In October 2026 we held our second Black in Plant Science (BiPS) Conference at the University of Leeds.
We asked the members of our community why BiPS is important to them, and here is what they had to say: buff.ly/OClLBP3
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this video.
Congratulations to Sibo and Ousmane for winning the @blackinplantsci.bsky.social Research Excellence Award! Well done! Post below
Thanks for hosting me @university of Bristol and for the very insightful scientific discussions. I enjoyed a lot.
Students out there, I have a PhD project cutting across biology, material science and biomedicine that requires a highly capable, diverse and brave applicant. if you think this is for you please Apply using the link below. All details in the website!!
Project: eb4bm.org/project/engi...
One as Head of Plant Science at Leeds
The new Plant Sciences page is now live and linked to from the FBS Research and Innovation homepage - interested in joining or collaborating? Learn about the research and opportunities by visiting this website! biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/plant-sciences
Deadline for application closing soon March 9th! Join us on this PhD venture bridging plant biomaterial, cell biology and biomedicine. How to apply visit the website eb4bm.org and select our project eb4bm.org/project/engi...
Students out there, I have a PhD project cutting across biology, material science and biomedicine that requires a highly capable, diverse and brave applicant. if you think this is for you please Apply using the link below. All details in the website!!
Project: eb4bm.org/project/engi...
The cover of Vol 77 | Issue 3 | 2026 of the Journal of Experimental Botany, Special Issue: Plasmodesmata: Current perspectives on plant intercellular communication and signalling. Teal coloured banners border the top and bottom of the page and in the centre is an image of multicoloured Nicotiana benthamiana cells under a microscope. Fluorescent proteins (mTurquoise2, mEGFP, mCitrine, mScarlet-I) move between cells via plasmodesmata in the epidermis of N. benthamiana. (Image credit: Rory Greenhalgh, Jacob O. Brunkard.)
📣 Check out JXB's newest Special Issue 📣
📜 Issue 3 of 2026 📜
🔬 Plasmodesmata: Current perspectives on plant intercellular communication and signalling 🔬
📘 Guest edited by Jake Brunkard & Tessa Burch-Smith
🔗 academic.oup.com/jxb...
#JXBspecialissues #PlantScience 🧪 SEBiology
Very proud to present, together with @plantteaching.bsky.social, Agnes Uhereczky, @yoselin.bsky.social, Sofie Goormachtig and @mehta-lab.com, our @jxbotany.bsky.social community resource paper on building a diverse and inclusive plant science community 🌱. academic.oup.com/jxb/advance-... (🧵 1/2)
Good luck to all teams!
Happy New Year!! 🎉
We're pleased to be back with some exciting new opportunities which we will be sharing in the coming weeks.
We are again inviting host labs to share their projects for our 2026 BiPS Summer Studentships.
Head to our website for more details: buff.ly/g6vAJmM
At Black in Plant Science celebrating excellence is one of main pillars. So if you would like to apply or nominate anyone, applications are now open. We are looking for Black Heritage Early Career Researchers, if this is you, or someone you know, then please don't hesitate to apply! buff.ly/RrP7DM9
We are strongly encouraging projects in the area of Physics of Life, in alignment with our partnership with PoLNET. If your lab has a project in this area, we'd love for you to share your projects so that we can match the successful student with the right lab. Learn more: buff.ly/bE9djQK
Everyone’s a Seed - Celebration Event
We are happy to join our partners in inviting you to join them in celebrating amazing community poets from Leeds and Bradford and the publication of the Everyone’s a Seed poetry Anthology.
🕑10am
📍SHINE Community Centre in Harehills
Register: buff.ly/ymA80wl
It was inspiring to hear @yoselin.bsky.social talk about the Black in Plant Science network last night. I so agree about the importance of creating a sense of community and belonging, through networks and support, to grow self-confidence and bring the power of diversity to botany.
Thanks @bsbibotany.bsky.social it was a pleasure to share with you all.
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year filled with its share of positives and challenges, a year that felt unbalanced at times. Now, it’s time to turn the page. Let’s welcome 2026 with open hearts, fresh hopes, and expectations that inspire us to grow, dream, and celebrate what lies ahead.
Merry Christmas everyone. My team and I went out to celebrate with my preferred game Shuffleboard. Although I lost :( #teambuilding #positiveculture
Group photo of ~80 people outside a concrete and glass building
Photograph of a row of six people of African origin at a desk with attention focussed on an object to the right and out of view of the camera. Other faces in the background.
A photo of a white much with the words ‘connect, celebrate, cultivate’ in black capital letters sitting on a white branded notepad with the Black in Plant Sciences logo in green and black. These objects are on a conference chair with similar chairs out of focus in the background.
Last week we held the 2nd @blackinplantsci.bsky.social conference in Leeds, full of 🌱science, 🌸art, African crops, careers & mentorship and talent. Highlight was seeing the impacts of our Research Excellence Awards & Studentships. So proud to honour and promote the excellence in our community 💓
I am pleased to share this paper. A beautiful and useful collaboration between a group of researchers and lecturers who care about plant Science education.
Thank you to all that contributed!
Check it out! nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Big shout to all authors, including @lizalvey.bsky.social @plantteaching.bsky.social @plantpollinator.bsky.social @spoel-lab.bsky.social
@discontinuedap.bsky.social
@yoselin.bsky.social
@katharinehubbard.bsky.social
@gomollonsara.bsky.social @gpsep.bsky.social @instmolplantsci.bsky.social
Strongly disagree, this assumes equal contribution and meaningful impact factor. Far from what science is but I think you know that.
Love it! I am soo lucky to belong to the amazing brotherhood and sisterhood that is @blackinplantsci.bsky.social
T shirts ready
It feels soo close!! Very excited to host the @blackinplantsci.bsky.social conference this Friday at Leeds.
Download the official program here blackinplantscience.org/bips-confere...
About 10 tickets left. register today and be part of the @blackinplantsci.bsky.social community
Registration closes this week. blackinplantscience.org/bips-confere...
The team
The lab is celebrating double birthday today. Thanks to all team members for spending a bit of your Friday to share birthday celebrations. Go Team! #femalepower
We are so honoured that we are hosting our second Black in Plant Science Conference which wouldn't be possible without our incredible sponsors:
@TheGatsbyFoundation
@SEB
@JohnInnesCentre
@UniversityofLeeds
@GrowMoreFoundation
@NewPhytologist
@ThePlantJournal
@BioImaging UK and @PhysicsofLife
📢You have until this Sunday evening to register for the Black in Plant Science Conference 2025!
Join us for an unforgettable day of connection and celebration and hear from some of the leading plant enthusiasts from the UK and beyond.
Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1362997455...
I can't stress it more. This conference has been designed for us by us. Support @blackinplantsci.bsky.social conference at the University of Leeds funded by the SEB, Faculty of Biological Science at Leeds, the Grow More and New Phytologist foundations and Gastby. Join us on 24/10, details below.
