ASPB joined the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and 47 other scientific organizations in a letter to members of Congress demanding that they protect federally funded scientific research and federal scientists. The letter asks Congress to “take immediate action to protect and restore life-saving and essential scientific research that benefits American families and communities.” The … Read more
By Kent Chapman, ASPB President-Elect “Stand Up for Science” events came together on Friday, March 7, 2025, in Washington, DC, and many other cities to show support for science and to protest the recent seemingly indiscriminate cuts for research funding to agencies, institutes, and universities across the United States. It’s difficult to fathom the … Read more
After taking the helm of Plant Physiology 2022, Yunde Zhao’s celebrated term as Editor-in-Chief of the journal, during which he introduced changes that saw the journal flourish, will come to a close on December 31, 2026. The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is seeking a prominent plant scientist to assume the duties and responsibilities … Read more
When: March 12, 1 pm Eastern As you prepare for the next step in your professional career, ECPS will help guide you with our panel discussion webinar, “What I Wish I Had Known When I Started My Postdoc.” In this webinar, a panel of postdocs will share their experiences and give students a chance to … Read more
By Leeann Thornton, ASPB Past-President In difficult times, people need to come together to support and encourage each other to keep moving towards a shared vision. ASPB is committed to promoting plant science, communicating research about plants, and supporting plant biologists. Our work in advancing the community of plant biologists embraces inclusivity, integrity, transparency … Read more
Since President Donald Trump took office on January 2025, a series of executive actions have shaken the research community. Several executive orders were released that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and climate initiatives and that direct agencies to generate lists of existing grants supporting these activities. Furthermore, on January 27, the Office of Management … Read more
ASPB has joined a coalition of scientific organizations, led by the American Psychological Association, in signing onto a letter that serves as a powerful, collective statement from the signatories. The letter, which will be published in the next print issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education, emphasizes the importance of science and lets members of … Read more
Organizations and individuals across the nation signed a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to address the recent removal of federal data at various agencies. Public data has been selectively removed from US government agency websites, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of … Read more
Statement from ASPB’s Board of Directors, February 11, 2025 Along with many others, we have done our best to absorb the deluge of executive actions that have taken place over the past few weeks. We recognize the harm they are causing to both individuals and institutions, as well as the cascading impact they have on … Read more
Did you know that the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) has 6 regional sections and 3 topical sections that offer exciting opportunities for networking, presenting, and getting involved? Check out what each section has to offer coming up this year! Upcoming Regional Section Meetings: The regional section leaders are hard at work planning the section meetings. These events … Read more
On February 4, 2025, ASPB joined more than 40 organizations in urging Congress to increase crucial US Department of Agriculture (USDA) program funding in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). In a letter to Congressional leadership, ASPB and others outline how USDA programs “support America’s farmers, improve the security of our food supply, and restore our nation’s … Read more
Greetings ASPB members; it is great to connect in this way! We are now near the end of January 2025, and the nomination process for elected leaders of ASPB is well underway. So, this is a good time for me to share my perspective on service for ASPB. Like many, my early association with ASPB … Read more
Update: We have learned that Brian Larkins passed away on Sunday, January 17 at the age of 78. We will keep the Comments section of this Blog open, and you are (still) welcome to share your recollections and thoughts of Brian here. Although he will no longer be reading them, there’s inherent value in collecting … Read more
Plant Physiology Webinar Plant Lipids: Signaling and Metabolism Celebrating the February 2025 Focus Issue on Plant Lipids Recorded Thursday, February 13, 2025 About This Webinar The February 2025 issue of Plant Physiology, edited by Aruna Kilaru, Ana Laxalt, Sébastien Mongrand, and Teun Munnik, spotlights research on plant lipids. Plant lipids play a pivotal role … Read more
ASPB and the Early Career Plant Scientists Section Presents: Mental Health Matters – When: February 4, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST | 7:00 PM GMT | 3 AM Beijing About This Member Webinar Mental health is something we all have to manage every day of our lives and is often something with … Read more
Readers and authors will notice a significant change starting with the January issues of both Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell. Both journals have moved to a continuous publication model, which will allow accepted articles to be indexed in an issue faster than ever before. Benefits of Continuous Publication Continuous publication differs from the previous publication model … Read more
On December 2, 2024, the United States District Court of the Northern District of California vacated the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) SECURE Rule, which was finalized in 2020 as an update that enabled the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to provide regulatory guidance for gene-edited crops. The SECURE Rule was adopted after … Read more
Plant Physiology Webinar: Hypoxia and Plants Celebrating the January 2025 Focus Issue on Hypoxia and Plants Recorded Tuesday, January 28, 2025 About This Webinar The January 2025 Focus Issue of Plant Physiology, edited by Rashmi Sasidharan, Markus Schwarzländer, Pierdomenico Perata, Peter Geigenberger and Julia Bailey-Serres, spotlights research on hypoxia in plants. Oxygen is essential for efficient … Read more
ASPB staff were recently approached by a contractor for the O*NET Data Collection Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Billed as the nation’s most comprehensive source of occupational data, O*NET is a free resource and provides instant access to detailed descriptions on more than 900 occupations that drive the U.S. economy. … Read more
With a new Senate majority, a new incoming Administration, and new leadership of the Senate Agriculture Committee coming in the next Congress, changes are afoot in Washington, DC, with unknown consequences on the much-anticipated farm bill. These changes present continued opportunity for ASPB to advocate for funding for programs that benefit and support stakeholders in … Read more
