Workshop on Linking Molecular Insights and Ecological Research, August 20-24, 2001 in Stanford, CA

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

0129616 Rob Jackson The recent genome projects and the growth of molecular biology in general have had an enormous impact on the biological sciences at cellular and subcellular scales. While systematic and evolutionary biologists have been quick to incorporate molecular advances in their research, plant ecologists have only recently begun using such approaches to discern how populations, communities and ecosystems function. This four-day workshop will bring together plant ecologists and molecular biologists to discuss ways to hasten the incorporation of molecular techniques into ecological studies and to foster interactions between the two groups. The workshop will address opportunities for collaborations and two-way interactions between molecular biologists and plant ecologists, and will explore particular needs of ecologists that may require development of new molecular tools. It will address training needs for ecology graduate students applying molecular approaches to ecological questions. The workshop will produce a joint publication that outlines specific ideas and methods for increasing the use of molecular approaches in ecological research.