Plantae Presents: AI in Plant Biological Sciences Research

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Plantae Presents: AI in Plant Biological Sciences Research

Featuring Pau Formosa-Jordan, Maryna Kuzmenko, and Manish Tiwari

When: Friday, May 23, 2025, at
7:00 AM PDT | 10:00 AM EDT | 3:00 PM BST | 10:00 PM Beijing

Register Here

About this Webinar

Join us for an engaging webinar presented in collaboration with the American Society of Plant Biologists, exploring the diverse applications of artificial intelligence in plant biological sciences research. This session will highlight cutting-edge uses of AI, ranging from image analysis for plant disease detection to innovative tools for data collection and grant proposal development.

Hosted by the 2025 Plantae Fellows.

 

SPEAKERS

Dr. Pau Formosa-Jordan

Pau Formosa-Jordan is a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne (MPIPZ), Germany. His group combines theory and experiments to understand the dynamics of plant developmental processes, using microscopy, quantitative image analysis, theory building, and modeling. Pau’s group focuses on two main questions: how cells become different from one another in plant tissues, forming different kinds of cellular patterns, and how the shoot meristem changes from producing leaves to flowers, a process known as the floral transition. Pau is a physicist by training. In 2013, he earned a PhD in theoretical biophysics at the University of Barcelona, in Spain. Afterwards, he did a postdoc at the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, in the UK. In 2020, he started his research group at the MPIPZ. Bluesky: @pauformosa.bsky.social.

 

 

 

Dr. Maryna Kuzmenko

Maryna Kuzmenko is co-founder of Petiole, a UK-based agritech company focused on implementing AI applications in agriculture. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Law from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), along with the IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management and certifications from UPOV. Maryna has successfully led two projects funded by Innovate UK and has represented her work at high-level events in the Netherlands and Belgium. She is a regular speaker at educational events, advocating for smart farming and promoting female leadership in agriculture.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Manish Tiwari 

Manish Tiwari is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research centers on the symbiotic interactions between plants and microorganisms, with a particular focus on root nodules and arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. He is especially interested in how these symbioses respond to abiotic stresses driven by climate change. Outside of the lab, Manish enjoys staying active and spends his free time playing sports such as cricket, soccer, and pickleball.

 

 

 

 

 

MODERATORS

Gourav Arora

Gourav is a second year doctoral researcher in the Coupland department at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne. His work focuses on the regulation of flowering time in Arabidopsis, specifically through the FT-FD module. Originally from Haryana, Gourav completed his master’s degree at the University of Delhi, India. Passionate about science communication, Gourav enjoys sharing scientific concepts with the general public. In his free time, he loves capturing the beauty of nature through photography, particularly flowers and plants. He also enjoys watching anime, playing table tennis, and reading Hindi poetry. X: @gourav_arora_g.

 

 

 

 

Jerry Javier González Cantoral

Jerry is a Guatemalan biologist with a great passion for plants. He has dedicated himself to study secondary metabolites in an endangered Guatemalan species; but life put him to work on several other things. He has worked in plant tissue culture and biotechnology; is studying a Master’s Degree in Plant Health; and now teaches Plant Physiology at University of San Carlos of Guatemala. He also takes salsa and bachata classes. He has tons of stories to share, which is great, because storytelling is one of the best ways to influence making the world a better place.

 

 

 

 

 

Indrani Kakati

Indrani is a current ASPB Plantae Editor and recently concluded her tenure as an ORISE postdoctoral fellow with USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Centre in Maryland, US. Her recent work focused on understanding chocolate/cacao plants’ disease resistance mechanisms against devastating fungal pathogens wreaking havoc in cacao growing regions of the world.
Apart from being a first-generation researcher, she likes to involve herself in easy science communication, reading, nature photography & enjoys being a mother to a curious 10 year old.   X: @Indranik333 /  BlueSky: indranik18.bsky.social.

 

 

 

Ved Prakash

Ved is originally from Varanasi, India. He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Microbiology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and earned his Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India, under the supervision of Prof. Supriya Chakraborty. Ved’s research interests center around plant-virus-vector interactions, with a strong focus on understanding the molecular and ecological dynamics of virus transmission.

Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow at The Ohio State University, working with Dr. Jennifer Wilson and Dr. Erik Ohlson. His research explores the seed transmission of High Plains wheat mosaic virus (HPWMoV) and Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), focusing on their localization within seeds and the impact of co-infection on maize development.

Beyond the lab, Ved enjoys birdwatching and astrophotography, combining his passion for nature and science through the lens. X:@vedjiwan