Conference: 22nd Symposium in Plant Biology; January 15-18, 2003, Riverside, California

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

"Frontiers of Plant Cell Biology: Signals and Pathways," the 22nd Symposium in Plant Biology at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), will be held January 15-19, 2003. The organizers are Natasha V. Raikhel and Zhenbiao Yang, Center for Plant Cell Biology in the Genomics Institute and the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UCR. Sequencing of the Arabidopsis and rice genomes has created new research directions, experimental approaches, and opportunities. Researchers are on the brink of elucidating the function of all the genes of Arabidopsis and other selected plant species. These exciting advances in plant biology are starting to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional properties of plant cells. Integrated genetic, genomic and biochemical approaches have led to the identification of signal transduction pathways, signal receptors, and biosynthetic pathways for inter- and intra-cellular communication; patch clamp studies have uncovered novel channels involved in cellular signaling; the structure and function of complex cell walls are being elucidated at an unprecedented pace; and more is being revealed about the machinery involved in targeting proteins to specific cellular locations. The aim of this symposium is to bring together students and scientists studying the plant cell from different perspectives genomic, bioinformatic, genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cell biological to highlight these recent advances and evaluate emerging approaches for the dissection of plant cell function at the molecular level. This is a rapidly developing area of plant science with abundant opportunity for young researchers to learn and contribute. The timing is ideal for a symposium that examines the functioning of the whole plant cell. This symposium will be distinct from others in the plant field because its small size is conducive to interaction among participants; such exchanges will likely lead to national and international collaborations. There will be approximately 200 attendees.