Congratulations to ASPB’s 2024 Award Recipients

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2024 awards, which honor distinction in service, outreach, education, and research. ASPB-Carnegie Winslow Briggs Mentorship Award Judy Brusslan, California State University, Long Beach, CA Joanne Chory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA Charles Albert Shull Award Robert … Read more

White House Easter Egg Roll Exhibit will Promote Plant Biology

The American Society of Plant Biologists plans to engage families in the wonders of plant science as part of the 2024 White House Easter EGGucation Roll   The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) returns to participate in the White House’s annual Easter Monday celebration. This year, the Easter Egg Roll occurs on April 1. … Read more

Researchers Solve Crucial Cold-Induced Sweetening Problem in Potato Production

The potato industry benefits from new tuber research published in The Plant Cell   Researchers have discovered a game changer for the potato industry. According to a new study published in a leading international society journal published by the American Society of Plant Biologists, a small genetic element is the cause of a major production … Read more

ASPB’s Position Statement on Diversity

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) considers increasing diversity among its membership to be an opportunity for investment. Indeed, ASPB believes strongly that meeting the serious challenges faced by humanity, including climate change, food insecurity, and diminishing natural resources, will require groups of scientists that exhibit diversity in their career stage, race, gender expression … Read more

Oxford University Press to publish American Society of Plant Biologists journals

Oxford University Press (OUP) and the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) are pleased to announce that OUP will publish the ASPB journals Plant Physiology® and The Plant Cell beginning January 2021. Established in 1926, Plant Physiology® is an international journal devoted to the physiology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, biophysics, and environmental biology … Read more

Press Release – Blake Meyers Appointed Next Editor of The Plant Cell

Rockville, Maryland, October 21, 2019 – The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Blake C. Meyers to serve as editor-in-chief of The Plant Cell beginning January 1, 2020. The Plant Cell publishes novel research of particular significance in plant biology, especially in the areas of cellular biology, molecular … Read more

Press Release – Gene Responsible for Lutein Esterification in Bread Wheat Identified

The activity of this gene controls the timing of esterification in grain, which is related to storage and nutritional qualities of bread wheat and other grains. This work provides insight into the timing and control of esterification, related to storage and nutritional qualities of bread wheat and other grains. ASPB is pleased to announce the … Read more

Genetic Variant Linked to Cucumber Fruit Length

ASPB is pleased to announce the publication in The Plant Cell of important research describing the discovery of a key regulator of fruit length variation in cucumber. The discovery of a fruit length modulator has implications for cucumber breeding. Fruit size is a major determinant of yield and market value. The cucumber is among the … Read more

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

A crucial gene controls stem juiciness in sorghum and beyond

The discovery of the gene behind stem juiciness in sweet sorghum could have huge agricultural implications Sorghum, the fifth most popular crop worldwide, is used to create many products in the United States and is widely consumed by people in developing countries. The discovery of a crucial gene controlling stem juiciness in sorghum has important … Read more

ASPB Wins The 2018 Gold EXCEL award for the Plantae podcast, The Taproot, from Association Media and Publishing

ASPB is pleased to announce that The Taproot, a Plantae podcast, has received a Gold EXCEL award for excellence in DIGITAL MEDIA: Podcast (Other category) from the Association Media and Publishing. The EXCEL Awards recognize excellence and leadership in nonprofit association media, publishing, marketing, and communications. Winners received their awards during the Annual EXCEL Awards … Read more

A pretty plant of summer produces a promising anti-diabetes compound

Discovery of the biosynthetic pathway of a plant metabolite lays the groundwork for its use as an anti-diabetes drug. Montbretin A (MbA), a natural compound with great potential for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, was discovered in the ornamental plant montbretia ten years ago, but it can’t be produced on a large scale until its … Read more

ASPB Wins 2018 Excellence in New Communications Award for Plantae

(ASPB) is pleased to announce that Plantae, the online home for the global plant science community, has been awarded an Excellence in New Communications Award from the Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board (SNCR) in the Communications, Communities, and Collaboration category – nonprofit division. This prestigious award honors organizations for their exemplary use of digital, mobile and … 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

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

Fanconi Anemia: Insight From a Green Plant

Model plant studies show key protein functions in the exchange of genetic material Fanconi anemia is a human genetic disorder with severe effects, including an increased risk of cancer and infertility. Work in animal systems has identified many factors involved in Fanconi anemia and showed that these factors function in the repair of DNA. However, … Read more

Scholarly Publishers Join Forces to Launch Scientific Society Publisher Alliance (SSPA) Initiative Aims to Promote Awareness and Support of Society-Sponsored Journals

A group of prestigious not-for-profit scientific membership societies today announced the launch of the Scientific Society Publisher Alliance (SSPA) (byscientistsforscience.org), an initiative focused on building awareness of and support for publication of scientific research by scientist-run scientific societies. The SSPA started as a collaboration of scientific societies that came together to reinforce and communicate the … Read more

ASPB Announces Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2017 Recipients

Rockville, MD (June 1, 2017) Fifteen students mentored by members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) were selected to receive the 2017 ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). The $4,000 fellowship permits each student to devote full-time effort to his or her research project for a 10-week period during the summer. The award … Read more

ASPB Press Release: White House Announces Proposed Update to the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products

Periodic review of the regulatory regime governing the use of biotechnology products is an important aspect of maintaining public safety and ensuring consumer confidence. (ASPB) appreciates the efforts of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture … Read more

A Breakthrough in Genetic Modification of Grains

Scientists develop a new approach to genetic modification of maize and other grains Genetic modification of plants might be controversial in commercial applications, but it is undeniably useful for research purposes. Despite years of effort, it has been remarkably difficult to develop efficient methods for transformation of grain crops. Work published in The Plant Cell … Read more