A Panel Discussion by the ASPB Early Career Plant Scientists (ECPS) Section April 24, 2024 12 PM CST The ASPB Early Career Plant Scientists (ECPS) Section wants to help you succeed in graduate school. As you prepare for the next step in your professional career, ECPS will help guide you with our annual panel discussion … Read more
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 awards, which honor distinction in service, outreach, education, and research. ASPB-Carnegie Winslow Briggs Mentorship Award Judy Brusslan, California State University, Long Beach, CA Joanne Chory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA Charles Albert Shull Award Robert … Read more
The American Society of Plant Biologists plans to engage families in the wonders of plant science as part of the 2024 White House Easter EGGucation Roll The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) returns to participate in the White House’s annual Easter Monday celebration. This year, the Easter Egg Roll occurs on April 1. … Read more
The potato industry benefits from new tuber research published in The Plant Cell Researchers have discovered a game changer for the potato industry. According to a new study published in a leading international society journal published by the American Society of Plant Biologists, a small genetic element is the cause of a major production … Read more
Blog by Rebecca Roston, Chair, ASPB Women in Plant Biology Committee In honor of US Women’s History Month, the Women in Plant Biology Committee of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is thrilled to celebrate the remarkable women who have shaped and continue to shape our field. We’re calling on YOU to nominate exceptional … Read more
Why do weeping trees “weep”? A basic premise of how plants grow is that shoots grow up and roots grow down. A new study, published in Plant Physiology, a leading international society journal published by the American Society of Plant Biologists, reveals the answer to a fascinating question: why do weeping tree varieties defy this … Read more
In late December 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reopened the comment period on a recent proposal that outlined five additional exemptions for “plants with modifications that could be achieved through conventional breeding.” USDA APHIS coordinates responsibilities for Biotechnology Regulatory Services, which protect plant health and implement … Read more
In March 2023, US Senators Michael Bennet and Roger Marshall introduced the Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act with the goal of supporting “high-risk, high-reward agricultural research and development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).” ASPB was one of 65 organizations that signed a recent letter to the Senate and House Agriculture Committee members … Read more
In late September, ASPB joined a diverse group of organizations representing state, research, scientific, and private industry interests to sign a letter urging support for the Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts (ARACI) Act as part of the 2023 Farm Bill. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN), and … Read more
The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) remains active in supporting the advancement of scientific research and recently signed a letter to the leadership of the Committee on Appropriations urging inclusion of language regarding the Microbiome Interagency Working Group in the final Senate Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill. … Read more
On September 26, 2023, Philip Benfey, notable plant geneticist, professor, and ASPB Pioneer Member, passed away. Philip had a lasting impact on many people in the plant biology community, some of whom have shared their memories and tributes to Philip here. Readers are invited to add their own memories to the comments of this blog … Read more
The ASPB journals Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell are introducing a new mechanism for publishing peer review reports on each journal’s website. A version of peer review reports has been published with the supplemental material of original research articles in The Plant Cell for some time. However, for the first time we are introducing … Read more
In mid-September, while the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization was under-way, ASPB, together with 130 organizations from industry, academia, and agriculture, signed a community support letter for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) in the Farm Bill. Refreshed every five years, the last Farm Bill passed in 2018. The 2023 Farm Bill includes critical … Read more
For Peer Review Week 2023, ASPB is asking the community to weigh in on topics affecting peer reviewers in scientific publishing This year’s theme for Peer Review Week is “The Future of Publishing,” and with such a lofty theme, there’s one direction the conversation naturally goes: artificial intelligence (AI). While much of the conversation … Read more
ASPB represented plant biology research at the Congressional Life Science Fair on Capitol Hill on July 19, 2023, in the Rayburn House Office Building. This event was hosted by The Coalition for Life Sciences (CLS) and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). The purpose of this event was to showcase the positive … Read more
Interview by Charlay Wood Today, I had the star-struck experience of meeting Prof. Jing-Ke Weng in person! Imagine meeting someone you’ve idolized from the pages of academic journals brought to life right in front of you. It’s like bumping into your favorite movie star, but in the world of plant specialized metabolism. I’ve poured over more … Read more
ASPB established the Plant Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials, & Education (Plant BLOOME) grant program with the goal to enhance public awareness and understanding of the essential roles of plants in all areas of life (http://bloome.aspb.org). Congratulations to the 2023 ASPB Plant BLOOME grant recipients! Engaging high school students in the Springfield Massachusetts Public Schools … Read more
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling on the use of race in college admissions, many academic institutions are left reworking admissions programs and policies that have historically benefitted Black, Indigenous, and Latino students. The end of race-conscious college admissions directly impacts the reach and accessibility of higher education by the very … Read more
As the highly successful term of current Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Cell is coming to an end, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is seeking a prominent plant scientist to assume the duties and responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Cell, effective January 1, 2025. ASPB’s Editor Search Committee is charged with evaluating candidates for … Read more
Many thanks to those members who took the time to vote this summer; and hearty congratulations to our incoming President-elect, Hong Ma, and elected member of the Board of Directors, Sarah Wyatt! Additionally, the recognition of Avraham Levy and Wataru Sakamoto as Enid MacRobbie corresponding members was overwhelmingly ratified by the ASPB membership. Hong and … Read more