SEB CENTENARY MEETING

SEB BY ALEX EVANS CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

One hundred years. Thousands of members. Countless opportunities. From 1923 to 2023, the SEB has been a source of high-quality collaborative research, exciting career developments and lasting friendships. To mark the society’s 100th birthday, we are providing a range of new sessions and events throughout the year to inspire and empower our members. This is just a peek at what is to come.

SEB HISTORY

AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW

Before looking forward to the future of the SEB, we invite you to join us in reflecting on our past. Our Education, Outreach and Diversity Manager, Rebecca Ellerington, has pieced together a rich timeline of the SEB’s history and key events – spanning from its inception in the early 1920s to the modern era. The vision of the SEB from the very beginning has been ‘promoting the art and science of experimental biology in all its branches’ and this article (www.sebiology.org/centenary/seb-history. html) explores how this vision has developed into the society we know and enjoy today.

IMPACT LECTURES SEB CENTENARY CONFERENCE

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, 4–7 JULY 2023

The SEB Annual Conference is always the pinnacle of our events calendar – and the centenary celebration is certainly no exception. Along with a wide range of sessions spanning the Special Interest Groups of Animal, Cell and Plant, we will be providing educational workshops to promote Outreach, Education and Diversity. Please visit www.sebiology. org/events/seb-annual-conference-2023.html to find information on registration, abstract submission, plenary lectures, awards sessions and support with accommodation. First-time attendees will also find information on what to expect and how to get the most out of attending the conference.

AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGHOUT 2023

The SEB is home to an abundance of experts across the field of experimental biology. To celebrate that fact, we will be hosting public lectures throughout 2023 that feature researchers from all around the world discussing the evolving role of experimental biology from the past century to the next. With a focus on tackling real-world issues, these lectures will be using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework. These lectures will be available online with livestreams throughout the year. Keep an eye on our website (www.sebiology. org/centenary/impact-lectures.html) and on social media for announcements.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS & SHAPING THE FUTURE

AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGHOUT 2023

Whether an established academic or an early-career researcher, there is always value in learning about the breadth of careers opportunities available for anyone with a background in experimental biology. The Careers and Coffee series of monthly talks are free webinars centred on a 20-minute talk from an invited speaker covering their career journey, with time for attendees to ask questions about their role and future career prospects. Please see the list of confirmed speakers and topics below so far, with many more to be announced. For more information or to submit your own idea for a Careers and Coffee talk, please visit www. sebiology.org/centenary/careers-and-coffee.html.

JANUARY A Career in Academic Publishing

Michael Page, Managing Editor for the Journal of Experimental Botany, Publications Manager for the Society for Experimental Biology

MARCH Moving to Careers in Environmental Sciences and the Civil Service

Marcelo Paes Gomes, Senior Scientist, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas) – Science Division of Fisheries

APRIL Title TBC

Damaris A Odeny, Principal Scientist and Global Cluster Leader: Genomics, Pre-breeding & Bioinformatics, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

AWARDS NOMINATION TASK FORCE

CURRENTLY OPEN FOR VOLUNTEERS

In addition to providing more opportunities for researchers from underrepresented communities to acquire funding or showcase their research, the SEB is actively looking for more ways to champion and reward biologists from these groups. Taking inspiration from the Space Physics and Aeronomy Nomination Task Force, we are aiming to locate deserving but potentially overlooked members of the experimental biology community for wider inclusion in the judging of our bioscience awards. No matter the stage of your career, we are interested in your input! To learn more about this initiative or to register your interest, please visit www.sebiology. org/centenary/awards-nomination-task-force.html.

AVAILABLE ONLINE DURING MARCH 2023

The SEB is committed to improving the visibility of researchers from underrepresented groups, both current and historic. Because Wikipedia is often the first stop for curious minds, we will be organising an online edit-a-thon with opportunities to support diversity and inclusivity within experimental biology. These activities include creating new articles profiling researchers from historically marginalised communities, updating existing articles to include more content on experimental biology and translating articles into a wider range of languages to improve accessibility. To aid in this endeavour, we will provide training events, drop-in sessions with experienced editors and a week-long effort to update and create as many Wikipedia pages as possible. More information and registration details can be found at www. sebiology.org/centenary/online-edit-a-thon.html.

SEB BIRTHDAY GRANT EVENTS

CELEBRATORY EVENTS TAKING PLACE INTERNATIONALLY IN APRIL AND MAY 2023

April 2023 marks the centenary’s official ‘party month’ with a variety of exciting events scheduled to take place at institutions across the world, all funded by the SEB Birthday Fund. These events include networking and social events, celebrations for SEB members and public engagement opportunities. To find out more about the events taking place, you can visit www.sebiology.org/centenary/ sebundefinedbirthdayundefinedgrant.html or keep an eye out for the #SEBParty tag on social media.

SEB JOURNALS INITIATIVES

SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS RUNNING THROUGHOUT 2023

To celebrate this centenary, the SEB’s five academic journals are coordinating on a number of initiatives that will reflect on the past 100 years of experimental science. These will include collections of the journals’ most influential articles throughout history, interviews with early-career researchers, reviews focused on the role of experimental biology in global challenges, and a session at the SEB Annual Conference dedicated to Conservation Physiology’s 10-year anniversary, with speakers discussing current threats to biodiversity. More information can be found here: www.sebiology. org/centenary/seb-journals-initiatives.html.

SEB MENTORING SCHEME

PILOT RUNNING FROM NOVEMBER 2022 TO NOVEMBER 2023

One of the SEB’s greatest strengths comes from the valuable knowledge and experience of its members from all stages in their career. This year, we are starting a new mentoring programme that aims to bring together researchers from across the organisation to provide one-to-one support. Throughout the year, participating mentors and mentees will be given opportunities to share their career journeys and answer questions, as well as being provided with support through training sessions and networking events. Registration is now closed, but more information on the pilot scheme and how you can get involved can be found here: www.sebiology.org/centenary/mentoringscheme.html.

FEATURES

ANIMAL FEATURE: MITOCHONDRIA: INSIGHTS FROM ORGANELLE TO ORGANISM ............. 18

CELL FEATURE: PROBLEMS IN THE POWERHOUSE ........ 22

PLANT FEATURE: MIGHTY PLANT MITOCHONDRIA ......... 26