Peter James Icalia Gann, a U of A doctoral student, has been selected to serve as an ambassador for the American Society of Plant Biologists.

The organization typically selects around 15 undergraduates, graduate students and early-career professionals from around the world who exhibit potential as future young leaders through their current work in the field of plant biology to serve as ambassadors.

Gann is in his third year in the doctoral cell and molecular biology program, and Vibha Srivastava, professor of plant biology in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, is his adviser.

As an ambassador, Gann has the registration fee to the 2021 Plant Biology Conference waived, will write an article reviewing the conference, has the opportunity to serve on committees, will represent the society in various activities and propose funded activities for the ambassadors.

Gann's research includes experimenting on the starch biosynthetic process in rice. He's in the process of analyzing gene functions and controlling them through gene editing such as CRISPR/Cas9 to improve rice grain quality.

He presented a portion of his work during the U of A's Three-Minute Thesis competition in January 2021 and finished first in the interdisciplinary category.

Gann works with Srivastava and Paul Allen Counce, also a professor in CSES who is stationed at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. In addition to being members of the faculty in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, Srivastava and Counce are researchers and scientists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. Srivastava teaches and conducts research on plant biotechnology, molecular genetics and plant molecular biology areas, and Counce conducts agronomic research to increase understanding of physiological yield-limiting factors of the rice plant and crops, and processes to increase rice yields. Gann also works with Betty Martin, who recently retired from the U of A's Institute for Nanoscience and Engineering in the College of Engineering.

The ASPB was founded in 1924 to promote the growth and development of plant biology, encourage and publish research, and promote the interests, growth and education of plant scientists. The society provides a forum for molecular and cellular biology and serves the basic interests of plant science.

The ambassadors program was established to enlist early career and industry scientists to contribute to the overarching missions of the society, including serving as a liaison between ASPB and local communities at outreach events, conferences, training sessions or on social media.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3% of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.