered defenses against #Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, including early oxidative burst and sustained JA/SA signaling, yet B. xylophilus still affects the pine: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-24-1704-RE #plantdisease

Esmaeil Miraeiz, Lucas Borges dos Santos, and Matthew E. Hudson highlight how integrative functional genomics is reshaping the discovery of resistance genes, clarifying soybean cyst nematode virulence strategies, & guiding the development of more durable management approaches: https://bit.ly/4u9fiVb

🌱 From sustainable nematode management to science communication. PurPest Communication & Dissemination Officer @david1822.bsky.social took part in the Meet the Researcher seminar series, reflecting on the importance of science communication. 🔗 www.purpest.eu/news/meet-th...

📢 The second #NEMEMERGE #newsletter is coming soon 📥 Don’t miss the latest project updates, including research highlights, conference participation and field activities on soil-borne #nematodes🪱 👉 #Subscribe now to receive it: nem-emerge.eu/newsroom/new... @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu

🌱 Delighted to share our latest review on legume seed endophytes as natural bioinoculants for sustainable agriculture. Part of the 🇵🇹🇪🇸 #EndoLEGUME project, funded by Fundação la Caixa. 📖 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... @itqbnova.bsky.social

Root-knot nematode symptoms/signs on Southern peas. Nematodes feed on roots forming distinct galls or knots that help block nutrient/water uptake leading to stunted growth, wilting & yellow foliage. Damage can cause premature death & reduced yields @eurl-ppns.bsky.social @plantdisease.bsky.social

It's that time of year when the JIFs are out. Over-reliance on it fuels integrity risks like papermills & fraud. Everything is connected! Join us in shifting the focus from venue prestige to merit. Explore RRA resources & course: sfdora.org/reports/ & bit.ly/DORA-Intro-Course

Very excited to share our new preprint on DGR-1: a nematode master regulator controlling the switch from destructive to biotrophic effectors. We show that nematodes hijack the natural compartmentalisation of plant signals to fine-tune DGR-1 expression. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

📄 New paper in Microbial Ecology How do soil microbial diversity, organic matter, & soil structure influence soilborne plant diseases? We review the mechanisms behind pathogen survival, spread, and suppression, and how management can foster disease-suppressive soils. 🔗 doi.org/10.1007/s002...

📄 New paper in Microbial Ecology Our review examines how soil microbial diversity, organic matter, and soil structure influence the survival, spread, and suppression of soilborne plant pathogens. doi.org/10.1007/s002...

📗 New book chapter coming out very soon! 🥳

We're pleased to share that PurPest has been featured in Issue 26 of The Innovation Platform, highlighting our work to develop new approaches for protecting plant health and strengthening biosecurity across Europe. 🔗 Find out more: www.purpest.eu/news/purpest...

New episode alert! Host Matt Kasson sits down with Dr. Melanie Medina López of Penn State University to discuss phytobiomes, soybean cyst nematode research, and the role of biocontrol in agriculture. 🎧 Listen now: https://www.plantopiapodcast.org/72

Had a great time at #esn2026 in lovely Egmond aan Zee. It’s always great to catch up with my fellow EIC, Rolo Perry and to thank Nematology authors and reviewers in person. Thanks to DeGruyter-Brill for their support and to the organizers for a great conference. #nematology

📈 Review just hit 10 citations under 12 months: www.researchgate.net/profile/Davi... Happy to see it’s useful and getting traction in the community. Read the paper here: doi.org/10.3390/nitr...

Exciting workshop at ESN organised by YNN: “Knot” what we expected: extracting value from negative results, organised by YNN. Dstnguished researchers @sebastianevda.bsky.social, Godelieve Gheysen, and Florian Grundler shared stories of research that didn’t go as planned but led to valuable insights.

“Enhancing Prediction of Soybean Cyst Nematode Spatial Distribution Through Geostatistical Optimization: A Comparison of Manual and Automated Sampling Methods,” by Richard S. González Aquino et al. Learn more: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-24-2033-RE

🌾🧠 RESEARCH PAPER 🧠🌾 Intergenerational acquired resistance to root-knot nematodes in rice is related to histone modifications of defense and development genes, with MPK5 being marked by H3K4me4 in offspring of nematode-infected plants - Atighi et al. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jxb/... #PlantScience 🧪

PurPest's second stakeholder webinar brought together participants from 24 countries to discuss: 🔬 Plant health threats impacting crops & forests 👃 VOC-based "e-nose" technologies 🌱 Socioeconomic implications Missed the webinar? Full recording available here: www.purpest.eu/news/experts...

