PlantLink News March 2018

1. Last chance to register for Promoting Plant Research in Sweden
2. PlantLink teacher exchange
3. PlantLink journal club
4. The Udda server is now operational!
5. NordPlant project Kickoff
6. EMPHASIS Swedish representation
7. 10 year anniversary of the NordGen vault in Svalbard
8. Postdoc on Integrated Pest Management
9. Plant-microbe interaction Professorship in Copenhagen
10. Senior University lecturer in Plant ecology at Lund University.
11. MSc course “Information Technologies and Expert Systems in Plant Protection”
12. New professor at SLU Alnarp
13. PlantLink focus area “Plants, People and Society”
14. Lund sustainability week
15. PlantLink-associated researchers in the media
16. Magne Friberg is “Researcher in the Spotlight” for March

1.** Last chance to register for Promoting Plant Research in Sweden**

Remember to sign up for the national meeting ”Promoting Plant Research in Sweden” on the 15-16 March (lunch to lunch) in Lund. This is a chance to engage in how to strengthen plant science in Sweden. Confirmed speakers are from a broad spectrum of plant-related sciences and the industry and include speakers from EPSO, Stockholm Environment Institute, Scanoats, Lund University Sustainability Forum, Mistra Biotech, Lantmännen, SLU and LU.

Please register here

2. ** PlantLink teacher exchange **

PlantLink announces the possibility to exchange teachers between courses at Lund University and SLU Alnarp. The aim is to promote cooperation in teaching between courses. Interested main teachers should send a motivation for the teacher exchange, where the background and value of the exchange is explained in less than half an A4. A condition is that 2 courses, which can benefit from the exchange – one at each university – are suggested. The extent of the exchange is in the order of 2-3 lecture hours per course. PlantLink will cover the additional cost for this. The courses should be given in 2018.

Please send your suggestion for a teacher’s exchange to: erik-alexandersson@slu.se or tina.dhertefeldt@biol.lu.se at the latest on Tuesday 27^th of February. A decision will be taken in the first week of March.

3.** PlantLink Journal club course **

for PhD students at SLU Alnarp and Lund University

1.5 ECTS

The aim of this course is to provide an open and relaxed environment for PhD students (post docs also welcome) to discuss current articles, reviews and new methods in Biological Sciences with focus on plants. During a monthly meeting at least one article will be presented in depth and discussed. The meetings are supposed to be interactive and not resemble a classical lecture. The article(s) that will be discussed will be circulated to the attendees two weeks in advance to ensure enough reading time, so all attendees are prepared to join in the discussions and formulate questions.

The journal club, additionally, presents an opportunity to share ideas and learn from each other. There is a possibility to invite senior researchers and experts when more expertise is required or there is an opportunity for an author to present recently published research.

In total nine Friday morning meetings will be organized per year, attendance of 6 meetings and at least one presentation is advised to be rewarded with 1.5 ECTS. The meetings will take place either at the SLU Alnarp campus or Lund University, but can be followed by videolink on the other location.

This is a PlantLink-supported initiative from the PhD student union in Alnarp.

Interested PhD-students please contact: phdcouncil-ltv@slu.se

4. **The Udda server is now operational! **

This is a short note that the new server Udda named after Udda Lundqvist is fully functional since a few weeks back. Udda (Lundqvist) just turned 90 – we send our warmest congratulations!

5. ** NordPlant **

The NordForsk project “NordPlant – A Climate and Plant Phenomics Hub for Sustainable Agriculture and Forest Production in Future Nordic Climates” had its first pre-kick-off meeting on the 12^th of February in Copenhagen. A steering committee with two representatives from each university has been chosen and will have the first meeting in Copenhagen on 24 April. There will be an official kick-off this autumn. More information on NordPlant here

6. ** EMPHASIS **

PlantLink Director Erik Alexandersson will take over the Swedish representation in EMPHASIS-PREP and Aakash Chawade, SLU Alnarp will be the new deputy representative. Aakash will also attend the EMPHASIS-PREP meeting 12-13 of March in Jülich, Germany.

7. ** NordGen vault in Svalbard 10 years 26 Feb! **

 Here comes a NordGen video on seed resources, starring among others Annette Olesen, member of the PlantLink steering committee.

https://youtu.be/Gw4FV8gfYDI

8. ** Post doc stipend available at SLU Alnarp**

More information here

9. ** Full chair professorship in Microbe-Plant Interactions at University of Copenhagen**

University of Copenhagen is looking for a candidate with an international reputation within the field of microbe-plant interactions, and preferentially with documented skills in microbial biotechnology and bioinformatics.

The deadline for applications is 19 April 2018 via http://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/

10. ** Senior University lecturer in Plant ecology at Lund University. Last application on 28 February!**

https://lu.mynetworkglobal.com/en/what:job/jobID:177838/type:job/where:4/apply:1

11. ** MSc course “Information Technologies and Expert Systems in Plant Protection” deadline 15 March **

More information and registration here

12. ** New professor at SLU Alnarp!**

Jean W.H. Yong, Professor of Horticultural Cultivation systems at the Department of Biosystems and Technology, will start 1 September 2018. Yong, or John as he prefers to be called, is from Singapore and currently works at the University of Western Australia. His horticultural skills range from microbes to plant material and landscape restoration. Congratulations to him!

13. * * Plants, People and Society *

The new focus area “Plants, People and Society” has identified two focus themes for the group:

1. Agricultural innovations, their uptake in society (policy) and evaluations in terms of Ecosystem services.
2. Urban plants, including urban ecology, urban farming, gardens and urban/rural interactions.

Later this spring there will be a “meet and greet” event. If you are interested in this group please contact Tina (tina.dhertefeldt@biol.lu.se)

14. **Sustainability week in Lund**

The Sustainability Week is a theme week open to everybody who wants to organize activities with sustainability profiles. Do you want to join? Contact jenny.hansson@cec.lu.se. The Sustainability Week takes place 23-28 April in Lund.

15. ** PlantLink-associated researchers have been busy in the media **

Allan Rasmusson, professor at the Department of Biology, has been interviewed about his research on exactly what is required of sugar beet to make them grow better. If they succeed, biological treatment of crops will be more beneficial and yield more crops. Media that reported the news are, for example, Landbruksnytt, Aftonkuriren and Industritorget.

Ths soil chip on Swedish radio! Kristin Aleklett, Edith Hammer, Carlos Arellano and Håkan Wallander at the biology department have been interviewed in Swedish Radio about their microfluidic chip to study microorganisms in soil. 

Olivier van Acken talked to Sydsvenskan about stress reaction in plants, and what happens when we touch them – or when plants touch each other.

Henrik Smith, professor at the biological department, has been interviewed in Sweden’s Radio on what can be done to increase the number of pollinating insects. Smith says that you can benefit pollinators by planting flowering plants in the agricultural landscape. Media that reported the news were for example Sveriges Radio and Land Lantbruk. 

 16. **Researcher in the spotlight: Magne Friberg**

This month researcher in the Spotlight is Associate senior lecturer Magne Friberg. Read more about him here

Please also see Dept of Plant Breeding SLU Alnarp, the Biology Department at LU calendar and Copenhagen Plant Science Centre calendars for upcoming meetings.