Applications now open for the 2020 Plantae Fellows program

Are you a creative, articulate and web-savvy plant scientist looking to connect with other like-minded folks? We need your help to nurture and grow Plantae, the online community for the global plant science community.  We are looking for individuals who are interested in becoming highly engaged by creating and curating content, facilitating and hosting discussions and … Read more

Plantae Internships and conference updates from the PSRN

The Plant Science Research Network attends two conferences each fall to support undergraduate research and education: SACNAS and ABRCMS. Connecting undergraduate students to research opportunities in the plant sciences is a goal of the PSRN, which curates resources to support student research, careers, and connection to the plant science community. If you were not with … Read more

President’s Letter – The Transparency Project

The word transparent has multiple meanings. For us scientists, we might first think of a solution in a tube or vial being transparent, defined by Merriam-Webster as “having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly”. As in, did your chemical dissolve? But the transparency to which … Read more

Process Story – Planning Plant Biology 2020

“The people I have met have been extraordinarily qualified. Their intent is good. Their commitment is true.” – The West Wing The Washington monument spears the blue fall sky; the Jefferson memorial, covered in spiky scaffolding, looks like a hedgehog; the Capitol rotunda peeks between office buildings.  Traffic backs up at an intersection near the Lincoln … Read more

Funding Opportunity – NSF Releases New Microbiome Solicitation Under Rules of Life Big Idea

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a new solicitation as part of the Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) Big Idea, entitled Understanding the Rules of Life: Microbiome Theory and Mechanisms (URoL:MTM).  In the this cross-directorate effort, NSF plans to invest between $12 million and $15 million to better understand the theoretical and mechanistic … Read more