The recently approved new Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Plant Metabolic Engineering will provide a setting for developing multidisciplinary collaborations needed to unravel the dynamic complexity of plant metabolic networks and advance basic and applied research in plant metabolic engineering. The conference will integrate recent advances in genomics, with metabolite and gene expression analyses. Research discussions will explore how biosynthetic pathways interact with regard to substrate competition and channeling, plasticity of biosynthetic enzymes, and investigate the localization, structure, and assembly of biosynthetic complexes in native and nonnative environments. The conference will develop new perspectives for plant transgenic research with regard to how transgene expression may influence cellular metabolism. Incorporation of spectroscopic approaches for metabolic profiling and flux analysis combined with mathematical modeling will contribute to the development of rational metabolic engineering strategies and lead to the evolution of new tools to assess temporal and subcellular changes in metabolite pools. The conference will also highlight new technologies for pathway engineering, including use of heterologous systems, directed enzyme evolution, engineering of transcription factors and application of molecular/genetic techniques for controlling biosynthetic pathways. The first conference will take place July 10-15, 2005 at the Tilton School, Tilton, New Hampshire and every two years thereafter. Speakers and participants will number approximately 130-150 from the US and abroad, at all career levels, and represent institutions from academia, industry, private institutes, and federal laboratories. Concerted efforts will be made for appropriate representation by women, persons with disabilities, and scientists from underrepresented groups.
The multidisciplinary research arising from this conference will lead to predictive plant metabolic engineering to enhance plant growth, development and biotic and abiotic resistance, and to produce more nutritious food crops, new sources of plant chemicals (including energy sources, nutraceuticals, and medicines). Collaborative research will also impact the field of metabolomics with development of analytical tools, modeling and bioinformatics methods and databases needed not only in plant research but also for metabolic research on other organisms. Lastly, NSF conference funding used for women, persons with disabilities, scientists from underrepresented groups, and those early in their careers will greatly enhance diversity of the scientific workforce.
