The inaugural class of ASPB Conviron Scholars are wrapping up their virtual course, which included discussions and exercises on various aspects of professional development, from communication to leadership. As part of the course, they were asked to write a blog post and do some sort of independent…

Part of the "Self Reflection" series by and for early-career researchers -OK, so you just got a job as a new PI where you are busy setting up your lab (a big challenge) and teaching your first course (another big challenge), BUT wait there’s more… “We need you to be on this committee, and…

There are several models we use to conceptualize how plants respond to environmental signals through transcriptional regulation. In perhaps the best-understood model, the perception of some environmental signal flows through one or several mechanisms to a master regulator, often a transcription factor…

By Andrew Hanson In George Orwell’s masterpiece ‘Animal Farm’ Benjamin the donkey tells the other animals "Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey”. The point: history had hit him hard and often, so he could foresee outcomes. As a non-dead (zombie) academic donkey…

Meiosis takes a single, diploid cell and turns it into four haploid spores. The equal distribution of genetic material is critical for genome stability across generations, and relies heavily on proper pairing of chromosomes and their timely release. During the first meiotic division, crossovers (COs)…

Partner selection is a critical step that must occur early during establishment of Root Nodule Symbiosis (RNS). RNS refers to the mutualistic interaction between legumes and some non-legumes with soil bacteria that help convert atmospheric nitrogen into plant usable ammonia. In legumes such as Medicago…

Reflections on a Plant Science Research Network Workshop from an Early Career Scientist by Nikki Forrester It was a quiet morning in August. I sat in my apartment, sipping coffee and sifting through emails. “We are seeking early career scientists . . . who are eager to participate in…

ASPB and Plantae have already set a tone of collaboration and constant improvement by and for plant scientists. In keeping with our commitment to providing the best recruitment resources for our members, we are excited to announce the launch of our new and expanded online employment resource: the…