Patience Chatukuta

The Max Planck Society and Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen in collaboration with the Department of Plant Production Sciences and Technologies at the University of Zimbabwe will be offering a FREE #ARTEMIS #BridgingMinds workshop on *Plant Genome Analysis*.

It was wonderful to see you all here! We really enjoyed hosting your visit to our lab. Many thanks to @drpchronicles.bsky.social for introducing the exciting work of her research group, and thanks to everyone in the @plantevolution.bsky.social lab for engaging in the discussions.

📢 Join us for our 2nd Quarterly Journal Club & Focus Group Meeting! 🗓 Date: 26 June 2026, 13:00-15:00 CAT 🔗 Join here: tinyurl.com/apgmeet More info at: www.linkedin.com/posts/africa... #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

1/8 🔥 New preprint dropped: Dynamic co-existence of bacteriophages and their hosts 🦠 in the Arabidopsis thaliana 🌱 phyllosphere Work led by the indomitable @sheilaroitman.bsky.social‬ #plantscience #microbiome #holobiont www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Check out our paper on the diversity of crop wild relatives in Zimbabwe! #CropWildRelatives #PlantScience #Biodiversity #Conservation #ClimateResilience #Zimbabwe www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-pat...

📢 So many lessons from our Focus Group and Journal Club meetings today! www.linkedin.com/posts/africa...

1/11 🔥 New preprint alert 🔥 We wanted to know what plants in the wild really care about. So we asked them 🎤. Here is what we learned: “Biotic-response networks are an important organizer of the transcriptome in wild Arabidopsis thaliana populations” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

This is commendable!

📢 SAVE THE DATE! Join us on Zoom at the end of this month to discuss exciting plant genomics techniques with local and international experts. 🔬 Focus Group Meeting 🗓 March | ⏰ 14:00–15:00 CAT 📚 Journal Club Meeting 🗓 March | ⏰ 15:00–16:00 CAT 👉 Register here: https//tinyurl.com... and share.

Very proud of Catarina Lino for facilitating the first ever sequencing of a plant genome on Zimbabwean soil, together with local organiser and collaborator Prince Marowa. With thanks to the Max Planck Society ARTEMIS Bridging Minds and the University of Zimbabwe! www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-pat...

📢 Are you interested in plant genomics? 📢 Will you be in Zimbabwe this November? 🫵Apply to attend the #ARTEMIS Bridging Minds Workshop at the University of Zimbabwe. Our fantastic PhD researcher, @catarinalino.bsky.social, will be leading the workshop. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomics

Incredibly well-organised #PlantsandPeople conference by PhD researchers @mpi-mp-potsdam.bsky.social . It was a pleasure to present our research and interact with plant scientists working in in diverse research directions. #PnP25 🌱👥️

Celebrating Langa's hard work and determination in documenting the plant diversity of Zimbabwe using herbarium specimens. See more here: www.linkedin.com/posts/activi...

🌿Thank you, Africa! 🌍 We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the participants, hosts, sponsors, exhibitors, and service providers who made the inaugural African Plant Genomics Symposium a resounding success! See more here: www.linkedin.com/posts/africa... #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

One of the best meetings ever I've attended, the first African Plant Genomics Symposium plantgenomicsafrica.org I met so many inspiring colleagues, both senior and junior. Thank you @drpchronicles.bsky.social for having the idea & being the primary organizer!

Prof. Anne Muigai talks about the African BioGenome Project. Key takeaway for me: improve quality and quantity of science in Africa. #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

Prof. Herve Vanderschuren, KU Leuven, at the @African PlantGenomicsSymposium on developing omics tools for tropical crop improvement #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

Great plenary talk by Leena Tripathi @IITA_CGIAR to open the inaugural @AfricanPlantGen African Plant Genomics Symposium #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢 Have you heard of HiFi long-read sequencing? Acclaim Moila of Inqaba Biotec will give a talk on PacBio HiFi sequencing and its applications in plant genomics. Make sure you visit Inqaba Biotec East Africa's exhibition booth too! 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africaplantgenomics @pacbio.bsky.social

📢Excella Biotechnologies will give a talk, in addition to their exhibition, this Thursday. We are excited for Irene Muriuki's presentation! 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

This week, we had the privilege of hosting 10th graders for Girls' Day. We had a lot of fun talking to them about plant genetics, and working with African plants and African scientists. They had a lot of fun getting a feel and taste of our horned melon, and asking really insightful questions! 🌱🧬

📢 Poster prizes up for grabs! Thanks to @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social, we are offering: Top poster: USD300 2nd runner-up: USD200 3rd runner-up: USD150 If you have not done already so, submit your abstract at: tinyurl.com/apgs2025abst... by Friday, 5th April at 23:59 East African Time

📢 Why should we care about (plant) genomes? Find out at the inaugural African Plant Genomics Symposium in sunny Nairobi, Kenya! 🌱🧬 @plantevolution.bsky.social @mpi-bio-fml.bsky.social @novo-nordisk.bsky.social #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢Find out about the use of Illumina technologies for plant genomics research in Africa from F&S Scientific, represented by Dr Peter Nthiga. 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢Exciting talk alert! Dr. Florence Wambugu will unveil Africa Harvest's findings from the AU-NEPAD landscape analysis of genome editing capabilities in 16 African countries—covering policy, institutions, legal frameworks, funding, projects, and training. Don't miss it! 🌍🌱🧬

