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

植物产生超过20万种化合物，其中许多是植物界独有的，并代表了？最终工厂吗?它们利用阳光和二氧化碳作为主要能源和碳源。经济学的最新突破？技术、功能基因组学、系统和合成生物学对理解植物系统做出了重大贡献。这扩大了植物代谢工程的巨大潜力，在快速生长、高产的植物中可持续生产大批量、高需求的商品型化合物。植物代谢工程是工程、化学、生物学和数学交叉的一个相对年轻的领域。它需要新一代的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物质和蛋白质生物合成的可靠和强大的来源的目标。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，紧接着是2011年戈登植物代谢工程研究会议（GRC）。该GRS将为研究生和博士后提供一个理想的平台，以发展这些跨学科的互动，并将该领域推向新的方向。预计有45名（含45名）以上的研究生和博士后参加GRS。2011年的GRS将集中在？圆桌会议讨论?参与者有机会公开讨论该领域的当前问题，以及未来的方向，从而允许参与者建立一个领域、一个社区和一个会议场所的所有权。预计GRS的参与者将在GRC期间留下，进一步加强本次会议的教育内容。GRS和GRC将对吸引有才华的初级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，在有利于发展互动和探索新视野的环境中吸引顶级研究人员。2009年，研究生和博士后占GRC参与者总数的55%(2007年为41%)，这凸显了该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会持平，如果不是更高的话。将继续共同努力，鼓励妇女、残疾人和来自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，让他们在一个更轻松的环境中向来自不同背景的同行展示他们的研究，学习发展新的研究思想，并在GRS参与者之间建立一个充满活力和互动的科学社区，然后他们将完全融入更大的GRC会议。参加GRC将为初级科学家提供一个难得的机会，与世界知名的植物代谢工程科学家和领导者进行互动和建立联系。此外，这些互动将使研究生和博士后对植物代谢有更深入的了解，帮助他们发展学术成熟度和诚信，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.