Conference: 22nd Symposium in Plant Biology; January 15-18, 2003, Riverside, California

在加州大学河滨分校(UCR)举行的第22届植物生物学研讨会“植物细胞生物学的前沿：信号和途径”将于2003年1月15-19日举行。组织者是纳塔莎·V·莱科尔和杨振彪，基因组研究所植物细胞生物学中心和华中大学植物学和植物科学系。拟南芥和水稻基因组测序创造了新的研究方向、实验方法和机会。研究人员即将阐明拟南芥和其他选定植物物种的所有基因的功能。这些令人兴奋的植物生物学进展正开始揭示植物细胞功能特性的分子机制。基因、基因组和生物化学的综合方法导致了信号转导途径、信号受体和细胞内和细胞内通讯的生物合成途径的确定；膜片钳研究发现了参与细胞信号传递的新通道；复杂细胞壁的结构和功能正在以前所未有的速度被阐明；更多关于将蛋白质定位于特定细胞位置的机制正在被揭示。这次研讨会的目的是聚集从基因组、生物信息学、遗传学、分子、生化和细胞生物学的不同角度研究植物细胞的学生和科学家，以突出这些最新进展，并评估在分子水平上剖析植物细胞功能的新方法。这是一个快速发展的植物科学领域，为年轻研究人员提供了大量学习和贡献的机会。这一时机是研究整个植物细胞功能的研讨会的理想时机。这次研讨会将有别于植物领域的其他研讨会，因为它的规模小，有利于与会者之间的互动；这种交流可能会导致国家和国际合作。届时将有大约200人参加。

"Frontiers of Plant Cell Biology: Signals and Pathways," the 22nd Symposium in Plant Biology at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), will be held January 15-19, 2003. The organizers are Natasha V. Raikhel and Zhenbiao Yang, Center for Plant Cell Biology in the Genomics Institute and the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UCR. Sequencing of the Arabidopsis and rice genomes has created new research directions, experimental approaches, and opportunities. Researchers are on the brink of elucidating the function of all the genes of Arabidopsis and other selected plant species. These exciting advances in plant biology are starting to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional properties of plant cells. Integrated genetic, genomic and biochemical approaches have led to the identification of signal transduction pathways, signal receptors, and biosynthetic pathways for inter- and intra-cellular communication; patch clamp studies have uncovered novel channels involved in cellular signaling; the structure and function of complex cell walls are being elucidated at an unprecedented pace; and more is being revealed about the machinery involved in targeting proteins to specific cellular locations. The aim of this symposium is to bring together students and scientists studying the plant cell from different perspectives genomic, bioinformatic, genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cell biological to highlight these recent advances and evaluate emerging approaches for the dissection of plant cell function at the molecular level. This is a rapidly developing area of plant science with abundant opportunity for young researchers to learn and contribute. The timing is ideal for a symposium that examines the functioning of the whole plant cell. This symposium will be distinct from others in the plant field because its small size is conducive to interaction among participants; such exchanges will likely lead to national and international collaborations. There will be approximately 200 attendees.