Women's History Month: The Quiet Inspiration of Enid MacRobbie
Blog, CommunityI am Jenny Mortimer. I am an Associate Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology at the University of Adelaide, Australia, and an Adjunct Staff Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. My group in the US uses synbio to redesign the plant cell wall to support the production of biofuels and bioproducts…
Celebrating the Life of a Scientist-Entrepreneur: Todd C. Mockler, PhD
Blog, CommunityOn January 6, 2023, the plant community was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Todd C. Mockler, Member and Geraldine and Robert Virgil Distinguished Investigator at the Danforth Center since 2011. Todd was a wonderful colleague, collaborator, and friend to so many of us. He was a scientist-entrepreneur…
Gender Bias in Science
Blog, CommunityA Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft published in 1792 and which explores women's education, is considered by many to be the starting point of the feminist movement. It was not until the early 20th century that women could access higher education, thanks to the first wave of feminism.…
On Intentional Inclusion: A Database of African Plant scientists and Organizations
Blog, CommunityBlack History Month is an opportunity to highlight the importance of racial justice and equity and remind us that creating equitable and inclusive environments requires ongoing efforts beyond performative allyship. This is especially true in scientific institutions. While several important commitments…
A Glimpse of #iFANS2023 and Highlights of ISPP-Young Scientist Session
CommunityThe 2023 International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security conference (IFANS) was jointly organized by National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali; Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Mohali; Indian Society for Plant Physiology (ISPP), New Delhi; Plant Tissue…
The Plant Cell’s Cover Image Continues Global Conversation Over AI-Generated Art
Blog, CommunityThe January 2023 Focus Issue of The Plant Cell, one of ASPB’s high-impact journals, spotlights research focusing on the biology of plant response to abiotic stresses and explores the effects of climate change such as increased drought conditions and extreme heat.
It also features an innovative…
iFANS 2023: Time to Talk About Nutrition Security
CommunityThe International Conference on Food And Nutritional Security (iFANS 2023) was held January 6-9, 2023. It was jointly organized with the 5th International Plant Physiology Congress and the 44th annual meeting of the Plant Tissue Culture Association (India). And it was huge. Imagine an event jointly organized…
An RNA world (Profile of David Baulcombe)
Community, Plant Science Research WeeklyAnnual Reviews editions typically start with a brief autobiographical essay by a noted scientist. The 2023 edition of Annual Reviews in Plant Biology includes a profile of David Baulcombe, the well-known scientist whose work was foundational in revealing the roles of small RNAs in gene regulation and…
Journalists in Ghana Get to See the Country’s First GM Crop
Blog, CommunityJournalists in Ghana have visited the country’s first genetically modified crop under confined field trial. The journalists, numbering about forty, from different parts of the country, got educated on the technology used to develop the pod-borer resistant (PBR) cowpea, and, its potential benefits to…