Workshop: Pan-American Plant Membrane Biology Workshop - Asilomar, CA (May 16-20, 2012)

第四届泛美植物膜生物学研讨会将于2012年5月16日至20日在美国加利福尼亚州太平洋格罗夫的Asilomar会议中心举行。研讨会将包括在理解植物膜生物学的基础和应用方面最重要的最新突破的会议。讲习班将主要侧重于膜运输、信号和贩运，因为这些领域正在经历快速进展。此外，鉴于目前对生物燃料和可持续能源开发的强烈关注和兴趣，研讨会将侧重于细胞壁合成分泌物的膜运输过程。另一个具体的重点是调节膜运输过程以应对非生物胁迫；因此，研讨会应促进互动，以加快开发具有生物燃料生产性能和/或表现出更强的耐受胁迫能力的植物品种的进展(例如那些预计将因全球气候变化而增加的品种)。这次会议的重点是博士生、博士后和职业生涯早期的科学家。每个会议由1-2名受邀演讲者主持，包括1-2名职业生涯早期科学家和2名博士生的演讲。NSF的资金将专门用于支付20名优秀研究生、博士后研究员或早期职业调查人员的旅行和注册费用。将尽一切努力吸纳妇女、来自代表性不足群体的参与者以及主要来自本科生和少数群体服务机构的科学家，因此，国家科学基金会的支持将直接有助于下一代科学家的职业发展和教育目标。

The 4th Pan American Plant Membrane Biology Workshop will be held at Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA, USA from May 16-20, 2012. The workshop will include sessions that cover the most important recent breakthroughs in understanding both basic and applied aspects of plant membrane biology. The workshop will focus largely on membrane transport, signaling and trafficking, as these fields are experiencing rapid progress. In addition, the workshop will focus on the membrane transport process of secretion for cell wall synthesis, given current intense focus and interest in biofuels and the development of sustainable energy sources. Another specific focus is the regulation of membrane transport processes in response to abiotic stresses; thus, the workshop should facilitate interactions that accelerate progress in the development of plant varieties that have improved properties for biofuel production and/or that show enhanced ability to tolerate stresses (such as those predicted to increase as a result of global climate change).A small meeting like PAPMBW provides an outstanding opportunity for interaction of attendees. This meeting is heavily focused on PhD students, postdocs and early-career scientists. Each session is anchored by 1-2 invited speakers and includes talks from 1-2 early-career scientists and 2 PhD students. NSF funds will be used specifically to help defray the travel and registration costs of 20 outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral fellows or early career investigators. Every effort will be made to include women, participants from under-represented groups and scientists from predominantly undergraduate and minority-serving institutions Thus, support from NSF will contribute directly to the career development and educational goals of the next generation of scientists.