A Joint U.S.-Japan Workshop: Advances in the Molecular Biology of Photosynthesis

该奖项支持15名美国科学家参加于1996年11月21日至11月25日在大峡谷国家公园举行的关于光合作用分子生物学进展的美日研讨会。联合组织者是亚利桑那州立大学的维姆·维尔马斯教授和名古屋大学的小川Teruo教授。选择研讨会的主题是为了突出美国和日本在利用分子遗传学和基因工程来阐明与光合作用有关的过程方面的最新进展。利用单细胞模式系统和发展适当的技术来研究高等植物系统已被证明在阐明光合复合体中特定亚基的作用以及解决有关基因表达作为发育阶段和营养和光可用性的功能的问题方面是非常富有成效的。在这个领域，一个特别值得注意的努力是S. Tabata博士小组对一种蓝藻的基因组测序，他将是研讨会的一名日本参与者。这是第一个完整的光合生物基因组DNA序列的例子，并为广泛的研究提供了基础，包括确定基因和开放阅读框的作用及其调节机制。与会者是光合作用分子生物学领域最活跃的研究人员，本次研讨会旨在建立和促进美日科学家之间的合作研究，双方将从这些研究关系中受益。* * *

9602840 Vermaas This award supports the participation of 15 US scientists in a US-Japan seminar on Advances in the Molecular Biology of Photosynthesis, to be held at Grand Canyon National Park from November 21 until November 25, 1996. The co-organizers are Professor Wim Vermaas of Arizona State University and Professor Teruo Ogawa of Nagoya University. The theme of the seminar was chosen to highlight recent advances in the US and in Japan in the use of molecular genetics and genetic engineering to elucidate processes related to photosynthesis. Both the utilization of unicellular model systems and the development of appropriate techniques to study higher-plant systems have proven to be very fruitful to elucidate the role of particular subunits in photosynthetic complexes and to address questions regarding gene expression as a function of developmental stage and nutrient and light availability. A particularly noteworthy effort in this area is the sequencing of the genome of a cyanobacterium in the group of Dr. S. Tabata, who will be a Japanese participant in the workshop. This is the first example of a complete genomic DNA sequence of a photosynthetic organism, and provides the basis for a wide spectrum of research, including the determination of the role of genes and open reading frames and their regulatory mechanisms. Participants are among the most active researchers in the area of molecular biology of photosynthesis, and this seminar is expected to establish and nurture collaborative research between US and Japanese scientists who will mutually benefit from these research ties. ***