PI: Nicholas Carpita, Purdue University CoPI: Debra Mohnen, University of Georgia Nancy Grey, Gordon Resarch Conference
The Fourth Gordon Research Conference on Plant Cell Walls will be held July 30-August 4, 2006, at the University of New England, Biddeford, Maine. Cell walls constrain the final sizes and shapes of plant cells, and therefore the stature and form of plants. Plants invest over 10% of their genomes in building their cell walls.
Intellectual Merit: This conference will address the major advances in our understanding of the composition, synthesis, and architecture of plant cell walls and their dynamics during growth and differentiation. It will bring together international scientists from academia, industry and government labs to share the latest fundamental scientific breakthroughs in plant cell wall biology. As cell walls are an enormously important source of food, feed, fiber and medically active compounds for humans and animals, a special session will focus on the advances made in the medical and practical uses of plant cell walls for human society.
Broader Impacts: To foster interdisciplinary research, a special effort has also been made to invite speakers from outside the field of plant biology. This award will be used to support participants with emphasis on younger scientists, minorities and underrepresented scientists to participate in the meeting and to advance their careers in plant biology.
In the tradition of Gordon Conference, material presented is considered priviledged, for discussion among participants but not for publication. This policy stimulates creative interchange at the conference.
