Conference: "2011 Plant Metabolic Engineering GRS/GRC"; to be held July 24-29, 2011, in Waterville, New Hampshire.

植物产生超过200，000种化合物，其中许多是植物王国所独有的，并代表？终极工厂？它们以阳光和二氧化碳作为主要能源和碳源。最近的突破？经济学？技术、功能基因组学、系统和合成生物学为理解植物系统作出了重大贡献。 这扩大了植物代谢工程在快速生长、高产植物中可持续生产大批量、高需求商品型化合物的巨大潜力。植物代谢工程是一个相对年轻的领域，介于工程学、化学、生物学和数学之间。它需要新一代科学家能够整合来自不同学科的知识，以实现利用植物作为重要化学品和蛋白质生物合成的可靠和强大来源的目标。为了促进年轻科学家和研究人员的互动，2011年戈登植物代谢工程研究研讨会（GRS）将于2011年7月24日至25日在沃特维尔谷（NH）会议中心举行，紧接着2011年戈登植物代谢工程研究会议（GRC）。要求资金支持这一GRS，这将作为一个理想的平台，为研究生和博士后研究员发展这些跨学科的互动和推进该领域进入新的方向。预计将有45名（或更多）研究生和博士后研究员参加GRS。2011年的GRS将集中在？圆桌会议？并为与会者提供机会，公开讨论实地当前的问题以及未来的方向，从而使与会者能够建立对实地、社区和会议地点的所有权。GRS的与会者预计将留在GRC，进一步加强本次会议的教育部分。GRS和GRC将对吸引有才华的年轻科学家进入植物代谢工程领域产生重大影响。更广泛的影响戈登会议继续被认为是全球顶级科学会议之一，吸引顶级研究人员在有利于发展互动和探索新视野的环境中进行研究。2009年，研究生和博士后研究员占整个GRC参与者的55%（2007年为41%），突出了这次会议对年轻科学家的教育影响。在2011年，我们预计，学生和博士后的比例将类似，如果不是更高，感谢GRS。协调一致的努力将继续鼓励妇女、残疾人和代表性不足群体的科学家参与。GRS将为年轻科学家提供一个独特的场所，让他们在具有不同背景的同行面前以更轻松的环境展示他们的研究，学习发展新的研究思路，并在GRS参与者中建立一个充满活力和互动的科学社区，然后将他们完全融入更大的GRC会议。参加GRC将为年轻科学家提供一个难得的机会，与世界知名的科学家和植物代谢工程的领导者进行互动和建立联系。此外，这些互动将为研究生和博士后研究员提供对植物代谢的更深入了解，帮助他们发展学术成熟和诚信，并与未来的同事建立专业关系。

Plants produce more than 200,000 compounds, many unique to the plant kingdom, and represent ?ultimate factories? that operate by using sunlight and CO2 as their primary energy and carbon sources. Recent breakthroughs in ?omics? technologies, functional genomics, systems and synthetic biology have significantly contributed to understanding plant systems. This has expanded the already enormous potential of plant metabolic engineering for sustainable production of high-volume, high-demand commodity type compounds in fast growing, high-yielding plants. Plant Metabolic Engineering is a relatively young field at the interface between engineering, chemistry, biology and mathematics. It requires a new generation of scientists able to integrate knowledge from a diverse range of disciplines to achieve the goal of utilizing plants as reliable and robust sources for the biosynthesis of important chemicals and proteins. To facilitate the interactions of young scientists and researchers, the 2011 Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Plant Metabolic Engineering will be held July 24-25, 2011 at the Waterville Valley (NH) conference center immediately prior to the 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Plant Metabolic Engineering (GRC). Funds are requested to support this GRS, which will serve as an ideal platform for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to develop these interdisciplinary interactions and advance the field into new directions. 45 (or more) graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are expected to participate in the GRS. The 2011 GRS will be centered on ?Roundtable Discussions? and opportunities for participants to openly discuss current issues in the field, as well as future directions thus allowing participants to establish ownership of a field, a community and a meeting venue. Participants to the GRS will be expected to stay for the GRC, further enhancing the educational component of this conference. The GRS and GRC will have a significant impact in attracting talented junior scientists to the plant metabolic engineering field.Broader ImpactThe Gordon Conferences continue to be considered among the top scientific meetings worldwide, attracting top researchers in settings that are conducive to developing interactions and exploring new horizons. In 2009, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows accounted for 55% of the entire GRC participants (up from 41% in 2007), highlighting the educational impact of this conference on young scientists. In 2011 we expect that the percentage of students and postdocs will be similar if not higher, thanks to the GRS. Concerted efforts will continue to encourage the participation of women, persons with disabilities, and scientists from underrepresented groups. The GRS will provide a unique venue for junior scientists to present their research in a more relaxed setting in front of their peers with diverse backgrounds, learn to evolve new research ideas, and to build a dynamic and interactive scientific community amongst the GRS participants, who are then fully integrated into the larger GRC meeting. Participation in the GRC will offer junior scientists a rare opportunity to interact and establish connections with world-renowned scientists and leaders in plant metabolic engineering. Moreover, these interactions will provide graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with a deeper understanding of plant metabolism, help them to develop their scholastic maturity and integrity and build professional relationships with future colleagues.