News & Updates

  • Weighing in on GMO Technology Regulation
    In late December 2023, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reopened the comment period on a recent proposal that outlined five additional exemptions for “plants with modifications that could be achieved through conventional breeding.” USDA APHIS coordinates responsibilities for Biotechnology Regulatory Services, which... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2024-01-22
  • Urging Investment in Agriculture Research Innovation
    In March 2023, US Senators Michael Bennet and Roger Marshall introduced the Advancing Cutting Edge (ACE) Agriculture Act with the goal of supporting “high-risk, high-reward agricultural research and development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).” ASPB was one of 65 organizations that signed a recent letter to the Senate... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-11-27
  • ASPB Signs in Support of ARACI Act
    In late September, ASPB joined a diverse group of organizations representing state, research, scientific, and private industry interests to sign a letter urging support for the Advancing Research on Agricultural Climate Impacts (ARACI) Act as part of the 2023 Farm Bill. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN)... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-10-17
  • Continuing Microbiome Research Support and Coordination
    The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) remains active in supporting the advancement of scientific research and recently signed a letter to the leadership of the Committee on Appropriations urging inclusion of language regarding the Microbiome Interagency Working Group in the final Senate Fiscal Year 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-10-15
  • ASPB Remembers Philip Benfey
    On September 26, 2023, Philip Benfey, notable plant geneticist, professor, and ASPB Pioneer Member, passed away. Philip had a lasting impact on many people in the plant biology community, some of whom have shared their memories and tributes to Philip here. Readers are invited to add their own memories to... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-10-12
  • ASPB Announces New Peer Review Report Policy
    The ASPB journals Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell are introducing a new mechanism for publishing peer review reports on each journal’s website. A version of peer review reports has been published with the supplemental material of original research articles in The Plant Cell for some time. However, for the... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-10-09
  • ASPB Joins Call for FFAR Funding
    In mid-September, while the 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization was under-way, ASPB, together with 130 organizations from industry, academia, and agriculture, signed a community support letter for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) in the Farm Bill. Refreshed every five years, the last Farm Bill passed in 2018. The... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-10-04
  • Changing Times in Peer Review
    For Peer Review Week 2023, ASPB is asking the community to weigh in on topics affecting peer reviewers in scientific publishing   This year’s theme for Peer Review Week is “The Future of Publishing,” and with such a lofty theme, there’s one direction the conversation naturally goes: artificial intelligence (AI).... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-09-26
  • ASPB Showcases Plant Biology at the Congressional Life Science Fair on Capitol Hill
    ASPB represented plant biology research at the Congressional Life Science Fair on Capitol Hill on July 19, 2023, in the Rayburn House Office Building. This event was hosted by The Coalition for Life Sciences (CLS) and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). The purpose of this event... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-08-21
  • From Plant Biology 2023: The Evolutionary Origin of Acutumine Biosynthesis in Menispermaceae Plants
    Interview by Charlay Wood Today, I had the star-struck experience of meeting Prof. Jing-Ke Weng in person! Imagine meeting someone you’ve idolized from the pages of academic journals brought to life right in front of you. It’s like bumping into your favorite movie star, but in the world of plant specialized... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-08-08
  • Plant BLOOME 2023 Winners Announced
    ASPB established the Plant Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials, & Education (Plant BLOOME) grant program with the goal to enhance public awareness and understanding of the essential roles of plants in all areas of life (http://bloome.aspb.org). Congratulations to the 2023 ASPB Plant BLOOME grant recipients! Engaging high school students in... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-08-04
  • ASPB Joins AAAS and Others to Reaffirm Commitment to Advancing DEI in STEM
    In the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling on the use of race in college admissions, many academic institutions are left reworking admissions programs and policies that have historically benefitted Black, Indigenous, and Latino students. The end of race-conscious college admissions directly impacts the reach and accessibility of... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-07-21
  • The Plant Cell is Searching for its Next Editor-in-Chief
    As the highly successful term of current Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Cell is coming to an end, the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) is seeking a prominent plant scientist to assume the duties and responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Cell, effective January 1, 2025. ASPB’s Editor Search Committee is... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-07-05
  • ASPB’s 2023 Election Results
    Many thanks to those members who took the time to vote this summer; and hearty congratulations to our incoming President-elect, Hong Ma, and elected member of the Board of Directors, Sarah Wyatt! Additionally, the recognition of Avraham Levy and Wataru Sakamoto as Enid MacRobbie corresponding members was overwhelmingly ratified by... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-06-26
  • ASPB Journals Launch Author Travel Awards
    Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell pledge to help published authors present their science   Authors whose work has been published in Plant Physiology or The Plant Cell, leading international society journals published by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), have a new option to support their travel to... Read more
    Source: ASPB Blog Feed - News Page Published on: 2023-06-21