The project's goal is a scientifically stimulating Gordon Research Conference on Plant Molecular Biology at the Holderness School in New Hampshire from July 13 to 18, 2008. The conference will bring together a range of plant scientists who are investigating basic plant cellular processes in a variety of plant species. The conference will focus on areas of plant research that are key to advancing both agriculture and a basic understanding of plant developmental and biochemical processes. For example, there will be sessions on metabolism, bioenergy, new methods to study genomes/proteomes and metabolomes, plant-microbe interactions, plant hormones, and epigenetics. This conference will bring together leaders as well as young scientists in a range of disciplines to exchange ideas, and to permit the participants to learn of the latest developments and ideas in diverse areas of plant biology. The broader impacts of this project are to foster progress in plant biology. The goal of fostering progress can be furthered by bringing together plant scientists to collectively discuss and explore areas outside of their narrow field of expertise. Hopefully the conference will result in the discovery of connections among diverse fields, which in turn will lead to collaborations and further scientific progress. This conference features several speakers at an early stage of their career, as well as opportunities for many more young scientists to interact with established scientists working in academic, government, and industrial laboratories. To encourage participation by junior scientists, additional speakers will be chosen from submitted abstracts, and all participants will have opportunities to present their research.
