On Saturday, June 24th and Sunday, June 25th — the 1st and 2nd days of Plant Biology 2017—conference attendees will have their choice of morning workshops on communication and diverse concurrent symposia.
The Saturday morning workshops, from 9 AM to 12 noon (except for the Primarily Undergraduate Institution workshop, which starts at 8:30) will provide discussion, facilitated group work, and technical instruction around diverse topics:
- For those working or thinking about working at undergraduate institutions, the “Primarily Undergraduate Institution Workshop” will focus on effective research and teaching practices that optimize research for individual, departmental, and institutional success.
- At the “Introducing RNA-seq Data Analysis with R and Integrated Genome Browser Workshop”, attendees can learn to use free R and Integrated Genome Browser online environments on their own devices to get the most out of RNA-seq datasets.
- In “A Discussion of the Future of Plant Science”, Natalie Henkhaus of the Plant Science Research Network will lead a facilitated discussion about the future of the plant science field.
- In “Talk Story and Communication in Hawaii and the Pacific Rim”, presentations on the oral tradition of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim will introduce how this practice can inform scientific communication and public outreach.
After the workshops (and perhaps a bit of lunch), head over to Major Symposium I: Away from the Brink – Towards the Sustainable Use of N and P in Agriculture from 1–3:30 PM. Finally, don’t miss the Awards Symposium (4–6 PM), featuring talks by Gloria Coruzzi, Jiri Friml, and Kevin Folta, and the opening reception (6–7:30 PM).
Start your Sunday bright and early with the Women in Plant Biology breakfast (7–8:30 AM) or the Undergraduate Mix & Mingle or the poster presentations (7–8:30 AM), followed by Major Symposium II: Evolution of Cellular Development (8:30–11 AM). Sunday’s workshops, from 11:30 AM–1 PM, will feature a broad range of short talks and/or panel discussions:
- In “Introducing ASPB’s Third Journal”, learn about Plant Direct, a new open-access journal launched as a collaboration among ASPB, Wiley, and the Society for Experimental Biology, from Editor in Chief Ivan Baxter.
- “ABC’s (Analysis, Bioinformatics and Computation) in the Classroom” will provide useful information for including bioinformatics and Big Data in your research programs and classrooms.
- Learn more about initiating and maintaining international collaborations at the “Developing an International Research Collaboration” workshop.
- The Minority Affairs (MAC) Luncheon will feature discussion on “Diversifying Science: A Personal Journey”.
Sunday also offers an enticing series of concurrent symposia. In the early afternoon (1:30–3:15 PM), select from these great symposia:
- Epigenetics: Development and Defense
- Root Development Under Stress
- Nutrient Transport
- Evolution of Land Plants
Following coffee, choices for 3:45–5:30 PM include:
- Plant-Animal Interaction
- Regulation and Transcriptional Networks
- Whole Plant Ecology/Ecophysiology
- Ca2+ Signaling in Abiotic Stress
- “Cell Biology I
After the concurrent symposia, don’t miss the evening poster sessions!
Plant Biology 2017 will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Registration is open now. For more information and a full list of the multidisciplinary sessions on offer, see the full schedule here and set up your personalized plan for the meeting.
