Highlights from Plant Biology 2025

Submitted by aolson on Thu, 08/07/2025 - 12:55

By Janeen Braynen, PhD Edited by Audra Olson The Plant Biology 2025 Conference, hosted by the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), took place from July 26–30 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This annual gathering brought together plant scientists from around the globe for an inspiring week of scientific sessions, interactive workshops, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. The meeting served as a hub for professional growth and scientific exchange, equipping attendees with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to advance both their research and careers. This year’s conference welcomed over 984 scientists and researchers, featured 36 exhibitors, and offered 20 workshops across diverse areas of plant biology. Attendees engaged with 533 poster presentations and explored 727 completed abstracts, broken down as follows:

  • 25 Community-proposed talks
  • 235 Independent abstracts
  • 8 Plenary abstracts
  • 20 Workshop abstracts
  • 439 Poster abstracts

While most attendees were from the United States, scientists from over 32 countries were represented, highlighting the international scope of the ASPB community. Virtual Bioinformatics Session On July 15, 2025, Dr. Sunita Kumari of the Ware Lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) chaired the ASPB Virtual Plant Bioinformatics session: “AgBioData Consortium Resources and Databases for FAIR Agricultural Data Discovery, Sharing, and Reuse.” The session featured seven expert speakers and spotlighted key genomic databases critical for plant research, including:

  • Gramene
  • AgBioData
  • BreedBase
  • TAIR
  • MaizeGDB
  • TreeGenes
  • BioAnalyticalResources (BAR)

Dr. Kumari presented exciting updates on the Gramene Plants and Pan Genome Resources, emphasizing recent advances that support comparative genomics and data interoperability. Research Highlights Dr. Janeen Braynen, a postdoctoral researcher in the Ware Lab at CSHL, delivered a talk titled: “Investigating Iron Stress Responses in Sorghum: Gene Regulation, Nutrient Dynamics, and Resilience.” Her presentation focused on variation in iron concentration and transcriptional regulation among genetically diverse CP–NAM sorghum lines, highlighting four lines that exhibited distinct responses under iron-limited hydroponic conditions. In addition to her oral presentation, Dr. Braynen presented two posters:

  • “Genome-wide transcriptomic profiling of sorghum lines under nitrogen stress conditions”
  • “SorghumBase is a Knowledgebase for Sorghum Genomic Data and Community Interaction”

These contributions emphasized ongoing efforts to better understand nutrient stress responses and promote open-access plant genomic resources. Plenary Sessions The plenary sessions featured trailblazing scientists whose talks inspired attendees and sparked meaningful discussions:

  • Danielle Ignace, PhD highlighted the urgent need for a reimagined, transdisciplinary approach to environmental research and education. She emphasized the importance of diversifying perspectives and values within research frameworks to mentor the next generation tackling complex environmental challenges.
  • Dawn Nagel, PhD discussed how the plant circadian clock regulates responses to environmental stress, presenting ongoing work on the molecular mechanisms influenced by time of day, particularly under heat stress conditions.
  • Neelima Sinha, PhD explored the genetic and evolutionary mechanisms behind leaf development. Her team used comparative transcriptomics and integrative analysis across model and non-model species to dissect gene regulatory networks shaping leaf morphology.
  • Laura Wayne, PhD presented innovative work on engineering next-generation oilseed traits. Through genetic screens, protein and metabolic engineering, and gene editing, her team is developing seed oil traits with enhanced nutritional value and energy density.
  • John Harada, PhD delved into the temporal and spatial dynamics of seed development. He discussed gene networks that regulate morphogenesis and maturation phases and examined tissue-specific development of the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat.

Concurrent Symposia Attendees also benefited from a diverse slate of concurrent symposia that offered deep dives into specialized areas of plant science. One session, From Roots to Canopy: Advanced X-ray Imaging in Plant Biology, highlighted cutting-edge imaging technologies that allow researchers to non-invasively visualize internal plant structures—from root systems to leaf tissues. Another, Plant Reproduction: From Sporogenesis to Seed Formation Under Normal and Stress Conditions, explored the intricacies of reproductive development and how environmental stressors influence gamete formation and seed viability. The symposium How Diversity Shapes the Plant World rounded out the lineup by examining genetic and morphological variation in key crops such as maize, tomato, soybean, and sorghum, underscoring its essential role in adaptation, ecosystem resilience, and crop improvement. Plant Biology 2025 served as a dynamic space for discovery, collaboration, and scientific growth. Whether through the sharing of cutting-edge data, showcasing novel methodologies, or fostering inclusive community engagement, the conference reaffirmed ASPB’s commitment to advancing plant science for a sustainable future. If you're looking to be part of a society that is "innovating, educating, and communicating for a better future through plant biology," consider joining ASPB and connecting with a vibrant, global network of plant scientists dedicated to making a difference.   Learn more and become a member today: https://aspb.org/membership Visit the ASPB homepage: https://aspb.org 

Plant Science Saturday Plant Science Saturday is a vibrant community outreach event where volunteers engage with the public to spark curiosity and meaningful conversations about the plant world. Led by the Education Committee of the American Society of Plant Biologists, this initiative features hands-on activities such as the Sticky Seed Challenge, lima bean dissections, seed cup building, botanical bead bracelets, and interactive stations to learn about the role of plants in science. Photo Credit: Sylvia Lee, ASPB.

