NEWS

The 10th European-wide seminar of the series supported by the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) and aimed at the Plant Science community and its stakeholders.

TTT: The seminar will be held online each third Thursday of the month at three (CET).

On 17th February 2022 at 15:00 (CET) we will present three talks exploring the “Potential of Plants as Bio-Farming Factories”

Assoc Prof Heiko Rischer, VTT, Finland – “Plant cell cultures as food – concept and applications”

Prof Herta Steinkellner, BOKU, Austria – “COVID-19: Plant produced novel antibody variants open up therapeutic approach”

Assoc Prof Johannes Buyel, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Germany – “Product and process development in plant molecular farming”

The seminars will be hosted on Zoom and last approximately 1.5 hours. Numbers will be limited to 300 attendees and therefore please register early if you would like to join. There will be ample opportunities to ask questions and join the debate. So please join us to support this new and exciting initiative for European Plant Science by following this link just prior to the start of the seminar.

EPSO members register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlcuivrTouGteGmh68VuJZ7olcqyQF3b0K

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In the coming months we will be on the lookout for talented plant scientists among the EPSO membership to present their findings and perspectives to the EPSO seminar series. If we approach you to talk, we hope you will be happy to support the initiative. This is a fantastic opportunity for both eminent world leaders and talented up-and-coming early career researchers to present their research to an international audience and to network with potential collaborators. If you wish to suggest a theme for one of the spring seminars and / or nominate yourself or one of your colleagues to give a seminar, we most welcome your suggestions. Please contact Tim George ([email protected]) to provide your name and potential talk title.

We look forward to seeing you all for the 10^th EPSO seminar on the 17^th February 2022

Tim George, Alan Schulman and Marie-Theres Hauser

EPSO Plant Science Seminar Series Organising Committee

 Click here to read: Full EPSO news item

Contacts:

• Tim George, Hutton / UK & EPSO Board
• Alan Schulman, LUKE / FI & EPSO President
• Marie-Theres Hauser BOKU / AT & EPSO Board

EPSO members value the EPSO career page as they often find their final succeeding candidates through the EPSO career page. With this success in mind, EPSO encourages all its members to disseminate their job offers through the EPSO jobs page to find their next team members at all career stages – from PhD students to director.

In 2021, thanks to its members, EPSO was offering on its career page almost 100 jobs related to plant sciences. Since 2018, the EPSO website has welcomed more than 12,000 unique visitors. The EPSO career page aggregates one fourth of the 48,718 unique page views turning this page in the second most visited page of EPSO website.

Job offers are also advertised on EPSO Twitter to more than 5,600 Followers, on Linkedin and in the bi-yearly EPSO newsletter. Next one will be released in Spring 2022, do not hesitate to share your new opportunities with EPSO.

To submit a job offer for publication, please send the completed job template to EPSO [email protected]. This is free for EPSO institutional Members. For outside submission a small fee applies.

The 2^nd round of Mission Boards will have the role of advising on the implementation of the EU Missions under Horizon Europe 2021-2027. The five Mission Boards will have up to 15 independent top experts for each Mission. The European Commission (EC) published the call for experts on 5.1.2022. The deadline for applications is 02 February 2022, 17h00, CET. Interested individuals are invited to submit their application in the online survey-management system (EUSurvey).

EU Missions support Commission priorities, such as the European Green Deal, Europe fit for the Digital Age, Beating Cancer and the New European Bauhaus

The main tasks of the new Mission Boards will be to promote the EU Missions by raising awareness of the citizens and advice on the actions of the Mission’s implementation plan. The Mission Boards resulting from this call for application will build on the work of the first round of Mission Boards (ending their mandate in December 2021).

The Mission Boards advise on the full implementation of the five EU Missions working on:

• Adaptation to Climate Change;
• Cancer;
• Restore our Ocean and Waters;
• Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities;
• Soil Deal for Europe

EPSO encourages its members to apply particularly as expert for the Soil Deal Europe Mission Board.

Further information:

• European Commission
• Call for expert: application
• Commission expert group: Mission Board for Soil Deal for Europe Mission (E03816)
• EU Missions implementation plans

Source: EC, 05.01.2022

The 9^th European-wide seminar of the series supported by the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) and aimed at the Plant Science community and its stakeholders.

TTT: The seminar will be held online each third Thursday of the month at three (CET).

On 20th January 2022 at 15:00 (CET) we will present three talks exploring the “Potential of Plants as Alternative Protein Sources”

 Dr Paolo Annicchiarico, CREA, Italy: “Legume crop improvement: challenges and opportunities”

Prof Nesli Sözer, VTT, Finland: “Challenges and opportunities with plant based ingredients as alternative protein sources”

 Assoc Prof Stig U Andersen, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark: “Faba bean genomics and diversity – improving a globally adapted protein crop”

The seminars will be hosted on Zoom and last approximately 1.5 hours. Numbers will be limited to 300 attendees and therefore please register early if you would like to join. There will be ample opportunities to ask questions and join the debate. So please join us to support this new and exciting initiative for European Plant Science by following this link just prior to the start of the seminar.

EPSO members register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEpc–qpjwiH9RFhVQiEJMZvTKVZfQhHpvX

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In the coming months we will be on the lookout for talented plant scientists among the EPSO membership to present their findings and perspectives to the EPSO seminar series. If we approach you to talk, we hope you will be happy to support the initiative. This is a fantastic opportunity for both eminent world leaders and talented up-and-coming early career researchers to present their research to an international audience and to network with potential collaborators. If you wish to suggest a theme for one of the spring seminars and / or nominate yourself or one of your colleagues to give a seminar, we most welcome your suggestions. Please contact Tim George ([email protected]) to provide your name and potential talk title.

We look forward to seeing you all for the 8^th EPSO seminar on the 20^th January 2022

Tim George, Alan Schulman and Marie-Theres Hauser

EPSO Plant Science Seminar Series Organising Committee

 Click here to read: Full EPSO news item

 Contacts:

• Tim George, Hutton / UK & EPSO Board
• Alan Schulman, LUKE / FI & EPSO President
• Marie-Theres Hauser BOKU / AT & EPSO Board

The fascinating world of plants will be once more in the spotlight thanks to the celebration of the sixth Fascination of Plants Day on and around May 18th 2022.

This coordinated activity aims to plant virtual and constantly germinating seeds in the collective mind of people, recalling that plant science is of critical significance to social, environmental and economic issues on our Earth today and in future.

Scientific institutions, universities, botanical gardens and museums, together with schools, farmers and companies will offer a variety of plant-based interactive events and activities for all interested people from toddlers to grandparents.

Check the FoPD website www.plantday18may.org  to know more and find your event around 18 May 2022 and follow us on our social media:

• Twitter: @PlantDay18May
• Instagram : @fascinationofplantsday
• Facebook: Fascination of Plants Day

To read the full press release click here.

The shorter public version of the Newsletter is available here.
Please, log in and read the full version available in the Members’ Only section.

Enjoy reading and send us your articles early March for the spring 2022 Newsletter.