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_AlexBowles

@alexmcbowles.bsky.social

Research Fellow at @biology.ox.ac.uk interested in the evolution of plants and algae

10 Posts319 Follower712 Folgt
Trends in Plant Science@cp-trendsplantsci.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Bryophytes: natural incubators of new gene evolution #plantscience

Bryophytes: natural incubators of new gene evolution

De novo gene origination from noncoding regions is a major source of genetic innovation. Dong et al. [1] (Nat. Genet. 2025; 57:2562–2569) reveal that bryophytes harbor an exceptionally high abundance of such genes, establishing them as a new and key system for studying the mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of new gene emergence in plants.

dlvr.it

Trends in Plant Science@cp-trendsplantsci.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Genomic language model-based genomic prediction in plant breeding #plantscience

Genomic language model-based genomic prediction in plant breeding

Genomic prediction (GP) based on molecular markers has substantially advanced genomic selection; however, prediction accuracy often plateaus despite continued increases in marker density and methodological refinement. This saturation limits the effective use of available genomic information. The emergence of genomic language models (GLMs) offers a new framework for incorporating richer sequence-based information into genomic prediction, potentially capturing biologically meaningful DNA sequence grammar that is poorly represented by traditional marker-based approaches. We conclude that the future of genomic prediction will be shaped not primarily by algorithmic refinement but by the biological expressivity of genomic representations, and that GLMs offer a principled path toward expanding this representational frontier.

dlvr.it

_AlexBowles@alexmcbowles.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Spring as a symphony of plant chemicals 🌿 the molecules that turn a simple walk into a sensory explosion In @natplants.nature.com

Nature Plants@natplants.nature.com · 3mo ago

New Editorial: "Smells like spring spirit" rdcu.be/ffaAx The return of spring is an excellent occasion to celebrate the secondary metabolites that are the basis for the wonderfully diverse aromas and tastes of plants, which are used for our culinary pleasure. #PlantScience

_AlexBowles@alexmcbowles.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Great to chat with @caordonezparra.bsky.social about the ordinary and extraordinary lives of plants for @botany.one

Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra@caordonezparra.bsky.social · 4mo ago

In my latest #MeetingPlantScientists post, I interview @alexmcbowles.bsky.social, who is tackling one of the most fascinating questions in plant science: what drives the extraordinary diversity of plants and algae? @botany.one #Botany #PlantScience 🧪 www.botany.one/alex-bowles-...

National Trust@nationaltrust.org.uk · 4mo ago

Did you know... magnolia evolved on earth about 95 million years ago! Magnolia is so old in fact that it pre-dates the existence of bees and butterflies, meaning they relied on beetles to pollinate in their early days.

A close-up of pink flowers emerging from a tree, a blue sky is in the background
Carlos A. Ordóñez-Parra@caordonezparra.bsky.social · 4mo ago

In my latest #MeetingPlantScientists post, I interview @alexmcbowles.bsky.social, who is tackling one of the most fascinating questions in plant science: what drives the extraordinary diversity of plants and algae? @botany.one #Botany #PlantScience 🧪 www.botany.one/alex-bowles-...

Alex Bowles: on the Ordinary yet Extraordinary Life of Plants

Botany One interviews Dr Alexander Bowles, an evolutionary botanist interested in the processes that have driven plant and algae diversity

botany.one

Science Magazine@science.org · 5mo ago

Wild rice is a perennial, creeping plant. The secret to its perennial growth habit lies in a developmental reversal directed by small RNAs. This image illustrates how combining perennial genes with prostrate growth genes allows cultivated rice to mimic wild rice. Learn more: https://scim.ag/40GOjDb

This image illustrates how combining perennial genes with prostrate growth genes allows cultivated rice to mimic wild rice.
_AlexBowles@alexmcbowles.bsky.social · last yr.

Great to speak with @biology.ox.ac.uk about my journey to @ox.ac.uk and research on plant evolution 'By studying the plants of the past, we can better understand those of the present and make informed predictions about plants of the future'

Oxford Biology@biology.ox.ac.uk · last yr.

How ancient evolution is vital in the ever-changing 21st century 🧬🌲 @alexmcbowles.bsky.social work centres on the intricate and transformative relationship between plants and water over hundreds of millions of years Read our new profile on Alex! 👇 bit.ly/3QW9Z9z @ox.ac.uk @mplsoxford.bsky.social

Text reads: Spotlight: Dr Alex Bowles. How ancient evolution is vital in the ever-changing 21st century
Will Ratcliff@wcratcliff.bsky.social · last yr.

1/46 Hey folks, we have a new paper out on the MuLTEE. Strap in and I’ll tell you the story of how this “little paper on polyploidy” turned into the most data rich paper our lab has produced, largely thanks to the leadership and work ethic of @kaitong25.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Genome duplication in a long-term multicellularity evolution experiment - Nature

In the Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment, diploid yeast evolve to be tetraploid under selection for larger multicellular size, revealing how whole-genome duplication can arise due to its...

nature.com