2009 Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism and Function Gordon Conference

脂质是所有细胞生命的基本要求。脂质构成了细胞分隔的基础，提供了能量转导机制的组织，作为支持正常生长和发育的存储储备，并在细胞通信网络中充当信号。植物油是人类卡路里的主要来源，包括所有哺乳动物必需的饮食成分。此外，越来越多的植物来源的脂类具有重要的治疗应用。尽管脂质几乎涉及生物学的方方面面，对社会的重要性，但到目前为止，脂类是主要细胞成分中最不为人所知的，在较大的植物生物学会议上往往是一个代表性不足的话题。因此，植物类脂理应成为一组不同科学家进行详细、协调研究的重点。作为回应，2007年，戈登研究会议董事会批准在2009年2月召开一次新的会议，题为植物脂：结构、代谢和功能--植物脂界向前迈出的重要一步。这次会议应该加速研究，促进研究突破的广泛传播，支持年轻科学家进入植物脂肪生物学领域，并鼓励植物脂肪社区广泛参与，指导未来的研究方向。该项目的主题和参与者来自两个小组和概念，这两个小组和概念在国内和国际场馆分别处理，一组侧重于生物化学和分子生物学，另一组侧重于信号功能。这次会议将汇聚参与植物脂肪代谢和功能的高级和初级科学家，从而促进分享广泛的见解。将鼓励代表人数不足的少数群体与会者提出申请，一个专门的委员会将帮助确定和支持参加会议的不同群体。

Lipids are a fundamental requirement for all cellular life. Lipids form the basis for cellular compartmentation, provide for the organization of energy transduction machinery, serve as storage reserves to support normal growth and development, and act as signals in cellular communication networks. Plant-derived oils provide a major source of calories for humans and include essential dietary components required by all mammals. Furthermore, there are growing numbers of examples of plant-derived lipids that have important therapeutic applications. Despite their involvement in virtually all aspects of biology and importance to society, lipids are by far the least well understood of the major cellular components and tend to be an underrepresented topic at larger plant biology meetings. As such, plant lipids deserve to be at the focus of a detailed, coordinated research effort by a diverse group of scientists. In response, in 2007, the Gordon Research Conference Board of Directors approved a new conference for February 2009 entitled Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism and Function - a major step forward for the plant lipid community. This conference should accelerate research, facilitate wide dissemination of research breakthroughs, support recruitment of young scientists to the field of plant lipid biology and encourage broad participation of the plant lipid community in guiding future directions for research. The topics and participants in the program have been brought together from two groups and concepts that have been treated separately in national and international venues, one group with a focus on biochemistry and molecular biology and one group with a focus on signaling functions. The conference will bring together senior- and junior-level scientists involved in plant lipid metabolism and function and thus facilitate the sharing of a broad range of insights. Applications from underrepresented minority participants will be encouraged and a dedicated committee will help to identify and support diverse participation in the conference.