Anna Groves Awarded ASPB/AAAS Mass Media Fellowship

Anna Groves, a PhD candidate in Michigan State University’s Department of Plant Biology, has been awarded the ASPB/AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship for 2018. Anna will spend 10 weeks this summer training and practicing science journalism with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Anna graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.A. … Read more

ASPB Educational Outreach: A Rockstar Booth at NSTA 2018

The ASPB Education Committee hosted an Education & Outreach booth at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia during March 15th– March 17th, 2018. Located at the Georgia World Congress Center, the booth was organized by ASPB Education Committee member Scott Woody and ASPB Education Coordinator Winnie Nham. Local volunteers helping to … Read more

Elections open April 9th: Your opportunity to guide ASPB’s future

In this election cycle, you are being asked to vote for a new President-Elect, Secretary-Elect, and Corresponding Members. The President-Elect will serve ASPB for three years: in year two becoming the President. The Secretary serves on the program committee for four years, serving as chair in years two and three: this committee organizes the scientific … Read more

Gibbs Medal Symposium: Mechanisms of Genome Evolution

Plant Biology 2018 Major Symposium V In this series, we profile the exciting major symposia slated for Plant Biology 2018. Check the Plant Biology 2018 website for updates on times and locations– and register now so you don’t miss any of these great talks! Major Symposium V, Gibbs Medal Symposium: Mechanisms of Genome Evolution will be held Wednesday, July … Read more

The Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis from the Leaf to Global Scale

Plant Biology 2018 Major Symposium IV In this series, we profile the exciting major symposia slated for Plant Biology 2018. Check the Plant Biology 2018 website for updates on times and locations– and register now so you don’t miss any of these great talks! Major Symposium IV: The Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis from the Leaf to Global Scale will be … Read more

Opening Research Avenues through New Technologies

Plant Biology 2018 Major Symposium III In this series, we profile the exciting major symposia slated for Plant Biology 2018. Check the Plant Biology 2018 website for updates on times and locations– and register now so you don’t miss any of these great talks! Major Symposium III: Opening Research Avenues through New Technologies will be … Read more

ASPB Conviron Scholars Program: Highlights of the 2017-2018 program

The experience from the ASPB Conviron Scholars program serves as a foundation for a career in plant science. The scholarship consisted of the four major themes: 1) Career Planning 2) Writing and Communications 3) Leadership 4) Effective Presentations  Within each theme, the participants read collections of articles, attended webinars and completed assignments within a private Plantae Network. The assignments required … Read more

Gene Boosts Rice Growth and Yield in Salty Soil

Discovery of a gene that helps rice plants grow in salty soil paves the way to developing salt-tolerant crops Soil salinity poses a major threat to food security, greatly reducing the yield of agricultural crops. Rising global temperatures are expected to accelerate the buildup of salt in soil, placing an increasing burden on agricultural production. … Read more

CSPB President’s Symposium, Integrating Signals in Plant Cell Biology and Development

Plant Biology 2018 Major Symposium II In this series, we profile the exciting major symposia slated for Plant Biology 2018. Check the Plant Biology 2018 website for updates on times and locations– and register now so you don’t miss any of these great talks! Major Symposium II: CSPB President’s Symposium, Integrating Signals in Plant Cell Biology and Development, will … Read more

ASPB President’s Symposium, Translational Science

Plant Biology 2018 Major Symposium I In this series, we profile the exciting major symposia slated for Plant Biology 2018. Check the Plant Biology 2018 website for updates on times and locations– and register now so you don’t miss any of these great talks! Major Symposium I: ASPB President’s Symposium, Translational Science, will be held Saturday, July 14, 2018, 1:00–3:30PM … Read more

Announcing the 2018 ASPB Award Winners

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2018 awards, which honors excellence in research, education, outreach and service. Charles Albert Shull Award Nathan Springer, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award Deborah Delmer, University of California, Davis Jane Shen-Miller, University of California, Los … Read more

ASPB + CSPB + ISPR = PB2018

Three societies, two overlapping meetings, and a host of opportunities to learn, network, and have fun. 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 … Read more

New approach to improve nitrogen use, enhance yield, and promote flowering in rice

Expression of the nitrate transporter gene OsNRT1.1A improves yield and accelerates maturation. Using nitrogen fertilizer increases crop yields, but excess runoff causes environmental pollution. Moreover, in grains such as rice, large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer can delay flowering, leaving the crop vulnerable to late-season cold weather. A recent study in The Plant Cell identified a … Read more

Plant Scientist Runs for Congress

I believe science can help us develop solutions to global food insecurity. I study the effects of drought on maize roots at the University of Missouri, and I hope my findings will contribute to improving crop resilience as rainfall patterns change in the Midwest. Currently, I am represented in Congress by an anti-science politician, U.S. … Read more

First Look at Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal

  By Lauren Broccoli (Lewis-Burke Associates)   The Trump Administration released its fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget request overview this morning that did not include the National Science Foundation (NSF) and provided scant details on other research programs.  While we wait on NSF and DOE budget specifics, I wanted to share USDA numbers.  As expected, … Read more

ARPA-E Announces Workshop on Energy-Smart Farming

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will host a workshop on the integration of 21st Century technologies into farming practices to maximize crop yields and meet the rising global demands for food, fuel, and fiber.  The workshop, entitled The Energy-Smart Farm: Distributed Networks for Highly Variable and Resource Constrained Crop … Read more

Announcing the 2018 Travel Grant Winners

The Travel Grant Program aims to increase attendance of early career scientists at the annual meeting by providing travel funds for those in financial need. Increasing diversity among the annual meeting attendees is another primary goal. Undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and professionals beginning their careers in plant science are strongly encouraged to apply. … Read more

Announcing the 2018 ASPB Sharon Gray Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award (WYITA) Winners

The goal of the ASPB Women’s Young Investigator Travel Award is to increase attendance at the Plant Biology annual meeting of young female investigators who are within the first five years of their appointment in academic faculty-level positions, government research positions, or industry research scientist positions, as well as experienced postdocs. By naming the 2018 … Read more

Government Shutdown Update: CR Advances

On Monday afternoon, the Senate voted to advance a Continuing Resolution (CR) to end the three-day federal government shutdown and extend funding for government programs at Fiscal Year 2017 levels through February 8.  The stalemate that led to the shutdown ended after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave Democrats assurances that the Senate will … Read more