Registration is now closed as we have reached the capacity of the meeting space.
The 2026 Corteva Plant Science Symposium – Applied Plant Biology: Creating Better Crops for Tomorrow will precede the symposium on April 24th – More Information!
Schedule | Speakers | Registration | Accommodations | Meals | Conference Site | Travel | Research Posters/Abstracts | Travel Awards | Code of Conduct | Sponsors| Organizing Committee | Contact Us
The Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) at the University of Missouri will host the 2026 American Society of Plant Biologist Midwest Section Annual Meeting as our 42nd Annual Symposium.
Schedule
View the tentative symposium schedule here: https://ipg.missouri.edu/2026-symposium-tentative-schedule/
Speakers
- Hongqing (Michelle) Guo, Iowa State University
- Shuai Huang, The Ohio State University
- Rose Anna Marks, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- Craig Schenck, University of Missouri
- Daniela Strenkert, Michigan State University
- Dong Xu, University of Missouri
Registration – CLOSEDRegistration will be handled by the American Society of Plant Biologists. You can register online at:
https://members.aspb.org/s/lt-event?id=a1YUW00000gb4Vv2AI.
Registration deadline is April 20th. Registration will be limited to 225.
You must be a member of the ASPB Midwest Chapter to register. If you are a not a member, the registration page will display “No Tickets Available”. Once you join, you will be able to see registration options.
Annual membership cost is $5. Join here: https://members.aspb.org/s/store#/store/browse/detail/a155w00000CSC1QAAX
| Early Registration (until March 14) | After March 14th | |
| Faculty | $ 100.00 | $ 125.00 |
| Postdoctoral Fellows | $ 50.00 | $ 60.00 |
| Academic Staff | $ 50.00 | $ 60.00 |
| Graduate Student | $ 50.00 | $ 60.00 |
| Undergraduate Student | $ 25.00 | $ 30.00 |
| Non-Academic | $ 150.00 | $ 175.00 |
Refunds will be made only upon receipt of a written request and must be received by April 15th. No refunds will be processed after this date. Substitutions are welcome.
Attendee Accommodations
Hampton Inn & Suites at the University of Missouri – Columbia
1225 Fellows Place, Columbia, MO 65201
Room Rate: $144.00 single/double
Reservations: Reserve with the link below to obtain the IPG symposium rate.
Phone: 573-214-2222
Reservation Link https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=COUUMHX&groupCode=CHH910&arrivaldate=2026-04-24&departuredate=2026-04-26&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
Reservation Deadline: 03/24/2026 or when block is sold out
Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center
2601 S. Providence Road, Columbia, MO 65203
Room Rate: $99.00 single/double
Reservations: Reserve with the link below to obtain the IPG symposium rate.
Phone: 573-442-640
Reservation Link: https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/details.aspx?propertyid=17259&nights=1&checkin=4/23/2026&group=MUIPG0426&lang=en-us
Reservation Deadline: 03/24/2026 or when block is sold out
A conference operated shuttle will provide transportation between the hotels and conference location.
Meals
Coffee and light snacks will be provided on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Lunch and dinner on Saturday will be provided as well as an evening poster session/ice cream social.
Conference Site –
To accommodate more posters, we have relocated the meeting to:
The Bond Life Sciences Center on the Columbia campus of the University of Missouri (just two blocks from the original meeting location). All details relating to accommodations and shuttles is unchanged.All sessions of the symposium will be held in the Memorial Union on the Columbia campus of the University of Missouri.
Travel
Columbia Regional Airport has connecting flights from Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth via American Airlines and Denver via United. MoX offers van shuttle service from St Louis International Airport to Columbia, MO. Contact your local travel agency or MoX for current prices and schedules.
MoX – The Airport Connection: www.moexpress.com or 1-877-669-4826
Research Posters/Abstracts
The organizing committee invites poster submissions on topics related to plant biology research in general. The posters may describe recently completed research, research in progress, or publicly presented research. To present a poster during the meeting and for the abstract to be included in the meeting book, abstracts must be submitted by 11:59 PM CDT Friday, April 10th.
If you have already registered to attend the meeting and need to submit your poster abstract, please contact Vicki Bryan (bryanvj@missouri.edu) for information on how to submit your abstract.
- Abstract Submission
Abstracts must be submitted online and should be no longer than one page in length. - Selected Abstract Talk – The deadline to submit to be considered for an abstract talk has passed.
To be considered for a selected talk in one of the sessions, you must submit your abstract by 11:59 PM (CST) on March 6, 2026 and check the box indicating you would like to be considered for an abstract talk when you submit your abstract. - Abstract Formatting Instructions
For consistency, please follow the formatting instructions below. LIMIT TEXT to one-page following format. All abstracts that do not meet the below standards will not be published in the online meeting book. - Poster Details
Posters should fit within a 4 ft x 4 ft (approx. 121 cm x 121 cm) display board. Pins to place posters on boards will be provided. Posters will be numbered. Poster numbers will be available when you pick up your registration packet on site.
Travel Awards
A limited number of travel awards are available for early career scientists (postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students) needing financial assistance to attend the symposium.
Travel Award applications must be submitted online: https://missouri.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pGkq1HWBV8gdy6
The deadline to apply is Friday, March 6, 2026.
Code of Conduct
Please review the ASPB Code of Conduct: https://aspb.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ASPB-Code-of-Conduct-FINAL.pdf
Sponsors
Organizing Committee
- David Braun, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri (Co-Chair)
- Soyon Park, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri (Co-Chair)
- Ruthie Angelovici, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri
- Jaime Barros-Rios, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri
- Norman Best, USDA-ARS
- Corri Hamilton, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri
- Joseph Lynch, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri
- Ron Mittler, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri
- Lydia Phillips, Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri (Undergraduate Student Representative)
- Prashant Sonawane, Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri
- Lloyd Sumner, Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri
- Zachary Traylor, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri (Graduate Student Representative)
- Jie Zhu, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri
- Vicki Bryan, IPG Coordinator, University of Missouri (Logistical support)
Contact
For further information contact:
Interdisciplinary Plant Group
ipg@missouri.edu
Phone: 573-884-9320