Conference: FASEB Conference on Mechanisms in Plant Development Meeting

Plants grow and adapt through complex developmental processes, from root formation underground to leaf and flower development above. Understanding how plants build and shape themselves not only advances science but also helps address real-world challenges in agriculture resilience and efficiency and food security. The 2025 FASEB Conference on Mechanisms in Plant Development will bring together leading scientists and early career researchers to share discoveries about how plants grow and respond to their environments. Taking place in Southbridge, Massachusetts, this meeting is the only recurring international forum fully focused on plant development. This conference ensures shared open discussion of the latest scientific tools, like single-cell technologies and live-cell imaging, so that more researchers can use these new techniques to explore plant systems in greater detail than ever before. The meeting also offers dedicated workshops and networking opportunities for students and early-career researchers to build skills and mentorship relationships, fostering a new generation of plant researchers. These efforts contribute to a highly trained workforce capable of developing innovative solutions for agriculture, while also strengthening the U.S. leadership in plant science and biotechnology.

The 2025 FASEB Conference on Mechanisms in Plant Development will convene a multidisciplinary community of scientists exploring the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying plant development. With rapid advancements in single-cell transcriptomics, super-resolution microscopy, and computational modeling, the field is poised to make transformative discoveries in developmental biology. This meeting will feature sessions on key topics such as morphogenesis, growth control, hormonal signaling, patterning, and root architecture, with an emphasis on how plants establish structure and respond to environmental signals. Scientific sessions will include 32 invited talks and 22 selected presentations from emerging researchers, fostering a comprehensive exchange of unpublished research. Two keynote lectures will honor the groundbreaking contributions of Philip Benfey and Joanne Chory, whose work has significantly shaped the fields of root development and plant hormone signaling. A core focus of the meeting is cross-disciplinary dialogue, bringing together experts in molecular genetics, cell biology, biophysics, and systems biology to explore new conceptual frameworks and methodologies. Professional development workshops will support early-career researchers through targeted training in publishing, grant writing, interdisciplinary research, and mentorship. By combining cutting-edge research with training and networking, this conference will advance the frontiers of plant developmental biology and support the next generation of scientific leaders.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2527118
Principal Investigator: Rosangela Sozzani
Funds Obligated: $14,945
State: NC