A milestone for plant genomics just out @natgenet.nature.com 130 bryophyte genomes! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Determining presence-absence variation (PAV) across reference genomes is a major goal of pangenome analysis. It turns out that A LOT of gene PAV is due to methodological artifacts. We explore the causes of this in soybean and cotton datasets in our recent preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Very excited to announce @vuruputoor.bsky.social upcoming #PhD defense in @uconneeb.bsky.social ! #genomics marathon on land plant genome evolution, from the smallest to largest - special focus on conservation genomics in #hemlocks @nature.org @ebpgenome.bsky.social @uconnresearch.bsky.social

One week to go!!! So excited to host our colleagues next week in the Happy Valley of Pennsylvania! Over 150 registrants from around the world!! If you’re interested in coming but unable to join in person - email me to learn about virtual options forestgeneticsconference2025.com #forestgenetics2025

Thrilled to share our new paper as co-first author with @nikishapatel.bsky.social 🌱🧪 We explore whole genome duplication and its effect on gene expression in moss as it shifts from haploid (n) to diploid (2n) gametophyte via apospory. Please check it out: doi.org/10.1111/nph....

Perfect spring day in the conifer collection @arnoldarboretum.bsky.social for the @nature.org Trees In Peril meeting: inspiring discussions to continue conservation efforts @uconnresearch.bsky.social @vuruputoor.bsky.social @meghanmyles.bsky.social @airianna-mcguire.bsky.social #beech #hemlock #ash

The recording of last week's #PolyploidyWebinar featuring @raymondcast.bsky.social and @erichagen.bsky.social is now up! youtu.be/zmUyTO3jN6s

I’m really excited to share an update on my work with the eastern hemlocks! Please join if you can! 🌲

🚨Urgent: Help Save Decades of Work by Navajo Botanists🚨 For decades, Arnold Clifford has built up the Carrizo Mountain Herbarium. Now, this collection is at risk—snowstorms are causing the roof to cave in, putting >30,000 specimens in danger. #IndigenousScience #Conservation #MutualAid #botany

Really happy that the @marineevoeco.com lab played a very small part in this really cool paper published with the @roneilllab.bsky.social, @vuruputoor.bsky.social, @noahreid.bsky.social, @jillwegrzyn.bsky.social and others! Big thanks to Gabe Barrett for connecting UConn and URI research teams

Biology Associate Professor Awarded Nation’s Highest Honor for Early-Career Researchers https://buff.ly/4hxplMW

Photos & bar codes can’t do this! Herbarium collections can be used in ways the collectors never imagined. This is why natural history collections are still relevant in the 21st century. #botany 🌾🧪

Congratulations to everyone!!! Shout out to my superstar supervisor @jillwegrzyn.bsky.social being one of the awardees 🤩🤩

Check out our new article just out in The Conversation highlighting the effects of warming leaves +4°C in tropical trees. 🌿🌡️ theconversation.com/study-shows-...

Looking for fabulous seminar speakers to give keynotes and invited talks? Check out the WOCinEEB speaker list! www.wocineeb.org/resources.ht...

Nice presentation by Meghan Myles on cartograplant integrating masses of genotypes, phenotypes and environmental data all in place. At the digital tools session at #PAG32

I just spent the last half hour catching up on posts about #PAG32- I’m missing out on all the fun! Enjoy the conference everyone! Keep posting about your work on Bluesky!! ✨

The insanity of being a fire ecologist in the epicenter of a major fire event, bags packed and ready to evacuate, watching active fire from my window, while taking media requests and explaining to the public, for the 100,000th time how climate change is largely responsible for this

Please join us this Friday morning at #PAG32 ! We'll be featuring talks on genomic resources for species of conservation concern at the Org.one session! #conservation #genomics @evobotany.bsky.social @nanoporetech.com Schedule: plan.core-apps.com/pag32/event/...

Last min. opening in our #EASEL #EnTAP session at #PAG32 - structural & functional eukaryote genome annotation! Seeking short talks from those that applied these tools & would like to sing their praises. We might also accept light criticism ;) plan.core-apps.com/pag32/event/...

This Sat night #PAG32! @brandonlind.bsky.social & I will be leading #CartograPlant workshop: genotype, phenotype, & environment for plant pops - #FAIRdata submission w/ @meghanmyles.bsky.social, mobile phenotyping w/ #TreeSnap, environmental layer integration, & analytics supported by @nextflow.io

Here are the daily color stripes for the North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomaly, updated through December 22, 2024. We're now on day 2 of setting a new record daily high temperature.

Starterpack of WoC and non-binary PoC in EcoEvo. Specifically, those of us who are members of the #WoCinEEB slack community. I'll keep adding people in the next few days. Please let me know if I missed you! Happy to provide info on how to join our community 💜 Please share! 🙏🏽 go.bsky.app/9iCneeT

Genomes of 2 invasive #adelgids impacting N.A. conifers revealed genes linked to plant immunity suppression & conservation of cys-loop LGIC receptors - led by an amazing team @uconnramp.bsky.social @evobotany.bsky.social @vuruputoor.bsky.social @gallseeker.bsky.social @saskiahogenhout.bsky.social 🌲

Around this time every year, I share a list of ways to support Native people. From supporting Indigenous people seeking abortion care to defending Native voting rights and keeping Native families together, here are some causes worth supporting. 🧵

Thanksgiving always comes with a side of historical amnesia. While we’re passing the stuffing, let’s remember: this land wasn’t ‘discovered,’ it was stolen. Gratitude is great, but so is truth—and action for Indigenous rights.

