ASPB President
I am thrilled to report that two weeks ago, Plant Biology 2026 welcomed 1,203 registrants from 43 countries to Ottawa, Canada! The conference program featured 45 oral sessions, including plenaries, concurrent symposia, workshops, and networking events. In addition, the large poster hall venue featured 662 poster presentations. We were especially proud to host this conference in partnership with the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists. Together, our societies share a commitment to advancing plant science and fostering a collaborative, international scientific community. We can confidently say that the PB2026 meeting truly reflected the global reach of our organization.
Over the five-day meeting, we experienced outstanding science, engaged with new ideas, and built connections with colleagues from around the world. We celebrated the impressive achievements of 17 leaders in our community in the opening awards ceremony. Please visit our ASPB website and check out our summer newsletter to learn more about our award winners and their amazing contributions to plant science.
We marked another amazing achievement at Plant Biology2026: 100 Years of Plant Physiology! I’d like to offer special appreciation to Yunde Zhao, Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology, and the entire editorial board of the journal. Plant Physiology was founded in 1926, and ASPB was initially established to support and publish this journal. A century later, that legacy continues. Today, Plant Physiology is the most-cited primary research journal in the history of the plant sciences category, a testament to generations of editors, authors, reviewers, and readers who have shaped the field and advanced plant biology research around the world.
We celebrated this extraordinary centennial throughout the conference, with a live-streamed Centennial Celebration of Plant Physiology Symposium, a Plant Physiology Centennial Display in the Exhibit Hall, and Plant Physiology Centennial Posters in the poster hall. We congratulate Plant Physiology on a century of scientific excellence and look forward to the discoveries that will define the next 100 years.
As a testament to the importance of the annual ASPB meeting to our members, we also celebrated another incredible milestone: 50 consecutive ASPB meetings attended by Karen Koch, Professor, University of Florida! Karen was recognized for this achievement, and she shared how impactful the annual meetings have been for her professional development. Congratulations again Karen!
Advocacy was a recurring theme at Plant Biology 2026. Many of us are aware of the recent proposal from the US government that could fundamentally reshape how federally funded research is supported, reviewed, and sustained. Although these proposed changes originate in the United States, their effects would extend far beyond any one country’s borders. Science is a global endeavor, and our collaborations depend on open exchange, international partnerships, and sustained investment in research. Our governmental affairs consultant, Lewis-Burke Associates (LBA), staffed a booth in the exhibit hall to field questions and offer guidance to plant biologists eager to engage with policy makers. In addition, LBA representatives and members of ASPB’s International and Science Policy committees led a workshop and panel discussion explaining the proposed OMB rule changes and potential implications, along with recommended actions and next steps. The challenges we seek to address require collaboration, and there was no better place to renew connections and spark new partnerships than at Plant Biology 2026.
If you were able to join us in Ottawa for Plant Biology 2026, we hope you will take a few minutes to share your feedback through the post-meeting survey that was emailed to you. If you were not able to travel to Ottawa, please look for opportunities to view recorded content from the meeting in the near future.
Expanded Accessibility for Plant Biology 2026
As part of our commitment to an accessible meeting experience, this year featured live streaming of plenary symposia and select concurrent sessions, as well as connections to poster content and authors through the online meeting app. Also, for the first time we live-streamed our Town Hall meeting, where the ASPB President, Treasurer, Program Committee Chair, and journal Editors-in-Chief provided updates on different aspects of ASPB operations, meeting highlights, and journal news. Streamed content was recorded and will be made available free to registered participants as well as to other interested plant scientists for a fee. Furthermore, ASPB piloted the use of Wordly in the plenary sessions for both our in-person and virtual attendees this year. Wordly provides real-time audio and text captioning in over 40 languages, and the feedback from attendees that gave it a try was quite positive.
Thank You to All Who Helped Make Plant Biology 2026 Possible
A conference like Plant Biology 2026 doesn’t happen by chance. It is made possible by the dedication of countless volunteers and staff who work behind the scenes to create an exceptional experience for all of us. ASPB is truly powered by its people. Our Society depends on the commitment of volunteers who generously share their time and expertise throughout the year, from our section leaders and committee members to our Board of Directors and the many others who help shape our programs, publications, meetings, and advocacy efforts. To every volunteer who serves ASPB: thank you! Your contributions are the foundation of everything we accomplish together.
Special thanks to the ASPB Program Committee, chaired by Judy Brusslan. For over a year, Judy and the committee have devoted countless hours pouring over session proposals, submitted abstracts, and workshop concepts to create the outstanding scientific program we enjoyed over the five-day period. Thank you to Judy, the Program Committee, and all of our ASPB volunteers for their dedication and service.
The spirit of collaboration that defines PB2026 extends beyond our volunteers. We are also grateful for the organizations that partnered with ASPB to help make Plant Biology 2026 possible. Our conference sponsors played an important role in supporting this meeting and the opportunities it provided for learning, networking, and scientific exchange. Major sponsors this year included Bayer, Corteva, Wiley Advanced, and Oxford University Press, and we appreciate their support, as well as the contributions of all of the exhibitors at the conference.
What’s In Store for Plant Biology 2027?
Looking ahead, Plant Biology 2027 will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 31 through August 3, 2027. We are working on refreshing the meeting format to make the program more focused, accessible, and easier to navigate. The goal of these changes will create clearer pathways through the scientific content, allow greater flexibility in planning each day, and give attendees more opportunities to engage with presentations, posters, and colleagues. We hope to see you in Albuquerque!
Join ASPB
ASPB is where scientists connect, collaborate, and make an impact, not only by advancing their own research, but by strengthening our entire scientific community. Together, we support the next generation of plant scientists, champion scientific publishing, advocate for science, and build partnerships that extend far beyond our annual conferences.
Although our name is the American Society of Plant Biologists, our community is global. We are proud to welcome members from countries around the world because the challenges we face, and the discoveries that will solve them, know no borders. If you’re not already a member of ASPB, I invite you to join us, wherever you are. We are stronger together!
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