Source: THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN submitted to NRP
A CONFERENCE DEDICATED TO POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL GENE REGULATION IN PLANTS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1010231
Grant No.
2016-67013-25563
Cumulative Award Amt.
$17,500.00
Proposal No.
2016-07131
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2016
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2018
Grant Year
2016
Program Code
[A1152]- Physiology of Agricultural Plants
Recipient Organization
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
101 EAST 27TH STREET STE 4308
AUSTIN,TX 78712-1500
Performing Department
Molecular Biosciences
Non Technical Summary
: Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Plants (PGRP) is a conference that the community of plant RNA biologists strives to hold in North America once every three years. The 2016 meeting will be held July 14-15, 2016 as a satellite meeting following the annual conference of the American Society of Plant Biologists. This conference has merit because, based on prior experience, this conference is likely to attract a larger fraction of the PGRP science community than any other gathering in 2016. The conference relates to the mission of the USDA, because, in the biological process whereby genetic information encoded in DNA (genotype) is interpreted into an overt phenotype, RNA is the central molecule that drives protein synthesis. In plant genomes, more than a thousand genes are dedicated specifically to this stage of gene expression. As plants convert solar energy into chemical energy and eventually into bioenergy feedstocks, gene regulation at the post-transcriptional level allows plants to integrate environmental signals such as stresses with internal metabolic cues and thus adapt to changing conditions. Advances in this field, which arise in part from large and increasingly interconnected datasets, are likely to play a role in the future in shaping our knowledge base for guiding the trait enhancement of bioenergy feed stocks. Arguably, the predictive bio-engineering of synthetic traits in this area will likely require much more complete information about RNA-level (i.e. post-transcriptional) gene regulation. The interactive format of the conference with multiple sessions, poster sessions and shared meals will allow attendees to discuss ongoing collaborations, share technical expertise, and exchange new ideas. Moreover, developing the careers of junior investigators by networking with peers and senior investigators is a primary goal of this conference. The organizing committee is composed of ten scientists under the chairmanship of Dr. Karen Browning (University of Texas-Austin). This team is seeking a financial contribution from USDA to offset the cost of the meeting for individual attendees. Financial support will make registration affordable for attendees and thus attract the critical mass of attendees that is needed for a successful conference.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
20170101040100%
Goals / Objectives
Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Plants (PGRP) is a conference that the community of plant RNA biologists strives to hold in North America once every three years. The 2016 meeting will be held July 14-15, 2016 as a satellite meeting following the annual conference of the American Society of Plant Biologists. This conference has merit because, based on prior experience, this conference is likely to attract a larger fraction of the PGRP science community than any other gathering in 2016. The conference relates to the mission of the USDA, because, in the biological process whereby genetic information encoded in DNA (genotype) is interpreted into an overt phenotype, RNA is the central molecule that drives protein synthesis. In plant genomes, more than a thousand genes are dedicated specifically to this stage of gene expression. As plants convert solar energy into chemical energy and eventually into bioenergy feedstocks, gene regulation at the post-transcriptional level allows plants to integrate environmental signals such as stresses with internal metabolic cues and thus adapt to changing conditions. Advances in this field, which arise in part from large and increasingly interconnected datasets, are likely to play a role in the future in shaping our knowledge base for guiding the trait enhancement of bioenergy feed stocks. Arguably, the predictive bio-engineering of synthetic traits in this area will likely require much more complete information about RNA-level (i.e. post-transcriptional) gene regulation. The interactive format of the conference with multiple sessions, poster sessions and shared meals will allow attendees to discuss ongoing collaborations, share technical expertise, and exchange new ideas. Moreover, developing the careers of junior investigators by networking with peers and senior investigators is a primary goal of this conference. The organizing committee is composed of ten scientists under the chairmanship of Dr. Karen Browning (University of Texas-Austin). This team is seeking a financial contribution from USDA to offset the cost of the meeting for individual attendees. Financial support will make registration affordable for attendees and thus attract the critical mass of attendees that is needed for a successful conference.
Project Methods
A satellite meeting of ASPB will be over 1.5 days and include 7 sessions.

Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The objectives of PGRP-2016 were 1) to bring researchers at all levels (undergraduates, MS/PhD students, postdocs, early career and senior researchers) from diverse fields to present and discuss new developments and cutting-edge tools related to all aspects of post-transcriptional regulation, 2) to provide an opportunity to new and established researchers in this field to develop collaborations across disciplines, 3) to facilitate networking and career-building opportunities for the younger researchers, and 4) to enhance participation of women and under-represented minorities by coupling PGRP-2016 with Plant Biology 2016. The objectives of PGRP-2016 were 1) to bring researchers at all levels (undergraduates, MS/PhD students, postdocs, early career and senior researchers) from diverse fields to present and discuss new developments and cutting-edge tools related to all aspects of post-transcriptional regulation, 2) to provide an opportunity to new and established researchers in this field to develop collaborations across disciplines, 3) to facilitate networking and career-building opportunities for the younger researchers, and 4) to enhance participation of women and under-represented minorities by coupling PGRP-2016 with Plant Biology 2016. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The objectives of PGRP-2016 were 1) to bring researchers at all levels (undergraduates, MS/PhD students, postdocs, early career and senior researchers) from diverse fields to present and discuss new developments and cutting-edge tools related to all aspects of post-transcriptional regulation, 2) to provide an opportunity to new and established researchers in this field to develop collaborations across disciplines, 3) to facilitate networking and career-building opportunities for the younger researchers, and 4) to enhance participation of women and under-represented minorities by coupling PGRP-2016 with Plant Biology 2016. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?. A meeting report was published in Plant, Cell & Environment (Meeting report: processing, translation, decay - three ways to keep RNA sizzling. (2016) von Arnim AG, Hellmann HA. Plant Cell Environ. 39:2624-2628. doi: 10.1111/pce.12819. Epub 2016 Nov 11. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The meeting had a diverse group of 82 participants from various institutions representing 14 countries. A goal of the meeting was achieved in having approximately one half graduate and post-doctoral students, the other half being principal investigators. Participants from industry were also present. Awards were given for the best talks by graduate and post-doctoral students.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Meeting report: processing, translation, decay - three ways to keep RNA sizzling. (2016) von Arnim AG, Hellmann HA. Plant Cell Environ. 39:2624-2628. doi: 10.1111/pce.12819. Epub 2016 Nov 11.