This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here October 7, 2021 .ASPB SPOTLIGHT Plantae Webinar Highlighting Plant Physiology Focus Issue 'Sensors and Controllers: For and From Plants' Join us for a Plantae Webinar highlighting the Plant Physiology Focus Issue on Sensors and Controllers, featuring Shilo Rosenwasser, Sarah Guiziou, and Shiqiang Gao — three of the authors whose work is included in the Focus Issue. Announcing the ASPB Centennial Challenge In 2024, ASPB will celebrate its 100th Anniversary! To ensure that the Society will thrive for the next 100 years, we aspire to raise $3 million in donations by the Plant Biology 2024 meeting. Learn more and donate today to help us achieve this goal! .FROM ASPB & PLANTAE Submissions Open for Plant Physiology Focus Issue on Evolution of Plant Structure and Function Plant Physiology seeks research article submissions by January 1, 2021, for inclusion in a Focus Issue on the topic of Evolution of Plant Structure and Function. Recent progress in understanding the proximate basis of plant evolution has revealed a myriad of underlying mechanisms, ranging from the genetic and epigenetic to the biophysical and micro-biotic. This focus issue calls for review or research articles, short letters, and reports that provide novel insights into evolutionary mechanisms underpinning plant phenotypic variation.  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by PhytoTech Labs Media Optimization - Optimize your formulation with our Media Optimization Kit. Click here to get started! Bulk Savings – Complete the form to tell us more and save on your bulk components Antibiotics – Save big on high quality antibiotic powders and sterile filtered solutions Plant Growth Regulators – We have the largest selection of cytokinins, auxins, gibberellins and much more Last Chance! Plant Physiology Is Recruiting Assistant Features Editors for 2022 Plant Physiology is recruiting Assistant Features Editors to join the Editorial Board in January 2022. If would like to be considered for this program, please submit your application materials by October 11, 2021. Your application should include a cover letter, CV, first-authored publication, contact information for two referees, and a sample News and Views highlighting a paper from a list provided. U.S. DOE Now Accepting Pre-proposals for the 2022 Early Career Research Program The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is accepting proposals for the 2022 DOE Office of Science Early Career Research Program to support the research of outstanding scientists early in their careers. The program will support over 60 early career researchers for five years at U.S. academic institutions and DOE National Laboratories. Learn more and submit a pre-application by October 21, 2021.  PRODUCT SHOWCASE Colored LEDs With Unparalleled Performance Colored LEDs in linear arrangements can cause lighting flaws that may affect your research. Percival has solved this problem with SciBrite – colored LED lighting with unparalleled uniformity and up to eight evenly mixed colors. No other colored lighting measures up to SciBrite! LEARN MORE Are You an ASPB Member? Would You Like to Serve on an ASPB Committee? With the active participation of its members, ASPB becomes a more effective society. Interested in having an impact on ASPB? Consider applying to serve on one of our standing committees by logging in to the member portal and completing the form linked above. We will keep your application open for 3 years; however, you can update your information and preferences by editing your member profile. Plant Physiology Article of the Week: X-ray microscopy enables multiscale high-resolution 3D imaging of plant cells, tissues, and organs The spotlight is on Keith E. Duncan, Kirk J. Czymmek, Ni Jiang, August C. Thies, and Christopher N. Topp for their article which demonstrates that lab-based X-ray microscopy allows high resolution 3D imaging of intact plant samples over a wide range of sample types and sizes, filling the imaging gap between light and electron microscopy. Their article has received over 79 mentions in social media this week and has an Altmetric score of 54.  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Agrisera Save 15% off Environmental stress antibodies Free Posters! Respiration, PSII, Rubisco Save 25% off On epitope tag antibodies: FLAG, GFP, YPF, HA, 3xHis, 6xHis Find the antibody for Arabidopsis thaliana, algae, barley, rice, maize and many more Short videos about Western blot and antibodies The Plant Cell Article of the Week: Imaging the living plant cell: from probes to quantification The spotlight is on Leia Colin, Raquel Martin-Arevalillo, Simone Bovio, Amélie Bauer, Teva Vernoux, Marie-Cecile Caillaud, Benoit Landrein, and Yvon Jaillais. Their article, which uses specific examples to illustrate some of the challenges of live cell imaging, from designing genetically encoded probes to choosing a pipeline for image analysis and quantification, has an Altmetric score of 49 and 87 mentions in social media in the past week. Plant Direct Article of the Week: A reevaluation of the role of the ASIL trihelix transcription factors as repressors of the seed maturation program The spotlight is on Kevin A. Ruiz, Julie M. Pelletier, Yuchi Wang, Min Jun Feng, Jacqueline S. Behr, Thái Q. Ðào, Baohua Li, Daniel Kliebenstein, John J. Harada, and Pablo D. Jenik. Their work serves as a starting point, suggesting future directions for research to elucidate the contributions of the trihelix family of factors to the biology of the plant. .CHANGING CULTURES AND CLIMATES The mission of Changing Cultures and Climates is to provide information that supports and promotes diversity, inclusivity, and equity in the international plant science community so that it grows to