Plantae Presents – More Money, More Data: Data-driven Versus Hypothesis-driven Research
Plantae Presents – More Money, More Data: Data-driven Versus Hypothesis-driven Research
Featuring Sophien Kamoun and Ivan Baxter
When: Friday, July 18, 2025, at
8:00 AM PDT | 11:00 AM EDT | 4:00 PM BST | 11:00 PM Beijing
About this Webinar
This engaging webinar titled More Money, More Data: Data-Driven versus Hypothesis-Driven Research, explores the evolving landscape of scientific discovery in plant biology. With the advent of high-throughput technologies and big data, researchers are increasingly navigating the tension between traditional hypothesis-driven approaches and the expansive possibilities of data-driven science. This webinar will delve into the benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations of each approach, featuring insights from leading plant scientists working at premier institutions like The Sainsbury Laboratory and Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center, who are shaping the future of research methodology. Whether you’re a bench scientist or a bioinformatician, this conversation promises to offer thought-provoking perspectives on how best to generate meaningful and reproducible knowledge in the age of big data.
Hosted by the 2025 Plantae Fellows.
SPEAKERS
Ivan Baxter 
Dr. Ivan Baxter is a Principal Investigator and Member at the Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a BA in Chemistry from Goucher College and a Ph.D in Molecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute before moving on to a postdoc at Purdue University. Dr. Baxter studies how plants adapt to their abiotic
environment using elemental profiling, image based phenotyping, metabolomics, quantitative genetics and bioinformatics. X: @BaxterTwi | https://www.baxterlab.org/
Sophien Kamoun
Dr. Sophien Kamoun grew up in Tunisia where he developed a passion and curiosity about nature. He studied genetics in Paris and Davis, California, before working in Wageningen, Ohio and Norwich, where he is currently a Senior Scientist at The Sainsbury Laboratory and Professor of Biology at The University of East Anglia. He is known for his seminal contributions to our understanding of plant diseases and plant immunity having pioneered genomics and molecular biology methods to reveal fundamental insights into the biology and evolution of eukaryotic plant pathogens. His inventive work in plant pathology has resulted in new approaches to mitigate some of the world’s most serious crop diseases. He is well-known as a champion of open science, including open data, transparent peer review, and preprints to promote rapid dissemination of science. Professor Kamoun has received many awards and recognitions, notably the Kuwait Prize and The Linnean Medal. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2018.
MODERATORS
Krishna Alamuru
Krishna is a second-year PhD candidate at the University of Southern Queensland, based at the Centre for Crop Health. His research focuses on disease resistance in mungbean, combining genome-wide association studies (GWAS), host range evaluation, and pathotyping of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens and powdery mildew pathogens. He integrates field trials, controlled-environment experiments, and molecular diagnostics to identify resistance loci and support breeding efforts through genomics.
He is a Plantae Fellow with the American Society of Plant Biologists and co-leads Plantgenomia, an international initiative dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange in plant science. Krishna enjoys traveling, gardening, and connecting with nature, which continuously fuel his curiosity and passion for agricultural research. X: @alamuru_krishna | LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/alamuru02.
Dennis Baffour-Awuah
Dennis is a passionate science communicator dedicated to advancing public understanding of agricultural innovations. Dennis is currently a PhD student and a Graduate Research Assistant at the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication Department of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia. He is also the host of the AgriCurious podcast, a platform which aims to create conversations about agricultural and environmental systems for all audiences. Dennis combines his love for writing, DJing and art to make science engaging and accessible to diverse audiences. X: @dennisgameplay.
Aditi Bhat
Aditi is a postdoctoral researcher in Cara Haney’s lab at University of Pittsburgh, where she is currently studying the role of receptor-like kinases in shaping root microbiome and regulating autoimmunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Outside of the lab, she likes exploring new places through food and hikes, taking copious pictures along the way! X: @jumpy_botanist | Bluesky: @jumpy-botanist.bsky.social.
Kestrel Maio
Kes is a second-year PhD candidate at the John Innes Centre studying the morphogenesis of leaves, using the model system Arabidopsis thaliana. Her research integrates computational biology with molecular genetics to uncover conserved laws underlying morphogenesis. Kes loves being outdoors, exploring new places, and is eager to learn how to implement more environmentally-friendly practices in day-to-day science. X: @KestrelMaio | Bluesky: @kesmaio.bsky.social.
