Plant Biology 2018 will be held July 14–18, 2018 and Photosynthesis from Light to Life will be held July 17–20 in Montréal. Register now to lock in early bird rates! New this year, Plant Biology 2018 is co-hosted by three societies:

American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)

Founded in 1924, the ASPB promotes research in plant biology by advocating for the interests of plant biologists as well as publishing research in the field. Harry Klee, who has served as ASPB president since October, holds the Dickman Chair for Plant Improvement at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His broad experience in academia and industry sets the stage for the ASPB President’s Symposium and a broader call to action for plant biologists.

Harry writes: “Science can make a real and positive impact on agriculture and society as a whole. Doing great science is only the beginning of a long road… The work that our industry members perform is both challenging and incredibly rewarding.” His President’s Symposium “Translational Science” features talks from Ian Graham, Marty Yanofsky, David Mackill, and Sherri Brown.

Canadian Society of Plant Biologists (CSPB)

Established in 1958, the CSPB connects plant scientists in Canada, providing opportunities to discuss developments in the field and the various political, social, and financial issues that scientists confront in their research and/or teaching careers.

Geoff Wasteneys has been President of the CSPB since last July. He is based at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and holds a Canada Research Chair in Plant Cell Biology. Geoff writes: “It is exciting to be part of the team that is organizing Plant Biology 2018. I hear a lot of people say that they prefer smaller, highly focussed meetings. Certainly, specialized meetings have their appeal, but it is impossible to replace the excitement and opportunity that meetings the size and format of Plant Biology 2018 can generate. The best thing about a meeting like this is that you can get exposed to all sorts of stuff with which you are not familiar, while not missing out on the latest discoveries in your own area of specialization. Everyone gets smarter.” His CSPB President’s Symposium “Integrating Signals in Plant Cell Biology and Development” features talks by Karin Schumacher,  Liz Haswell, Daphne Goring, and Mark Estelle.

International Society of Photosynthesis Research (ISPR)

ISPR was formed in 1995 to organize the International Congress on Photosynthesis. As part of ISPR’s efforts to strengthen ties between the photosynthesis and plant biology communities in North America, the ISPR conference, “Photosynthesis from Light to Life”, will be presented in conjunction with and overlapping with the ASPB/CSPB annual meeting.

Willem Vermaas, of the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, was elected President of ISPR last year. He writes “This meeting provides an integration of photosynthesis and plant biology. The two are fully intertwined: for the great majority of plants, photosynthesis is a fundamental part of metabolism and physiology, and plant biology often cannot be fully understood without taking into account photosynthetic processes. However, until now, the two research areas were rather separate in North America over the past couple of decades. This is why bringing together plant biologists and photosynthesis researchers is so important, and why I encourage all participants to sample research on both sides of the aisle.”

In addition to the Presidents’ Symposia, Plant Biology 2018 features two joint symposia:

Moreover, the ISPR meeting “Photosynthesis from Light to Life” (July 17–20) overlaps with Plant Biology, giving attendees the opportunity to attend both meetings.

For Plant Biology 2018 updates, join the Plantae Network for ASPB conferences, follow #plantbio18 on Twitter, and keep an eye on the program at https://plantbiology.aspb.org/.