Last year we co-hosted a workshop on New Breeding Technologies, alongside colleagues from the Society for Experimental Biology, GARNet, the Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society, and the Australian Society of Plant Scientists. This month, our report from that meeting was published in Physiologia Plantarum, featuring insights into the latest policy issues surrounding the regulation of these techniques and their products, as well as some top tips and tricks for their use. Another article, on the use and regulation of New Breeding Technologies in Scandinavia, highlights the progress being made in these countries.

Read the papers (and look out for more coming very soon!):

Meeting report: Separate product from process: framing the debate that surrounds the potential uptake of new breeding technologies

Scandinavian perspectives on plant gene technology: applications, policies and progress

In Journal of Experimental Botany: A cyclotide tide to sweep agriculture?
Abundant cyclotide production in plants would be an exciting step forward for agriculture. Such molecular farming could make possible transgenic plants protected by these highly stable defence peptides. Moreover there is the intriguing prospect of cyclotides as medicines in edible plants. A new paper brings these possibilities significantly closer.

In New Phytologist: Deeper purple – how temperature affects pollen color
While studies on flowers’ petal-color variation abound, new research looks at differences in the performance of pollen under varied environmental conditions based on its color.

The origin of flower making genes
A research team led by Professor Mitsuyasu Hasebe of the National Institute for Basic Biology revealed that the MADS-box genes control sperm motility and cell division and elongation of the stem of gametophores, using the moss Physcomitrella patens.

Root discovery may lead to crops that need less fertilizer
Bean plants that suppress secondary root growth in favor of boosting primary root growth forage greater soil volume to acquire phosphorus, according to Penn State researchers, who say their recent findings have implications for plant breeders and improving crop productivity in nutrient-poor soils.

More genes are active in high-performance maize
When two maize inbred lines are crossed with each other, an interesting effect occurs: The hybrid offspring have a significantly higher yield than either of the two parent plants. Researchers showed that the offspring had many more active genes than the original parents.

Ancient rice heralds a new future for rice production
Wild rice growing in northern Australia’s crocodile-infested waters could help boost global food security, say University of Queensland researchers who have mapped its genetic family tree.

The biology of wood: from cell to trees
10–12 July 2018. Lake Tahoe, CA, USA
Travel grant available! Click here.

Plant Biology 2018 (American Society of Plant Biologists)
14–18 July 2018. Montreal, Canada.

Spotted a funding opportunity we’ve missed? Please tell us about it by emailing sarah@globalplantcouncil.org

Each fellowship also provides a $575 stipend to support student travel to Plant Biology 2019, the ASPB annual meeting, to be held August 3-7, 2019, in San Jose.

Breakthrough Technologies to Advance Crop Breeding
Deadline: 14th March 2018
Funding opportunity from BBSRC, NSF BIO, and USDA NIFA to support UK-US collaborations developing breakthrough ideas and technologies to speed up the development of new crop varieties.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Company of Biologists Grants from the Society for Experimental Biology, which can fund student/early-career SEB members in a range of scientific activities!

Click here for details of the GPC Member Societies and Affiliates and their representatives. 

Please contact us (info@globalplantcouncil.org) to find out how your organization can join the Global Plant Council. 

Please click here to make a donation via PayPal to help support the GPC.

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