7th International Conference on Plasmodesmata, 21st-26th March 2010, Sydney, Australia

请求提供资金，以支持出席将于2010年3月21日至26日在澳大利亚悉尼举行的第七届胞间连丝国际会议。胞间连丝是连接植物细胞与其邻居的微小通道，对植物生长和作物产量很重要，因为它们控制营养物质的移动和植物病害的传播。由于该领域的研究是多学科的，而且极其活跃，因此不同学科领域的研究人员有机会见面并讨论他们的研究非常重要。美国科学家在这一领域有许多重大发现。胞间连丝的研究也是高度互动的，并且有许多国际合作者，他们对快速推进科学至关重要。 因此，美国科学家的广泛参与对基础研究和农业都是非常有益的，预计会议将对科学和教育做出重大贡献。首先，会议将促进具有不同领域技能的科学家之间的互动。第二，学生和博士后的参与将被强烈鼓励的隐蔽和互动的环境，并通过让每个参与者提出一个谈话或简短的口头陈述旁边他或她的海报。 还将大力鼓励少数群体和女性科学家的参与。这将通过确定和鼓励个人以及广泛宣传会议来实现。 会议的成功将通过向所有与会者分发书面问卷进行评估。

Funds are requested to support attendance at the 7th International Conference on Plasmodesmata, which will take place from 21st-26th March 2010, in Sydney, Australia. Plasmodesmata are tiny channels that connect plant cells to their neighbors, and are important for plant growth and crop yields because they control the movement of nutrients and spread of plant diseases. Because research in this field is multidisciplinary, and extremely active, it is important that researchers in diverse subject areas have the opportunity to meet and discuss their research. Many important discoveries have been made in this area by US scientists. Plasmodesmata research is also highly interactive, and has many international collaborators who are essential to advance the science rapidly. Therefore attendance at this conference by a diverse pool of US scientists will be highly beneficial both to basic research and to agriculture.It is expected that the conference will contribute significantly to science and education. First, the conference will foster interactions between scientists with skills in diverse areas. Second, involvement of students and post docs will be strongly encouraged by the secluded and interactive environment, and by having each participant present a talk or a short oral presentation alongside his or her poster. Participation by minority and female scientists will also be strongly encouraged. This will be achieved by identification and encouragement of individuals, as well as by advertising the conference widely. Success of the conference will be assessed by a written questionnaire distributed among all attendees.