Microbiologist, Plant scientist, Senior postdoc researcher at Plant-Microbe Interactions group at Utrecht Universityhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3m4dmxortgc2nMy Master’s students Clara Chng and Lydia Bucciero just wrapped up their 9-month internships at @utrechtpmi.bsky.social group🌱 Super proud of how much they’ve grown — creative, resilient, and full of curiosity. Even better: Clara is staying on to work with me on the XS Drought Fighters project.29 Oct 2025 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4dmxortgc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3m4dlpy3rus2nSecond BOLERO assembly meeting at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK Gatersleben).29 Oct 2025 13:50 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3m4dlpy3rus2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lunades32k2fExcited to share that my project "Discovering Microbial Drought Fighters Using Machine Learning" has been awarded funding through the NWO Open Competition XS grant! Looking forward to exploring AI-based new strategies in plant-microbe interactions. @utrechtpmi.bsky.social23 Jul 2025 14:32 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lunades32k2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lkdtmlhvq22eLast week, I presented our work on using AI to predict potato growth at Utrecht Microbiome Research Day and was honored to receive the Best Presentation Award! Huge thanks to the organizers and supporters. Excited to keep exploring AI in agriculture!14 Mar 2025 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkdtmlhvq22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lkdscezke22eBOLERO project: After two years of navigating challenges, we finally received the DNA samples from Uganda and Vietnam! Huge thanks to CIRAD, WASI and NaCORI for the collaborative effort. Looking forward to sequencing and analyzing the data to uncover the secrets of the coffee-associated microbiome!14 Mar 2025 14:15 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkdscezke22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3ljkm3yfobc2zMicrobiome is important not only to human but also plant health. Looking forwards to seeing you at my talk at Utrecht Microbiome Research Day this Thursday 6 March. https://www.uu.nl/en/events/utrecht-microbiome-research-day @utrechtpmi.bsky.social04 Mar 2025 13:47 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljkm3yfobc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lj3ovrwuq224It was a pleasure to speak at the Bioinformatics for Food Science Symposium—such an inspiring event! Great discussions and insights on the future of food science. Thank the organizers @cmelkonian.bsky.social and @marnixmedema.bsky.social for this amazing event!26 Feb 2025 15:27 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lj3ovrwuq224https://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lfghwrgug22lFive years of hard work has paid off! 🎉 What a nice new year surprise—we made it to the cover of Nature Microbiology! 🌟 Acknowledgment to all co-authors and specially Elisa Atza for producing this cover image! [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Jan 2025 00:41 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfghwrgug22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lfaqc7rmx223Following up on our recent publication, I'm excited to share that the research briefing of @rlberendsen.bsky.social and I named “Potato crop performance is predicted by tuber microbiome.” is freshly online on Nature Microbiology🧬 [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Jan 2025 17:55 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfaqc7rmx223https://bsky.app/profile/y-song.bsky.social/post/3lfaprztlsk23Our latest research, "Seed tuber microbiome can predict growth potential of potato varieties," is now published online on Nature Microbiology! 🥔✨ Check out the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01872-x Let's connect and grow ideas together!08 Jan 2025 17:46 +0000at://did:plc:nbferdnwe3ov7ladsg2txzp6/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfaprztlsk23