This award supports graduate student attendance and participation at the Second International Conference on Plant Peroxisome Research, which will be held as a satellite conference to the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Plant Biology (ASPB) in Minneapolis in 2011.
Intellectual merit. Plant peroxisomes are involved in a variety of functions unique to plant physiology and development. Many exciting discoveries about the biogenesis, function, and dynamic behavior of these organelles in plants have been reported recently. Following the first International Workshop on Plant Peroxisomes (Edinburgh, UK) in 2009 and because of the importance of this topic, a decision was made to hold the next meeting in North America as part of the 20122 Annual ASPB Meeting. Major scientific objectives of the meeting are the following: (1) to report on the most recent advances in plant peroxisome research, and (2) to promote further collaborations among laboratories world-wide.
Broader impacts. Plant peroxisomes are agriculturally and economically important. Yet, a complete understanding of these organelles is lacking. This meeting brings together plant peroxisome researchers to exchange the most recent and exciting scientific findings and to establish new collaborations. This meeting also provides an excellent educational opportunity for the broader plant community and, in particular, graduate and undergraduate students to learn about these important organelles.
Peroxisomes are essential organelles in eukaryotes that mediate diverse metabolic functions in energy metabolism, development, and stress responses. The Second International Conference on Plant Peroxisome Research was held on August 11, 2011, as a satellite meeting to Plant Biology 2011 (the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists; ASPB) in Minneapolis. The goals of this meeting were to exchange the most recent findings in plant peroxisome research, further promote collaborations between laboratories scattered over several continents, provide educational opportunities for students, including those from underrepresented groups, and enhance the visibility of peroxisome research among plant biologists. Thirty-nine participants from eight countries from North America, Europe and Asia attended the meeting; most plant peroxisome researchers in North America (28 people) were able to participate. Twenty-three of the participants were postdocs/graduate students, some of whom come from underrepresented groups. Most of the participants also attended the ASPB annual meeting prior to this conference. The large body of posters on peroxisomes made a strong impact at the ASPB meeting. Many plant biologists learned the various aspects of these organelles for the first time. The 1-day plant peroxisome meeting contained 17 talks and 24 poster presentations; half of the speakers were graduate students and postdocs. The oral presentations covered four main areas: peroxisome biogenesis, dynamics, metabolism, and novel functions. Exciting progress has been made on several fronts. First, new components of the peroxisome biogenesis machineries and novel aspects of known biogenesis factors were discovered. Second, dynamic behaviors of these organelles and their interaction with other organelles, such as the ER and cytoskeleton, were reported. Third, transporters for ADP/AMP and NAD were identified, and the role of peroxisomes in H2O2 and IBA (indole 3-butyric acid) metabolism was further investigated. The use of peroxisomes for the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate was also presented. Fourth, novel functions of the peroxisome were revealed through genetics, bioinformatics, and proteomics approaches. Some of these functions have significant implications in agriculture. Finally, Dr. John Aitchison, Executive Director at the Institute of Systems Biology and the Seattle Biomedical Institute, delivered the keynote speech. His lecture focused on using functional genomics, proteomics and computational tools to understand the network dynamics controlling the response of yeast to fatty acids at multiple levels, including signaling, transcription, chromatin dynamics and peroxisome biogenesis. There were close interactions between the participants. For students and postdocs, they were able to talk to the PIs at the meeting and during breaks. Knowledge gaps in the field were identified and collaborations were fostered at and after the meeting. Participants unanimously praised the quality of the presentations and organization of the conference. At the meeting, the PI was invited to contribute a comprehensive review on Plant Peroxisomes to the journal Plant Cell, which has the highest impact in the plant biology field. A team of seven international plant peroxisome researchers are working on this review, which would be a great opportunity to outreach to the entire plant community. The attendees reached a consensus that the next plant peroxisome meeting should be held in two years or so; one possibility would be in Europe in 2013/2014.