Mitigation costs in perspective

Coming in December: Registration for the first joint conference between WFGA-SFTIC-NFGA June 23-27, 2025 in State College, PA - See you there!! #ForestGenetics2025 #climateadaptation #treebreeding #restoration #seedsourcing #biotechnology #conservation #foresthealth forestgeneticsconference2025.com

Big weekend for UCONN basketball so it’s probably a good time to note that the school is cutting 15% from all academic units over the next five years to cover a $70M deficit, yet continues to subsidize athletics with over $30M per year from the academic side.

Abstracts are due today! Join @cynthiawebster.bsky.social and I as we walk you through genome assembly! Sign up for the genome assembly workshop :)

We developed an interactive tool to illustrate how the racist policy of redlining in American cities—revoked decades ago—continues to shape people's lives today. The tool includes data on air pollution, traffic, tree coverage, and more: www.rand.org/well-being/c... #SOTU

A scientist reacts to stock photos: If you EVER put your nasty white powder DIRECTLY on my analytical weigh scale, you will NEVER see the Kingdom of Heaven. Weigh boats were invented for a reason.

How did we lose our tails? Blame it on the Alu! Really interesting work lead by @itaiyanai.bsky.social 🧪 #Science #EvoDevo

The #Biodiversity & #Conservation Genomics training program is accepting a new cohort of @uconn.bsky.social undergrads starting this Summer! Integrated research w/ @UConnMCB @uconneeb.bsky.social - sequencing IUCN Red List species @cgsg.bsky.social with @nanopore.bsky.social - apply by March 11th!

Petition to urge Duke University not to close its herbarium ✍️ chng.it/TL77FmWNYv #histsci #evobio #philsci 🌿🌍 #envhist 📜🧪

sad news - Duke University decided to dump their herbarium, which has over 800,000 plant specimens, one of the largest among in America, and includes many type specimens of Lady Gaga ferns. What a shame. Please stop Duke admins for making this horrible mistake!!

This right here. As experts like @katharinehayhoe.com and others have pointed out, the knowledge deficit model simply does not work. COVID, climate change, Jan 6, it doesn't matter. This should be a foundational piece of knowledge for any academic, advocacy, and journalistic work.

How many individuals from under-represented groups have left a STEM career because of an unsustainable allostatic load? How many are currently close to their threshold? So much more the community can do to address this #AcademicSky #WomeninSTEM www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The 2nd biennial meeting of the North American Forest Genetics Society (June 10-14th 2024) will be in Oaxaca, Mexico! Check out nafgs24.org for info on confirmed speakers, preliminary schedule, & training workshops. Early registration closes April 1st! Abstracts submission open through March 1st 🌲🌳

I gave up on Mastodon. I like the interface here better. But nothing comes close to old Twitter for a currated combo of science, tech, industry, sci/tech policy, politics news and for its global reach. We lost something special IMO. bylinetimes.com/2024/01/16/e...

Excited for this paper to be out with @youngeukaryote.bsky.social @tmariewms.bsky.social and many more doi.org/10.1002/ppp3...

It was wonderful attending #PAG31 this year. I presented updates on two active projects: 1. Assembly of a moss genome (Physcomitrellopsis africana) 2. Conservation efforts for the eastern hemlock. Going back home now- super tired but ready for more research! [conservation, plants, genomics]

@cynthiawebster.bsky.social is presenting all the latest and greatest features of EnTAP functional annotation tool! Genes, proteins, contam detection, HGT! #PAG31 at 1:20 today in digital tools!! github.com/harta55/EnTAP

@meghanmyles.bsky.social is presenting at 2:20pm in Digital tools #PAG31 on @treegenes.bsky.social and CartograPlant - georeferenced plants, landscape genetics, and HPC access in one platform

@cynthiawebster.bsky.social presenting the EASEL pipeline- learn more at the workshop today at 4pm! [PAG31, genome annotation pipeline, RNAseq, functional annotation]

Tripal session (tripal.info) #PAG31 - rapid deployment of a genome database - biodiversity focused community platform for native species in India (bgdb.org)

PAG31 started off strong with a successful ORG.one session! @jillwegrzyn.bsky.social talked about the great work of the BCG team at UConn, Emily T introduced her automated genome assembly pipeline, Argonaut, and Cris summarized his findings from assembling and annotating the Butternut genome!

I’m really excited to attend PAG again this year! @evobotany.bsky.social is organizing a NEW workshop on ORG.one updates- TODAY at 9 am! Breakfast included! That’s not all- we have around 9 talks and 4 posters to showcase our lab’s projects! [PAG31, conservation genomics, hemlock, conifer]

Check out these amazing talks and posters from the lab @vuruputoor.bsky.social @cynthiawebster.bsky.social @evobotany.bsky.social & more. Presenting @treegenes.bsky.social , conservation genomics (hemlock, ash, beech, conifers), legumes, bryophytes, & software for genome assembly & annotation #PAG31