Plant Biology Spring 2026 Seminars

In the fall and spring semesters PB seminars are generally held in Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222, Thursdays at 4pm, unless otherwise noted. For seminars noted as remote, the Zoom link will be emailed to the Plant Biology list-serv.

Refreshments will be served beginning at 3:50pm.

The role of floral traits in pollinator-pathogen interactions

January 29

Presenter: Lynn Adler
Institution: Michigan State University
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Ana Caicedo

Life in the fast lane: what weeds and crops teach us about evolution

February 5

Presenter: Ana Caicedo
Institution: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Li-Jun Ma

Gene regulation and cell type-specific mechanisms underpinning plant defense

February 12

Presenter: Alex Cantó-Pastor
Institution: Yale University
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Li-Jun Ma

The oily frontier: lipid flux cartography to produce valuable fatty acids in obese plants

March 12

Presenter: Philip D. Bates
Institution: Washington State University
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Durre Muhammad

The knowns and unknowns of iron homeostasis in plants

March 26

Presenter: David Mendoza-Cózatl
Institution: University of Missouri
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Elsbeth Walker

Impetus and Serendipity Behind Blight Tolerant Transgenic American Chestnut Restoration Efforts

April 9

Presenter: E. Han Tan
Institution: University of Maine
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Kirk Amundson

TBD

April 14

Presenter: Nancy Keller
Institution: University of Wisconsin – Madison
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Joint MCB

Small Molecule Modulation of Gene Regulatory Networks

April 23

Presenter: Erich Grotewold
Institution: Michigan State University
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Bahman Khahani

Intra-chloroplast proteolysis; protease substrate-function relationships

April 28

Presenter: Klaas van Wijk
Institution: Cornell University
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Durre Muhammad (joint with MCB)

The Role of Botanical Gardens in Plant-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience

May 8

Presenter: Mauricio Diazgranados
Institution: The New York Botanical Garden
Location: Morrill Science Center 2 South, Room 222
Host: Joint OEB

Sign-up for announcements

Interested in attending our seminars! To sign-up for announcements, please click the registration link, and we will review your request.

Registration Request Form

Nominate a speaker

We invite UMass PB Community members to nominate a speaker.