Progress 02/15/19 to 02/14/20
Outputs
Target Audience:This award facilitated the attendance of 13 participants to the Plant Vascular Biology 2019 Conference.This included the invitation of 5 speakers, all early career (4 women, and one under-represented minority).It also facilitated the invitation of 8 additional participants, all early career (who had been selected to give oral presentations after submitting a research abstract).This included 5 PhD students, 1 postdoctoral scholar and 1 newly appointed assistant professor (6 women, 1 under-represented minority).The audience of this conference included 135 participants - 47 PhD students, 23 postdoctoral scholars, 3 research scientists, 6 government employees and 56 faculty members.The audience was quite international including 57 American, 2 Australian, 7 Canadian, 8 Chinese, 36 European (including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland), 3 Israeli, 6 Japanese, 3 Korean, 1 Mexican, 1 South African, 3 Taiwanese and 8 United Kingdom attendees. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development included participation in the conference for all attendees from graduate students to postdoctoral scholars to faculty members and government employees.Oral participation was enabled for all participants either through the presentation of a poster or a talk, if desired.Training was also provided for a small number of early career scientists in chairing a session at a conference.Informal mentoring was provided for travel awardees with international experts if requested. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We anticipate that all participants will share scientific knowledge gained from this meeting with their respective communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Impact Statement: Plant vascular tissue transports water, mineral nutrients and sugars throughout the plant.The proper development of this tissue is required for our food through global agriculture, fiber including paper and clothing, and our nutrients including sugars, protein and vitamins.In order to address these critical needs for agriculture and forestry, we need to understand how vascular tissue responds to stresses like drought, how it facilitates the uptake of nutrients and uses these, as well as how to make plants more productive.The Plant Vascular Biology 2019 conference facilitated the presentation of research concerning vascular biology as well as the collaboration of international experts in the field with early career scientists including postdoctoral scholars and PhD students.The outcomes of this conference will enable the advancement of research to ensure agricultural and forestry needs of the future. In order to foster integrated, collaborative research, the conference brought together 135 participants, approximately 52% of whom were early career scientists. Furthermore, we achieved parity in gender diversity for speakers which was noted as a deviation from previous meetings and uniformly praised.Presenting scientists were experts in their respective fields as well as early career scientists in evolutionary biology, developmental biology, biophysics, cell biology, plant physiology and forestry. Technological and conceptual breakthroughs included sub-cellular imaging of vascular cell type features that enable long-distance transport.These are the result of interdisciplinary approaches including biophysics, quantum mechanism, and cell biology.Examples includescellular imaging of phloem and xylem cell wall composition (Rozenn LeHir, Yka Helariutta), mechanosensing of plasmodesmata nanopores and new types of secondary plasmodesmata (Kaare Jensen, Tessa Burch-Smith, Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso), and several talks on the importance of electrical cues and conductivity in long distance vascular signaling (Rainer Hedrich, Edward Farmer).Grafting is of critical importance in horticulture, viticulture and forestry.The basis of grafting is the formation of vascular connections and novel findings were presented with respect to the molecular events underlying compatible and incompatible connections (Margaret Frank and Michitaro Notaguchi).Finally, a vascular connection is critical in the parasitic plant-host interaction and the deployment of vascular signaling modules in this interaction was presented (Satoko Yoshida). Bridges between basic and applied research (evolution, development, structure, biochemistry and physiology of xylem and phloem) included the importance of CLE peptides and their role in vascular patterning across plant species and models explaining vascular patterning organization across diverse plant species (Anthony Bishopp and Chun-Ming Liu) and an intersection of small peptide ligand/receptor like-kinase signaling with hormone signaling (brassinosteroid and auxin) to specify vascular patterning and organization (Moritz Graeff, Peter Etchells) as well as hydromechanical forces in the evolution and regulation of xylem transport (Missy Holbrook).Finally, habitat specialization in ferns was discussed in the context of vascular development and associated physiology and provides a framework to understand adaptation of diverse plant species (Jarmila Pitterman). Research scope presented in this conference further encompassed loading and unloading mechanisms, regulation of transport, and short and long distance signaling in relation to environmental responses.Presentations of note included sensory plastids within vascular parenchyma in abiotic stress (Sally Mackenzie); phloem loading under nutrient stress conditions (Byung-Kook Ham), and an entire session on sucrose transport within the phloem including the acclimation and adaptation of phloem loading through sucrose transporters (Johannes Liesche), xylem and phloem communication during drought signaling (Kathy Steppe) in a diversity of plant species. A theme of the conference is to emphasize the many ways that plant vascular biology intersects with critical problems in agriculture and forestry, such as drought stress, nutrient uptake and utilization, and productivity. These ranged from the molecular including the role of brassinosteroid signaling within secondary growth and wood formation within poplar (Juan Du) as well as the origin of vascular cambium (Ondrej Smetana).Genetic mapping of xylem vessel anatomy in hybrid poplar gave insight into the polygenic nature of this critical trait for forestry (Daniella Rodriguez-Zaccaro), while a climatic gradient of Viburnum height and hydraulics gave insight into modes of habitat specialization (Ali Segovia-Rivas). Multiple opportunities were provided to enable and promote interactions between early career participants and established experts in the field.This included a reception on the first night of the conference as well as two poster sessions.Invited speakers were requested to score posters and thus provided additional feedback for poster presenters, and awards were given based on this scoring.Finally, invited speakers and international advisory committee members were requested to sit at tables during meal times with early career scientists to facilitate further discussion.In addition, USDA invitees were provided with an informal opportunity to be paired with an expert "mentor" in their field of interest for further discussion.Additional opportunities were provided to several early career speakers including graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to chair sessions.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
http://pvb2019.org/sponsorship/
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Program for the Plant Vascular Biology 2019 Conference.
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