🌱🧬 Soybean lines with the SRKN resistance QTL on chromosome 10 had fewer root knot nematodes in field trials. Off target dicamba exposure increased nematode density and weakened resistance. New resistance loci may exist beyond QTL 10. #plantscience acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

NEMATODE MONDAY: 1st generation Southern Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) on tomato. Infected roots have small galls. Eventually, infected plants will become stunted & yellow (Nitrogen deficiency) and may wilt in the heat of the day @plantdisease.bsky.social @david1822.bsky.social

My alma mater, the University of Minho, covered my recent @botany.one interview in a press feature. Grateful for the recognition! www.ecum.uminho.pt/pt/_layouts/...

I painted the symptoms of potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis on potato roots. Learn more: hgpenningtonart.com/... This is the fourth of twelve nematode illustrations planned for 2026.

🚨 Spots are still available for our Stakeholder Webinar on VOC sensors for early pest & pathogen detection, but registration is closing very soon. Don't miss out!

Have We Forgotten the Names of Plants? www.botany.one/have-we-forg... New research finds that people are no worse at naming common wild plants than they were two decades ago, but younger adults may be missing out on everyday plant knowledge. #Botany #PlantScience

The root-lesion nematode #Pratylenchus vulnus parasitizes a wide range of hosts, including woody perennials such as walnut and grapevine, significantly damaging roots and reducing yields. Dadong Dai et al. present a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of P. vulnus: https://bit.ly/4u48AiZ

David Pires: Using Fungi to Fight Microscopic Plant Pests www.botany.one/david-pires-... Botany One interviews David Pires, a PhD candidate studying plant-parasitic nematodes and nature-based solutions for healthier crops and forests. #Botany #PlantScience

🎙️ Delighted to finally share my interview with @botany.one about my PhD research on plant-parasitic nematodes and sustainable pest management, reflecting on my academic and scientific journey, motivations, and more! Full interview: www.botany.one/david-pires-...

The Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation is open for public consultation. The strategy identifies the global biodiversity targets that will not be met unless fungal #biodiversity is protected and sustainably used. 👉 Give your feedback here bit.ly/4wCyVX2 by 22 June. #fungi #conservation

Results from Denis Gitonga et al. highlight that both host plants and soil-related factors are critical in determining plant-parasitic nematode distribution and abundance in South Florida’s tropical fruit fields. Learn more: https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-25-0445-RE

🌱 Coming this Wednesday! Really excited to share that @botany.one, the official blog of the @annbot.bsky.social, interviewed me about my PhD research, plant-parasitic nematodes, and sustainable approaches to plant health. More soon 👀 Thanks for the opportunity @caordonezparra.bsky.social!

⏳ One week to go! Registration remains open for our Stakeholder Webinar on VOC sensors for early pest & pathogen detection. 🔬 VOC sensor development 🌍 Agricultural & forestry threats 📈 Socioeconomic impacts of early detection technologies 📌 Programme & registration: www.purpest.eu/news/purpest...

🌱🍄 Researchers uncovered key details about how #soil #fungi form symbiotic partnerships with plants, helping sustain #ecosystems and #nutrient cycling. #SoilMicrobiology #Ecology #Biodiversity #MicroSky via @sciencex.bsky.social

Interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) and other phytopathogens can lead to disease complexes. Alison Blundell et al. discuss specific aspects of PPN life cycles that may facilitate disease complex formation: https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-10-25-0154-FI

🦠It takes a village--a #bacterial village! 🔖Keystone taxa of phyllosphere microbiome confer resistance to #citrus bacterial canker in pomelo. 🍃Read this important new study by Yuan et al. right here in #JIPB! doi.org/10.1111/jipb... @wileylifesci.bsky.social #PlantSci #plant #pathology

Presented part of my PhD research at the 1st Portugal–Korea Joint Forum on Pine Wilt Disease, held in Lisbon

👥 PurPest partners met earlier this week in Germany to align the project's sensor validation roadmap ahead of field deployment activities. 🔬 The consortium is prioritizing mature VOC sensor systems & preparing controlled field campaigns. Read more: www.purpest.eu/news/purpest...

🔬 #NEMEMERGE researchers developed a more reliable way to identify Meloidogyne luci #nematode #Ethiopia 🌱 🧬 By DNA sequencing & morphological analysis, they created a stronger diagnostic tool to distinguish this pest from similar species. 📑 brill.com/view/journal... @scienceinnovation.ec.europa.eu

Cavalcade-Mediated Resistance Alters Tomato-Root-Knot Nematode Interactions and Limits Nematode Infection https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.18.726089v1