Plant Physiology is recruiting Assistant Features Editors for 2021

By Michael R. Blatt and Mary Williams

This past January, Plant Physiology welcomed 24 new Assistant Features Editors to the editorial board. Together with Assistant Features Editors recruited in 2018, these young scientists have brought their passion for science to the journal, communicating to our readers some of the most exciting developments at the forefront of global research in plants today.

The Assistant Features Editors have helped shape and expand our content through commentaries, blog posts, and related material highlighting the ‘here and now’ of Plant Physiology and bringing awareness of matters of special interest to the community. They have gained professionally, too, and will build on their experience going forward just as, for us, working with the Assistant Features Editors has proven immensely satisfying.

We are now recruiting a new cohort of Assistant Features Editors to join the Plant Physiology editorial board, replacing some of the current members who will step down from their roles with the journal. This new cohort will work with the journal for 24 months beginning in January 2021.

If you are interested in becoming an Assistant Features Editor, we are welcoming applications through Monday, 5^th October 2020.

We are interested in hearing about your current position and future goals, and why you are interested in the position. We will need your Curriculum Vitae and the contact details of two individuals familiar with your work as a researcher. We will also expect two samples of your writing, one a first authored paper, and the other a sample News & Views commentary you write on your selection of one of the Plant Physiology papers listed below. We hope to have selected the new Assistant Features Editors late in November.

Please send your application materials to [email protected] with Plant Physiology AFE application as the subject. These materials should include

• Cover letter
• CV
• First-authored paper
• Sample News and Views, on one of the papers listed below
• Contact information for two referees

Please write a “News and Views” style summary of one of these papers, following the guidelines below.

News and Views articles are intended to provide readers with a brief summary of the main findings of a recent research article, along with relevant and interesting background information and a brief commentary on why the findings are important. The text is limited to approx. 800-1000 words and a maximum of 10 references (including the highlighted paper). The News and Views articles may be accompanied by an image, for example a panel from an image in the paper or a diagram you prepare that summarized the key findings. You may wish to read examples of published News and Views articles to familiarize yourself with the style and format. Good examples can be found in any recent issue of the journal, e.g., http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/183/4.

Clathrin Heavy Chain Subunits Coordinate Endo- and Exocytic Traffic and Affect Stomatal Movement Emily R. Larson, Eva Van Zelm, Camille Roux, Annie Marion-Poll, Michael R. Blatt. Plant Physiol. Oct 2017, 175 (2) 708-720; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.17.00970 The endocytic clathrin heavy chain (chc) mutants have diminished endo/exocytosis rates that affect stomatal movement and plant growth.

An Optimal Frequency in Ca²⁺ Oscillations for Stomatal Closure Is an Emergent Property of Ion Transport in Guard Cells Carla Minguet-Parramona, Yizhou Wang, Adrian Hills, Silvere Vialet-Chabrand, Howard Griffiths, Simon Rogers, Tracy Lawson, Virgilio L. Lew, Michael R. Blatt. Plant Physiol. Jan 2016, 170 (1) 33-42; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.15.01607 Rapid closure of stomata occurs at an optimum frequency in Ca²⁺ and voltage oscillations, but this optimum emerges in simulations as a by-product of the transport that drives closure rather than as a signal that regulates it.

Coordinated Systemic Stomatal Responses in Soybean Sara I. Zandalinas, Itay Hamus Cohen, Felix B. Fritschi, Ron Mittler. Plant Physiol. Aug 2020, 183 (4) 1428-1431; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.20.00511 Rapid and coordinated systemic stomatal responses occur in the crop plant soybean and could be involved in acclimation to changes in light conditions occurring in the field as a result of sunflecks.

Identification of Transcription Factors Regulating Senescence in Wheat through Gene Regulatory Network Modelling Philippa Borrill, Sophie A. Harrington, James Simmonds, Cristobal Uauy. Plant Physiol. Jul 2019, 180 (3) 1740-1755; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.00380 Integrating gene regulatory network modelling during a gene expression time course with publicly available genomic datasets identifies transcription factors regulating senescence.

The Peptide Hormone Receptor CEPR1 Functions in the Reproductive Tissue to Control Seed Size and Yield Michael Taleski, Kelly Chapman, Nijat Imin, Michael A. Djordjevic, Michael Groszmann. Plant Physiol. Jun 2020, 183 (2) 620-636; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.20.00172 CEP receptor signaling in maternal tissues controls the delivery of nitrogen to reproductive sinks.

ARGONAUTE1 and ARGONAUTE4 Regulate Gene Expression and Hypoxia Tolerance Elena Loreti, Federico Betti, Maria Jose Ladera-Carmona, Fabrizia Fontana, Giacomo Novi, Maria Cristina Valeri, Pierdomenico Perata. Plant Physiol. Jan 2020, 182 (1) 287-300; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.00741 RNA-silencing pathways contribute to low-oxygen signaling in Arabidopsis.

Hybrid Cyanobacterial-Tobacco Rubisco Supports Autotrophic Growth and Procarboxysomal Aggregation Douglas J. Orr, Dawn Worrall, Myat T. Lin, Elizabete Carmo-Silva, Maureen R. Hanson, Martin A.J. Parry. Plant Physiol. Feb 2020, 182 (2) 807-818; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.01193 Cyanobacterial Rubisco large subunits form functional hybrids with tobacco small subunits and procarboxysome microcompartments via the linker protein CcmM35 in the absence of cognate small subunits.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Metabolites during Sorghum Germination Lucia Montini, Christoph Crocoll, Roslyn M. Gleadow, Mohammed Saddik Motawia, Christian Janfelt, Nanna Bjarnholt. Plant Physiol. Jul 2020, 183 (3) 925-942; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.19.01357 Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging reveals that biosynthesis and recycling of the plant defense compound dhurrin are key events during sorghum grain germination.