Exploring Plant Science Careers & Growing Your Network, This empowering workshop offered insights into the diverse career paths available to plant biologists, from roles in industry to teaching positions at R1, R2, and Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). Participants also learned how to get involved with ASPB and the importance of building a strong professional network at every stage of their career journey. Photo credit: Jayson Padilla Community Engagement Administrator, ASPB.

Opening Address, 2025 Awards Presentations, and Presidential Plenary During the opening session, current ASPB President Hong Ma, PhD, presented awards and introduced the ASPB leadership to conference attendees. From left to right: President-Elect-Elect Tessa Smith Birch, PhD; Past President Leeann Thornton, PhD; Current President Hong Ma, PhD; President-Elect Kent Chapman, PhD; and ASPB CEO Crispin Taylor, PhD. Photo credit: Dawn Nagel, PhD, University of California, Riverside.

Meet Your Bud’dy” Station at the Registration Desk – Plant Biology 2025 A welcoming space where old and new friends connect; "Where Ware.” From left to right: Farida Yasmin, PhD, Postdoc at UC Davis (Zerbe Lab); Janeen Braynen, PhD, Postdoc at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (Ware Lab); and Catherine Freed, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Wisconsin–Madison. Photo credit: Janeen Braynen, PhD.

Janeen Braynen, PhD, Postdoctoral Computational Biologist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the Ware Lab, presenting her poster titled “Genomic Strategies to Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Reduce Nitrate Levels in Sorghum Forage Lines.” Photo credit: Janeen Braynen, PhD.

Science: We Have a Voice for Advocacy. As plant scientists, we have a powerful voice to advocate for the science we love. Past President Leeann Thornton, PhD, and current ASPB President Hong Ma, PhD, exemplified this commitment as they visited the Plant Science Advocacy station , encouraging others to speak up and engage in shaping the future of plant research. Photo credit: Jayson Padilla.

Catherine Freed, PhD, Presenting at Plant Biology 2025 Catherine Freed, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, presenting her poster titled “Enhancing inositol pyrophosphate accumulation in plants alters growth, phosphate homeostasis, and insect herbivory.” Photo credit: Janeen Braynen, PhD.

Aditi Bhat, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Pittsburgh, presenting her poster titled “Guardian of the rhizosphere: Discovery of novel receptor-like kinases (RLKs) regulating Arabidopsis root microbiome.” Photo credit: Sylvia Lee, ASPB.

Mineral Stress in Plants The session "Mineral Stress", chaired by Janeen Braynen, PhD, featured researchers presenting about how plants respond to various mineral-related challenges, including salt, zinc, phosphate stress, and traits linked to climate resilience. Speakers highlighted how diverse genetic and phenotypic traits enable plants to adapt and respond to challenging mineral stress environments. From left to right: Vanessica Jawahir, PhD; Maryam Rahmati, PhD; Harsh Raman, PhD; Imani Madison, PhD; Oskar Siemianowski, PhD. Photo Credit: Janeen Braynen, PhD.

How Diversity Shapes the Plant World The session "How Diversity Shapes the Plant World", chaired by Christos Noutsos, PhD, brought together a diverse group of researchers presenting exciting insights from across the plant kingdom, from maize and sorghum to tomatoes and soybeans. Each speaker shared unique stories highlighting the power of genetic and phenotypic diversity in shaping plant traits, adaptation, and evolution. From left to right: Jon Cahn, PhD; Calvin Perkins, PhD Candidate; Christos Noutsos, PhD (Chair); Ran Tian, PhD; Janeen Braynen, PhD; and Leo D’Agostino, PhD Candidate. Photo Credit: Christos Noutsos, PhD.

Old Friends, New Connections Old friends, longtime colleagues, and new faces came together during the President’s Recognition event at Plant Biology 2025. Pictured left to right: Josh Gordon, PhD; Karen Hicks, PhD; Dawn Nagel, PhD; and Janeen Braynen, PhD. Photo Credit: Janeen Braynen, PhD.

New Connections; During the annual party, researchers gathered to connect, collaborate, and build new relationships across the plant science community, while also bidding farewell and enjoying the evening’s festivities. Photo Credit Jon Cahn, PhD.

Plant Biology 2025 Annual Party As the conference begins to wrap, Ambassadors Janeen Braynen, PhD (far right), and Catherine Freed (far left) greet and bid farewell to Shoshana Kronfeld, Senior Manager of Membership at the American Society of Plant Biologists. Photo credit: Catherine Freed, PhD.