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Antony N. Dodd is a plant scientist who is interested in chronobiology and circadian rhythms. He was inspired to study plant biology after attending lectures by Howard Griffiths, which showed how biochemical processes in plants could be studied over 24-hour cycles. Dodd pursued a career in research because he was fascinated by the control of daily cycles of Crassulacean acid metabolism in plants. He is motivated by the social element of science and the interactions with his research group and colleagues. Dodd provides advice for scientists, such as investing time to get things right, not only chasing big papers, and being collegial. He also discusses his favorite New Phytologist papers, which explore the use of chemical biology to study circadian rhythms in plants. Dodd mentions two favorite plant species, Agave americana and Aegagropila linnaei, and their significance in his research. [Extracted from the article]

This article is an interview with Peter J. Franks, a plant scientist who specializes in plant physiology and plant-climate interactions. Franks discusses his interest in plant science, which was sparked by his experiences in rainforests and his fascination with the diverse uses of plants by indigenous tribes. He also explains his decision to pursue a career in research, driven by his curiosity and the desire to contribute to scientific knowledge. Franks mentions his role models in the field and highlights some recent papers in the journal New Phytologist that have made significant advancements in understanding stomatal control and signaling in plants. He also shares his favorite plant species, including the extinct Cooksonia and the living fossil Austrobaileya scandens. Overall, Franks' research aims to integrate geological, molecular, and physiological information to understand the co-evolution of Earth's climate and vegetation. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Anatomically preserved fossils allow estimation of hydraulic parameters, potentially providing constraints on interpreting whole‐plant physiology. However, different organ systems have typically been considered in isolation – a problem given common mismatches of high and low conductance components coupled in the hydraulic path of the same plant. A recent paper addressed the issue of how to handle resistance mismatches in fossil plant hydraulics, focusing on Carboniferous medullosan seed plants and arborescent lycopsids. Among other problems, however, a fundamental error was made: the transpiration stream consists of resistances in series (where resistances are additive and the component with the largest resistance can dominate the behavior of the system), but emphasis was instead placed on the lowest resistance, effectively treating the system as resistances in parallel (where the component with the smallest resistance will dominate the behavior). Instead of possessing high assimilation capacities to match high specific stem conductances, it is argued here that individual high conductance components in these Paleozoic plants are nonetheless associated with low whole‐plant productivity, just as can be commonly seen in living plants. Resolution of how to handle these issues may have broad implications for the Earth system including geobiological feedbacks to rock weathering, atmospheric composition, and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: hydraulic conductivity; rhizosphere; root-soil contact; soil drying; stomata; transpiration EN hydraulic conductivity rhizosphere root-soil contact soil drying stomata transpiration 1541 1543 3 05/20/20 20200615 NES 200615 The recent paper by Rodriguez-Dominguez & Brodribb ([9]) shows that the loss in soil-root hydraulic conductance is the primary constraint on water flow during water stress (soil water potential below -1 MPa) and that this initiates stomata closure. This is an important result as it highlights the link between stomatal regulation and belowground soil-root interactions, particularly those taking place at the root-soil interface and in the adjacent soil, the I rhizosphere i . Remarkably, as the soil dried out, root and soil-root interface hydraulic conductances dropped significantly and became the primary constraint on water flow, more than xylem cavitation. Despite stomatal closure alleviating the loss of soil hydraulic conductance I K i SB soil sb , soil drying caused a large drop of hydraulic conductance at the root-soil interface I K SB i sb i . [Extracted from the article]

The article presents an interview with Colin Brownlee, a member of the journal's editorial board. He talks about his parents' and teachers' encouragement as the inspiration behind his interest in plant science. He discusses his education, his career achievements, his decision to pursue a career in research, his role model(s), the motivation that keeps him going, his favorite papers published in the journal, and the Venus flytrap and the cacti as his favorite plants.