This global gathering will create a dynamic space for students, early-career researchers, scientists, industry leaders, and policymakers to share ideas, build collaborations, and shape the future of plant biotechnology.

The scientific program reflects the field’s rapid evolution, spanning plant cell development, gene editing, stress resilience, smart agriculture, synthetic biology, Indigenous and northern agriculture and the ethical and regulatory frameworks guiding these technologies. A strong line-up of international speakers will bring these themes to life. Talks will explore the expanding possibilities of genome editing, including large-scale applications and new ways of restructuring plant genomes. Others will highlight how artificial intelligence and machine learning are being used to improve plant cell sorting and regeneration, or how precision editing tools like CRISPR are transforming crops from barley to emerging species such as amaranth.

The program also connects cutting-edge science with historical and regional perspectives. For example, one talk will examine early greenhouse agriculture in Korea’s Joseon Dynasty and its relevance to modern innovation, while another will focus on advances in European plant breeding. Together, these perspectives underline how plant biotechnology blends tradition, technology, and global collaboration.

Alongside this broad scientific agenda, Dr. Bhowmik’s research at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) offers a clear example of how these innovations can deliver tangible benefits. His work addresses a common challenge in plant-based foods: the “beany” flavor of pea protein, which can limit consumer acceptance despite their strong nutritional and environmental advantages.

Using advanced plant biotechnology tools, Bhowmik and his NRC team targeted a gene responsible for producing enzymes that generate these unwanted flavors. The edited pea lines showed a significant reduction in the compounds linked to off-aromas, while maintaining – and even increasing – beneficial fatty acids. The result is a crop that is both more appealing and nutritionally robust.

This kind of precision would be difficult and time-consuming to achieve through traditional breeding. Genome editing offers a faster, more targeted route to crop improvement, helping to accelerate innovation across the food system.

Bhowmik’s work, alongside the research showcased at the IAPB 2026 Congress, highlights the transformative potential of plant biotechnology. By combining scientific advances with practical applications, the field is moving toward a future where sustainable crops are not only productive and resilient, but also better suited to the needs and preferences of people worldwide.