1977–2021 ASPB and the international plant biology community have lost one of their brightest and best stars, Chunhua Zhang, assistant professor of botany and plant pathology at Purdue University. Chunhua was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer in February 2021 shortly after giving birth to her fourth child. She did everything in her power to fight … Read more
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called the Sixth Assessment Report, released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in August, a “code red for humanity” (IPCC, 2021). With improved knowledge of climate processes, paleoclimate evidence, and increasing radiative forcing (change in the energy flux in the atmosphere caused by climate change), some uncertainties in … Read more
By Mary Williams and Crispin Taylor, with graphics designed by Siobhan Braybrook We are excited to announce that ASPB, along with our partners, has been awarded a five-year grant through the NSF’s LEAPS [LEAding cultural change through Professional Societies (LEAPS) of Biology] program. As the lead organization, ASPB has the privilege of coordinating the development … Read more
organized by the ASPB African Researchers Network, in collaboration with OCP North America Orphan crops offer promising opportunities to tackle critical challenges of our time, including food insecurity, climate change and economic instability. Despite their nutritional properties, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and adherence to local food cultures and low-input production systems, these crops … Read more
Thank you for taking the time to read ASPB President Maureen McCann’s letter regarding the ASPB Board of Director’s recent decision to reaffirm a commitment to holding Plant Biology 2023 in Savannah, GA. Now that you’ve done so, we’d welcome your thoughts on the approaches that ASPB should take toward identifying future conference venues and … Read more
A Difficult Decision A major focus of ASPB is science policy and how it impacts research funding, the pipeline of talent into our labs, and regulatory practices. In the United States, our Science Policy Committee engages on our behalf with federal funding agencies and legislators from both parties to raise awareness of, and advocate for, … Read more
The Plant Biology 2021 Worldwide Summit is taking place at the same time as Botany 2021, and in honor of ASPB’s and BSA’s joint interest in supporting the plant science community and our overlapping audiences, we will be hosting a joint symposium on Wednesday, July 21, open to both sets of attendees! The symposium’s title is “An Exploration of Inter-kingdom … Read more
Many thanks to those members who took the time to vote this spring; and hearty congratulations to our incoming president-elect, Gustavo MacIntosh and elected member, Elena Monte! Additionally, the recognition of Naomi Ori and Shu-Hsing Wu as Enid MacRobbie corresponding members was overwhelmingly ratified by the ASPB membership. Gustavo and Elena will begin their next … Read more
Registration is open for the Plant Biology Worldwide Summit 2021. We are excited to welcome plant scientists at all stages of their careers to the conference, and our group rates lower the costs for everyone! A few specific things that may particularly interest early career researchers (ECRs): We are very focused on accessibility this … Read more
Each year, ASPB, through its Women in Plant Biology Committee, makes travel awards to early career women investigators to attend the Plant Biology conference. The goal of the competitive process that underpins the Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award (WYITA) program is to increase attendance of early career women investigators at the Plant Biology conference by … Read more
Global agricultural production of rice, wheat, maize, and soybean, crops that together provide over 70% of human calories, was at close to record yields last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments recognized growers as essential workers and the food supply chain as critical infrastructure. Early concerns about potential food shortages proved unfounded. Our collective fears … Read more
ASPB is pleased to announce the appointment of Yunde Zhao as editor-in-chief (EIC) of Plant Physiology® beginning January 1, 2022. First published by ASPB in 1926, Plant Physiology® is a premier international journal devoted to all aspects of plant biology research, from structural and molecular discoveries to systems science and ecophysiology. Yunde’s appointment follows a … Read more
ROCKVILLE, MD – The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce that Vicki Chandler is the recipient of its 2021 Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Policy Public Service Award. The ASPB Science Policy Committee awards the Mary Clutter Leadership in Science Public Service Award annually to recognize individuals who have advanced the … Read more
The ASPB PUI section needs new leadership! Currently, the section is led by a five-member steering committee, a chairperson, and a section representative to ASPB council and Membership committee. This year we have several members of the leadership team rotating out of their positions. Therefore, we need to elect a new section representative to Council/MemCom … Read more
APPLY HERE ASPB has an exciting opportunity for early career plant scientist members to get involved in ASPB and, in the process, help shape the future of the Society by becoming an Early Career Representative (ECR) on ASPB standing committees. This is a two-year appointment. In the second year, ECRs will also serve as the … Read more
Botany 2021 and Plant Biology 2021 are pleased to announce a joint session open to all attendees of both conferences. Five international experts will speak on diverse symbioses, including endophytes, endofungal symbionts, mycorrhizae, and lichens, with opportunities to engage throughout the symposium. Join us for three hours of exploration of interkingdom interactions. Organized by Gary Stacey, Elizabeth Kellogg, … Read more
Belonging to ASPB brings more than discounts for attending Plant Biology meetings or publishing in the Society’s journals. Our members form a community of dedicated individuals who, like you, work together to support and nurture an engaged, vibrant, and thriving community of plant scientists. By getting involved in ASPB and by voting in our elections, … Read more
ASPB has signed on a letter to Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, Ranking Member John Boozman, Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vice Chairman Richard Shelby, Chairman Jeff Merkley, and Ranking Member John Hoeven expressing support for the America Grows Act of 2021 (S.1371), a bipartisan bill Senators Durbin and Moran have recently introduced that would significantly increase our nation’s … Read more
As part of its March meeting, members of ASPB’s Science Policy Committee (SPC) met with program staff from several federal funding agencies, including the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Biological and Environmental Research Program at the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Directorate for Biological … Read more
Registration is now open for the Plant Biology 2021 Worldwide Summit, which will take place online from July 19–July 23. We’re excited to announce that this year we have a fantastic lineup of workshops, organized in three main tracks – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Professional Development; and Technical Development and Innovation. Here are just a … Read more