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Agenda
Day One - 29 September
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08:55 |
Welcome |
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Metabolic Engineering
Chaired by Johnathan Napier, Rothamsted Research |
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09:00 |
Rational Metabolic Engineering of Oilseeds
Johnathan Napier, Research Leader, Rothamsted Research
Plant oils lack important dietary fatty acids such as the omega-3 polyunsaturates found in fish oils. Using an iterative approach, the group has attempted to reconstruct the heterologous pathway for omega-3 polyunsaturates in transgenic plants. Progress and bottlenecks will be discussed. |
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09:30 |
Intragenic Options for Specialty Crop Improvement: High Health and Quality Without Foreign DNA
Caius Rommens, Director R&D, J. R. Simplot Company
Intragenic modification is a new approach to genetic engineering that activates dormant traits and eliminates undesirable characteristics without incorporating foreign DNA into the crops' genome. The technology is applied to produce new foods that consumers may perceive as desirable. |
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10:00 |
Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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10:45 |
Prospects for Transcription Factor Based Technology for Improvement of Traits in Food and Fuel Crops
Karen Century, Senior Scientist, Mendel Biotechnology
Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., implemented a large scale genomics program focused on transcription factors in reverse genetic screens in Arabidopsis. The results demonstrate the potential for using knowledge of transcriptional pathways to enhance important traits in crop plants. |
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11:15 |
Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms for Gene Expression Changes in Plant Polyploids
Z. Jeffrey Chen, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Transcriptional as well as posttranscriptional mechanisms mediate the expression of homoeologous loci in allopolyploids, leading to genome-wide expression diversity and phenotypic variation in the new allopolyploids. |
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11:45 |
KASP - A Flexible, Cost-Effective, SNP-Genotyping Platform Technology
Phil Robinson, CEO, Kbiosciences
KBiosciences utilize a novel SNP genotyping chemistry called KASPar. It is based on allele specific PCR using a specific and robust polymerase. The use of three unlabelled oligo’s per assay makes this technology very flexible and cost efficient. Using a technology for plate sealing called Laser Welding, KASPar can be used for low volume, high throughput SNP genotyping. |
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12:15 |
Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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13:15 |
Poster Viewing |
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Metabolic Engineering (continued)
Chaired by Jim Dunwell, University of Reading |
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14:00 |
Zinc Finger Nuclease-Mediated Gene Targeting in Plants
Joseph Petolino, Senior Scientist, Dow AgroSciences
Strategies to achieve targeted DNA double strand breaks have been developed by fusing zinc finger DNA binding proteins with sequence-independent nuclease domains derived from Type IIS restriction endonucleases. Using this strategy, site-specific transgene integration has been demonstrated in plants. |
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System-Based Approaches
Chaired by Jim Dunwell, University of Reading |
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14:30 |
Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) Techniques to Study Grain Development in Wheat
Jim Dunwell, Professor, University of Reading
The tag-based longSAGE method was used to investigate the transcriptome of developing grains of wheat varieties grown under different environmental conditions. This presentation will describe global and gene-specific data with particular focus on the Hardness (Ha) locus. |
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15:00 |
Applications of Novel Sequencing Technologies in Agriculture
Erica Bakker, Assistant Professor, Oregon State University
Novel sequencing technologies have unprecedented applications in agriculture. Genome-wide sequencing of Botrytis cinerea isolates reveals virulence loci via natural selection’s footprints. Genome-wide gene expression analysis in Merlot grape skin tissue shows gene expression differences due to temperature effects. |
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15:30 |
Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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16:15 |
Proteome-Wide Characterization of Sugarbeet Seed Vigour and its Tissue Specific Expression
Dominique Job, Laboratory Head, Bayer CropScience and CNRS
Proteomic analysis of sugarbeet seeds led to the identification of 759 proteins, along with their tissue expression in root, cotyledons and perisperm. The data allowed reconstructing the metabolism of the seeds and revealed several pathways that can contribute to seed vigour. |
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16:45 |
Plant Genomes at MIPS: From Genomes to Systems
Georg Haberer, Munich Information Centre for Protein Sequences
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17:15 |
Drinks Reception in the Exhibition Hall |
Day Two - 30 September
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Informatics
Chaired by Tatiana Tatusova, National Centre for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health |
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09:00 |
The Sorghum Bicolor Genome, the Diversification of Cereals and the Productivity of Tropical Grasses
Andrew Paterson, Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia
The Saccharinae clade of grasses includes three leading biofuels crops, Sorghum, Saccharum, and Miscanthus. The Sorghum genome sequence illuminates factors that contributed to cereal diversification, offering benefits ranging from improvement of biofuels crops to better understanding of weedy/invasive species. |
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09:30 |
Microarray Hybridization Specificity: Improving the Microarray Tool
Hinanit Koltai, Research Scientist and Head of Lab, Volcani Centre
Microarray-hybridization specificity is important for microarray result quality. Possible effectors of hybridization specificity and possible effects of low hybridization specificity will be presented, as well as a novel approach and a developing tool for extraction of valid results. |
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10:00 |
Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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10:45 |
Plant Genome Resources at NCBI
Tatiana Tatusova, Genome Group Coordinator, National Centre for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health
The National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) provides a data-rich environment in support of genomic research by integrating the data from more than 20 biological databases through a flexible search and retrieval system called Entrez. |
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11:15 |
High Throughput Functional Annotation of Non-Model Species Sequence Data with Blast2GO
Stefan Götz, PhD Student, Prince Felipe Research Centre (CIPF)
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11:45 |
Comparative Genomics, Paleopolyploidy and Apomixis of Arabidopsis Relatives
Eric Schranz, Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam
The presentation will discuss work investigating patterns of ancient polyploidization (paleopolyploidy), the conservation of large genomic blocks and patterns of genome evolution across the family, and finally how comparative genomics can be applied to understanding the genetic basis of asexual reproduction (apomixis) within the genus Boechera. |
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12:15 |
Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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13:15 |
Poster Viewing |
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Traits & Applications
Chaired by J. Mitchell McGrath, USDA Agricultural Research Service |
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14:00 |
Integrating Genomics and Plant Breeding: Whither the Breeders?
J. Mitchell McGrath, Research Geneticist & Adjunct Professor, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Integrating traditional plant breeding and genomics is best approached at the level of phenotype, where selection is practiced. Molecular phenotypes reveal interactions between genes and environments, thus increasing precision in breeding. |
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14:30 |
Presentation to be Confirmed |
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15:00 |
Poster Award |
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15:10 |
Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall |
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15:50 |
Genetic Transformation of Wheat to Identify the Role of Certain Genes in Disease Resistance by Post Transcriptional Gene Silencing and Over Expression
Iqrar Ahmad Rana, PhD Student, University of Hamburg
Functional role of three glucan synthase like genes was found by PTGS. Chitinase and chitosanase genes from Trichoderma harzianum were overexpressed in wheat to confirm the role of these pathogenesis related genes against fungal pathogens. |
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16:20 |
Close of Conference | |