Robotic device tracks plant growth at the cellular level

A new open-source device allows scientists to identify treatments and conditions that affect the mechanical properties of plant cells Determining how various treatments and conditions affect the mechanical properties of plant cells could allow scientists to understand plant growth at the cellular level and devise ways to enhance it. In a breakthrough report published in … Read more

Legislative Update: Congress Approves 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report

On December 10, Congress released the long-awaited 2018 farm bill conference report, H.R. 2 The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, a bipartisan compromise package that authorizes farm programs and agricultural research through fiscal year (FY) 2023.  The final farm bill package, totaling 807 pages, is budget neutral.  Title VII, the Research Title, largely reflects the … Read more

Members of the ASPB Community Elected to the 2018 Class of the AAAS Fellows

Twenty-three members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) community were elected to the 2018 class of AAAS Fellows. Each year, the AAAS Council elects fellows based on their contributions to science and technology in the areas of research; teaching; technology; services to professional societies; administration in academe, industry, and government; and communicating and … Read more

Nomination Update: Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing on USDA Under Secretary of REE, Chief Scientist Nomination

On November 28th, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Scott Hutchins as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics (REE), which also serves as USDA Chief Scientist. Hutchins, the former global leader of Corteva AgriScience, is an entomologist by training and … Read more

Funding Opportunity: NSF BIO Releases Two Solicitations for Rules of Life Big Idea

Lewis-Burke Associates LLC – October 1, 2018 The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released two new solicitations for one of its 10 Big Ideas, Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL): Epigenetics; and Building a Synthetic Cell – An Ideas Lab Activity. Led by the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO), URoL goals are to better understand … Read more