The 51st Annual Maize Genetics Conference will be held March 12-15, 2009 at the Pheasant Run Resort and Spa in St. Charles, IL. The meeting offers members of the Maize Genetics community the opportunity to present and discuss their most recent research results. A wide range of topics investigating the structure and function of genes, pathways, and traits are included, spanning both basic studies of gene action and applications to crop improvement. The 51st Annual meeting will feature 45-minute talks by four invited plenary speakers: Joe Ecker, Salk Institute; Curt Hannah, University of Florida; Luca Comai, University of California-Davis; and Marja Timmermans, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In addition the program will include approximately 30 15-minute talks given by speakers selected from submitted abstracts and two poster sessions.
Broader Impacts:
The Maize Genetics Conference program is designed specifically to allow students to participate and interact with their peers from other institutions and with scientists who are leaders in the field. The program provides multiple opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to present their research ideas as invited platform talks or as poster presentations. For most of the students attending and presenting their data at this meeting, it is their first exposure to a research conference; the students begin to establish their scientific contact networks here, and as they continue to advance their scientific careers, this conference series remains valuable as a source of information and interactions in the area of maize genetics.
