9602222 Sussman This award provides additional support for a multidisciplinary training research training program focused on molecular analysis of signal transduction in higher plants. The effort was initiated with an award through a competition sponsored jointly by DOE, NSF, and USDA in 1992. The program represents a joint effort of twelve faculty that use genetic, electrophysiological, biochemical and biophysical approaches to elucidate the mechanisms of the initial events in signal transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana. Training is provided at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels. Creation of the program has resulted in several new courses and a new, weekly research meeting that all trainees and faculty are expected to attend. The program has helped its trainees take a more interdisciplinary and integrated approach towards a research career in plant biology.