📢 4 WEEKS TO GO! 🌱🧬 Check out the programme here: plantgenomicsafrica.org/our-schedule/ The inaugural African Plant Genomics Symposium is not to be missed! #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢 Thierry Hodehou will present his research findings on the genetic basis for grain mould resistance in sorghum, a cereal crop native to Africa. Thierry used QTL mapping to identify alleles associated with the genetic control of the resistance. 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢Have you heard of gene variants and their effects in plants? Dr. Parfait Kezimana will present his findings on genetic polymorphisms in the genes associated with the aroma of vegetable- and seed-soybean varieties. 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢 Did you know that plant populations change in size, distribution and composition over time? Dr. Rachita Srivastava will speak on the interplay of population dynamics, genetic divergence and ecological factors for Cardamine and Arabidopsis species from Europe and Africa. 🌱🧬

📢Not to be missed! Sidney Engelbrecht, research ethics and integrity specialist, will be providing insights on the policy frameworks of the southern African region for fair and equitable access and sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. 🌱🧬

📢 Save the dates! Bernice Waweru will give a talk on how short genomic DNA sequences, k-mers, can be used to detect and characterise genetic variation in plants; and their application in plant breeding. 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics @johninnescentre.bsky.social

📢Find out how you, an African scientist, can get access to genome sequencing services and bioinformatic skills development through the GetGenome project. Dr. James Canham will speak at the African Plant Genomics Symposium about how @getgenome.bsky.social addresses inequitable access to genomics. 🌱🧬

📢 Did you know that duplication of genes & genomes, and inversion of chromosomes, is widespread in crop plants? Dr. Titus Magomere will talk about the implications of genomic duplication and structural variation for new genomic techniques in plants. 🌱🧬 #plantgenomicsafrica #africanplantgenomics

📢 We meant it when we said we had something for everyone! Participants of the African Plant Genomics Symposium will learn how to get their research findings published in top scientific journals. 👩‍🔬📝🌱🧬 We are excited for the presentations from Science and from The Plant Cell!

Well done @catarinalino.bsky.social ! We're looking forward to strengthening our collaboration with scientists in Africa! 🌱🧬🇩🇪🇿🇼

📢 Your submitted abstracts are under review, and all we can say is, WOW❕ 😀 The African Plant Genomics Symposium is going to be an amazing SHOWCASE of AFRICAN talent! Check your email inboxes from the 31st of January for the results of your abstract review. www.plantgenomicsafrica.org 🌱🧬

📢*7 DAYS UNTIL ABSTRACT SUBMISSION CLOSES* Registration is free! 🧬🌱 Topics include sequencing, breeding, genome editing, systematics and taxonomy, conservation, transcriptomics, epigenomics, microbiomes and metagenomes, structural genomics, and regulatory issues. docs.google.com/forms/d/1k58...

Receive FREE access to all talks, panel discussions, the poster session and meals. If you have not already submitted your abstract, you have until *15 January 2025* to submit it here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1k58... Submit now!

📢FREE ENTRY FOR REGISTERED PRESENTERS ❗ More good news for the new year! Due to the generous support from our partners, registration fees are waived for all registered presenters whose abstract is accepted at plantgenomicsafrica.org Submit your abstract now!

📢‼️DEADLINE EXTENDED‼️ Good news for the new year! If you have not already submitted your abstract, you have until *15 January 2025* to submit it here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1k58... Terms and conditions are available at www.plantgenomicsafrica.org Submit now!

Announcing a curated collection of long-read genomes for Arabidopsis thaliana: The 1001 Genomes Plus Project. Currently 453 unique accessions/almost 600 assemblies. Interested in contributing? Please contact us! #plantscience www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Happy holidays! And happy reading... nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/global-p...

*SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT NOW!!* Time and space is running out! Pre-register and submit your abstract NOW at www.plantgenomicsafrica.org to make your voice heard at the inaugural African Plant Genomics Symposium, 10-11 April 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

📢The speaker line-up for the African Plant Genomics Symposium is amazing! Register at plantgenomicsafrica.org to hear Prof. Dr. Naglaa Abdallah's plenary talk on 'Precise gene editing to tailor transgene-free plants: state-of-the-art for crop improvement'. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

📢 The speaker line-up for the African Plant Genomics Symposium is amazing! Register at www.plantgenomicsafrica.org to attend the plenary talk by Prof. Dr. Detlef Weigel, the Novozymes Prize 2020 recipient. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica @plantevolution.bsky.social

📢The speaker line-up for the African Plant Genomics Symposium is amazing! Register at plantgenomicsafrica.org to hear Dr. Kwasi Agbleke's plenary talk on 'The heteroblasticity of flowering plants'. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

📢 The speaker line-up for the African Plant Genomics Symposium is amazing! Register at www.plantgenomicsafrica.org to hear Dr. Leena Tripathi's plenary talk on 'Harnessing new genomic technologies for sustainable crop improvement in Africa'. #africanplantgenomics #plantgenomicsafrica

📢There will be something for everyone at the African Plant Genomics Symposium! A total of 13 sessions will cover genome sequencing, genomics-assisted breeding, ELSI (ethical, legal and social issues), genome editing, functional genomics, comparative genomics,...