CSPB-SCBV Newsroom

Join the Canadian Weed Science Society Annual Meeting Nov 3 - 6

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 19:25:31 GMT

The Canadian Weed Science Society would like to extend our invitation to all the Plant Biology community to register and submit an abstract for our upcoming meeting taking place in the capital region (Gatineau, QC) from November 3-6, 2025.

2025 CWSS-SCM Annual Meeting - Gatineau, QC

This year we are expanding our horizons wishing to have a diverse audience going beyond weeds, to include invasive plants, interactions of other organisms with both invasive plants and weeds, and exploring mechanisms of biocontrol, biosurveillance and biodiversity.

We would love to see some of you attending our conference to strengthen our collaborations and the networking opportunities across fields.

Coming up! Canadian Botanical Association/L’Association Botanique du Canada 61st Annual Meeting and Conference

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 20:32:51 GMT

The Canadian Botanical Association / L’Association Botanique du Canada 61st Annual Meeting and Conference is being held on June 10-14, 2025. It will be hosted at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada.

For more information about this event, you can click here, or visit their website here.

Call for Nominations: Journal of Plant Physiology Young Scientist Award

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 16:52:43 GMT

On behalf of Plant Physiology:

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to announce the inaugural Journal of Plant Physiology Young Scientist Award 2025. We seek nominations for young scientists who have made significant strides in deepening our understanding of plant physiological processes. This includes work that elucidates the intricate interactions within plant systems, enhances our knowledge of metabolic pathways, and reveals how plants adapt to environmental challenges. By focusing on the mechanisms underlying physiological functions, these researchers contribute essential insights that can inform agricultural practices and help to secure crop yield under conditions of climate change. The award includes a monetary prize of $2,000 to support further research and professional development.

Eligibility: Nominees should be early-career scientists within 10 years of completing their PhD, whose work has significantly impacted plant physiology. This includes research that enhances our understanding of plant functions, interactions, and responses to environmental changes.

Nomination Process: Nominations are welcome from colleagues, mentors, and professionals within the plant science community who can speak to the nominee's contributions and impact. To nominate a candidate, please submit a nomination letter outlining their key contributions, along with their CV and a summary of their research impact. Nominations are open until May 31st, 2025.

Award Requirements: The award winner will be expected to contribute an article to the Journal of Plant Physiology, highlighting their research findings and insights.

Join us in honoring the next generation of leaders in plant science! Help us recognize those whose groundbreaking work is essential for addressing global challenges in plant physiology.

Please send your nomination to one of the Editors-in-Chief before May 31st, 2025!

We are looking forward to your feedback!

Herbert Kronzucker, Quan-Sheng Qiu, and Uwe Sonnewald

Your Leadership Team, Journal of Plant Physiology

CSPB Early Career Member Feature Opportunity

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 19:20:58 GMT

Are you a postdoc, research associate or new faculty member? Let us help you improve your visibility! The CSPB - SCBV is looking to feature out ECR members on our social media pages, website and in communications including our biannual bulletin. If you are interested in being featured please send a headshot, a short bio (<150 words) and your contact info (e-mail, social handles, website) to our Postdoc Rep Dr. Mark Minow at postdocrep@cspb-scbv.ca. We will accept features on a rolling basis.

Passing of Professor J. Derek Bewley

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:25:05 GMT

It is my sad duty to inform the CSPB-SCBV community of the passing of Professor Derek Bewley. Please take a moment to read an excerpt from Kent Bradford and Henk Hilhorst’s professional obituary which will be available in its entirety in the spring Bulletin of CSPB-SCBV.

Robin Cameron, President of CSPB-SCBV.

in Memoriam: J. Derek Bewley 1943-2023

Kent J. Bradford¹ and Henk W. M. Hilhorst^2,3

¹Seed Biotechnology Center, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA; email: kjbradford@ucdavis.edu

²Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands and ³University of Cape Town, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Cape Town, South-Africa; email: henk.hilhorst@wur.nl and henk.hilhorst@uct.ac.za

Dr. J. Derek Bewley, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (formerly Department of Botany) at the University of Guelph, Canada, passed away due to cancer on February 24, 2023. Derek was a towering figure in seed science over the past five decades, making critical research contributions to a wide diversity of topics. He completed his undergraduate degree in Botany and Biochemistry at the University of London in 1965 and his PhD with Michael Black at the same institution in 1968. He began his research career investigating the action of phytochrome in relation to gibberellin (GA) in stimulating germination of lettuce seeds. He then moved in 1968 to a postdoc with Abe Marcus at the Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia. He accepted a faculty position at the University of Calgary, Canada, and continued his work on seed germination and desiccation tolerance. In 1985, Derek moved to the University of Guelph to become the Chair of the Botany Department and to continue his work in seed biology. Derek completed his publishing career by contributing to an Annual Review of Plant Biology article on desiccation tolerance in 2020, his 275^th publication. While Derek’s research alone would ensure his recognition as a foundational plant biologist, his authorship of books has added substantially to his reputation and his impact on the field. In collaboration with Michael Black, he published two volumes of the Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds in Relation to Germination. These books, along with the less research-oriented textbook Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination (3 editions), introduced a generation of seed biologists to both the history of their field and its future directions. During his career, Derek supervised 46 students to a postgraduate degree, many of whom continued in academic or research professions, and mentored 54 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists. Nationally and internationally, Derek served as President of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists and as a Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Biologists. He is recognized as a Pioneer Member of the latter organization and also received its Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award. Derek, along with his mentor and colleague Michael Black, played critical roles in the establishment of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS) in 1999. Derek was President-elect from 2002-2005 and President from 2005-2008.

Passing of Professor Mary E Spencer

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 16:24:39 GMT

As President of CSPB-CSBV, it is my sad duty to inform the CSPB-SCBV community that Professor Mary E. Spencer passed away peacefully on December 18^th 2022 at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre. Professor Spencer made outstanding contributions to the field of plant biology, specifically in understanding how ethylene is produced. Professor Spencer’s exceptional career was recognized by her election to the Royal Society of Canada as a Fellow in 1976 and an Order of Canada in 2001, among many other honours. She gave back to the plant biology community as an active member of the Canadian Society of Plant Biology / La Société Canadienne de Biologie Végétale in her role on several committees, as Western Regional Director, Vice-President and President. Her name and memory live on in the CSPB-SCBV Mary E. Spencer Award that was established in 2018, to recognize CSPB-SCBV members who have made outstanding contributions to plant biology research and public service to the plant biology community. A more detailed professional obituary by Professor Deep Saini will be posted in the next few months.

Robin Cameron CSPB - SCBV President

CAPB Seminar Series

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 20:38:40 GMT

Check out this seminar series presented by our Plant Canada partner organization the Canadian Association of Plant Biotechnology! All info can be found at the link below.

http://www.canadianplantbiotech.ca/capb-series/