An international conference entitled "Gametophytes: Evolution, Development and Function" to be held at Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland June 8th - June 13th, 2003 is being organized by Dr. Ueli Grossniklaus (University of Zurich, Switzerland), Dr. Mitsuyasu Hasebe (National Institute for Basic Biology, Japan), and Drs. Robert Pruitt and Jo Ann Banks (Purdue University). The goals of the conference are to bring together a diverse group of international scientists to: 1) learn about all aspects of gametophyte biology through seminars, workshops, posters and informal discussions; 2) identify future research needs and directions; and 3) explore new ideas for applying this knowledge to benefit plant breeding and crop production. The meeting will be advertised and organized to encourage participation of graduate students and young investigators. This is the first meeting ever organized around the plant gametophyte, which is remarkable given the essential functions that the gametophyte performs in plant sexual reproduction.
The plant gametophyte represents the haploid phase of the plant life cycle and functions to produce the egg and sperm. Although it is minute in size in most plants, it has an essential role in sexual reproduction and, for this reason, has recently become the focus of intensive study by many scientists throughout the world. The gametophytic phase of the life cycle of lower plants consists of a macroscopic, free-living organism that is developmentally complex and responds to its environment in diverse ways. During the evolution of the flowering plants the male and female gametophytes were reduced to microscopic haploid structures entirely dependent on their diploid parent for survival. These reduced gametophytes are structurally simpler, but retain their essential role in plant sexual reproduction as well as key developmental processes such as asymmetric cell division and differential cell fate specification.
By improving communication between plant scientists studying gametophytes of many species, this meeting will accelerate the pace of this fundamentally important research. A better understanding of gametophytes and their role in reproduction will ultimately lead to new strategies for improving plant breeding. The manipulation of sexual reproduction in plants through male sterility and self-incompatibility, for example, has led to spectacular successes in plant breeding and agriculture despite a very limited understanding of how sexual reproduction is controlled. An understanding of the genetic basis of gametophyte development and function will open up many new opportunities for controlling these processes. This conference will bring together scientists from around the world to discuss current and future research efforts to understand all aspects of gametophyte development in all plants and how this knowledge can be applied for the purposes of improving plant breeding and crop production.