more accurately reflect that of our larger, global society. Postdoctoral Fellowships to Contribute to Diversity and Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Several US universities have created a program to help promote faculty diversity by supporting postdocs interested in faculty and research careers who will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity in higher education through their teaching, research, and service. Most of the programs have applications due by November 1. Check out the opportunities at the Universities of California, Colorado, Michigan, Maryland, and more. How to Shrink the Gap That Holds Black Scientists Back From Nature Black students face barriers progressing to PhD programs, and experience other career setbacks, because they are more likely to receive lower undergraduate degree classifications than their white peers, an analysis by a leading UK university has found. Lower degree classifications make it more difficult to gain entry to and funding for PhD programs and to find relevant employment. This article examines the causes of this difference in degree attainment and what is being done to address it. Anti-colonial Science What is anti-colonial science? Anti-colonial science questions and transforms underlying assumptions in Western science that stem from imperialism and mastery, and explores how science can be practiced in a manner that foregrounds good land relations, humility, and gratitude. To learn more, check out this recorded seminar featuring Max Liboiorn, hosted by the Academy for Teachers. Curated Anti-racism Toolkit Are you looking for anti-racism resources to inform your understanding, education, and practices? Have a look at this collection, curated by Siobhan Braybrook. It includes resources that focus on interpersonal work (for example, mentoring), institutional work, resources to build a more inclusive, anti-racist classroom, and more. You can also suggest additional resources to add to the collection. PRODUCT SHOWCASE Reach Your Prospects Every Week Thousands of industry professionals subscribe to association news briefs, which allows your company to push messaging directly to their inboxes and take advantage of the association's brand affinity. Connect with Highly Defined Buyers and Maximize Your Brand Exposure   LEARN MORE   Plant Genetic Engineering Services CRISPR/CAS9 TALENs ZFNs RNAi VIGS Gene Overexpression   LEARN MORE   Growing the Future of Agriculture: Conversations with Black Farmers and Educators Join the Ohio State University EPN (Environmental Professionals Network) event October 12 from 7:15 - 9:30 am EDT. Black farmers have innovated farming methods that remain at the core of sustainable agriculture today despite systemic and cultural limits to land access in the United States, including the ownership and operation of our nation's most productive agricultural land. Join this EPN Breakfast program to learn from Black farmers about opportunities and challenges that exist for growing and enhancing connections to the land through agriculture and other regenerative land and community practices, including for youth of color. To watch the livestream of the conversation, register here. .#WeAreASPB Rank Prize for Nutrition Awarded to Cathie Martin, Former EIC of The Plant Cell Cathie Martin, a group leader at the John Innes Centre and former Editor in Chief of The Plant Cell, has been awarded the prestigious Rank Prize for Nutrition for her globally significant research in making fruit and vegetables more nutritious. The award recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to human and animal nutrition, where their ideas have been carried through to practical applications of benefit to humankind. Professor Dale Sanders, Director of the John Innes Centre, said: "The award of this prestigious prize to Cathie Martin gives wonderful recognition to the enormous impact that Cathie's work has had in the field of metabolic engineering. From fundamental discovery to innovative ways of improving human diet, Cathie's research contributions have been inspirational." She will formally receive the award for 2022 at a ceremony early next year. Share Your Moment in the Spotlight with ASPB Members! ASPB would like to highlight news coverage about plant science. If you or your research is being highlighted in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, online, or other sources, please let us know! Just send a quick note, URL, and other relevant information to ASPB News production manager, Diane McCauley, at diane@aspb.org. .PLANTAE JOBS The Plantae Job Center offers job seekers and employers a great resource for finding the right match of people to careers. Job seekers get free access to a searchable list of jobs specific to science careers, as well as access to the Mentoring Center and to a list of available internships. Employers who post a job get access to over 500 searchable profiles of job seekers. With over 140,000 unique page views in 2020, the Plantae Job Center is your resource for finding your next opportunity or your next hire. Below are just a few of the jobs currently listed on the site. Tenure Track Faculty Position in Molecular Cell Biology   Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Learn more Assistant Professor   Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Learn more Assistant Professor   Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK Learn more Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor of Biology   Furman University Greenville, SC Learn more Assistant Dean, Agriculture & Natural Resources/Community Economic Development   The University of Tennessee Extension Knoxville, TN Learn more Assistant/Associate/Full Professor in Plant Biology   University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN Learn more .PLANT SCIENCE EVENTS October 20, 2021   AG2PI Industry Event - Industry Showcase Field Day Learn more October 30, 2021   ASPB Northeastern Section 2021 Virtual Meeting Learn more November 8-11, 2021   XIX National Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Congress, XII Joint Symposium Mexico-USA, and the 2nd ASPB Mexican Section Meeting Virtual Learn more November 17, 2021   AG2PI Industry Event - Industry Collaborations Field Day Learn more For plant science events, make sure to check out the Global Plant Science Events Calendar. Also, check the calendar for the latest cancellations and postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as webinars and online events you can join. .FROM THE FIELD New Study Captures Sugar Transport Fundamental to Plants From Aarhus University via Science Daily Researchers have just elucidated structures of a sugar transport protein that drives transport of sugar in plants. The study provides a comprehensive insight into sugar uptake into plant organs such as flowers, seeds and fruit. Future research can benefit from these discoveries to address challenges like food security through crop improvement. Increasing Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere Teaches Old Oaks New Tricks From the University of Birmingham Mature oak trees will increase their rate of photosynthesis by up to a third in response to the raised CO2 levels expected to be the world average by about 2050, new research shows. The results, published in Tree Physiology, are the first to emerge from a giant outdoor experiment, led by the University of Birmingham in which an old oak forest is bathed in elevated levels of CO2. Over the first three years of a ten-year project, the 175-year-old oaks clearly responded to the CO2 by consistently increasing their rate of photosynthesis. Researchers are now measuring leaves, wood, roots and soil to find out where the extra carbon captured ends up and for how long it stays locked up in the forest. How Socioeconomic Factors Can Influence the Spread of Invasive Plants From Cambridge University Press via Phys.org A team from the University of Hawaii collected data on nonnative plants found on six of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago — recording where each plant was first discovered and how it was likely introduced. Researchers identified almost 1500 nonnative species that have become "naturalized" and spread naturally without cultivation. The plants were found to be quite diverse, originating from a wide variety of climates, continents and taxonomic groups. When the team analyzed the plant data alongside socioeconomic changes in the island chain, they noted an important trend. As the economy made the rapid shift from agriculture to tourism, there was a corresponding shift in how nonnative species became established. Explainable Machine Learning Models of Major Crop Traits from Satellite-Monitored Continent-Wide Field Trial Data From Nature Plants Four species of grass generate half of all human-consumed calories. However, abundant biological data on species that produce our food remain largely inaccessible, imposing direct barriers to understanding crop yield and fitness traits. Here, Newman et al. assemble and analyze a continent-wide database of field experiments spanning 10 years and hundreds of thousands of machine-phenotyped populations of 10 major crop species. The Flower Clock: How a Small Protein Helps Flowers to Develop Right and On Time From The Global Plant Council How flowers form properly within a limited time frame has been a mystery, at least until now. Researchers from Japan and China have discovered how a multi-tasking protein helps flowers to develop as expected. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from Nanjing University and Nara Institute of Science and Technology have revealed that a small protein plays multiple roles to ensure that floral reproductive organs are formed properly within a short space of time. Oregon State Fossil Research Leads to First Description of Grass in Baltic Amber From Oregon State University Amber research by the Oregon State University College of Science has produced the first definite identification of grass in fossilized tree resin from the Baltic region, home to the world's most well-known amber deposits. The specimen studied by George Poinar Jr., named Eograminis balticus, also represents the first fossil member of Arundinoideae, a subfamily of the widespread Poaceae family that includes cereal grasses, bamboos and many species found in lawns and natural grasslands. Findings, now in preprint, will be published in the International Journal of Plant Sciences. Why Climate Change Is Making It Harder to Chase Fall Foliage From The Associated Press Leaf peeping, the practice of traveling to watch nature display its fall colors, is a beloved annual activity in many corners of the country, especially New England and New York. But recent seasons have been disrupted by weather conditions there and elsewhere, and the trend is likely to continue as the planet warms, said arborists, conservationists and ecologists.   The Signal Connect with ASPB American Society of Plant Biologists 15501 Monona Drive  |  Rockville, MD 20855-2768 USA  301-251-0560  |  Click here to access our Terms and Privacy Statement  |  www.aspb.org The Signal is produced in affiliation with Multiview, Inc. Disclaimer: The media articles and/or advertisements featured in The Signal do not express or reflect the opinions of the American Society of Plant Biologists or any employee thereof. Hailey Golden, Director of Publishing, Multiview, 469-420-2630 | Download media kit Tory Barringer, Assistant Executive Editor, Multiview, 469-420-2660 | Contribute News Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063