Online symposium in progress (Photo / College of Life Sciences and Technology)
The College of Life Sciences and Technology, HZAU, hosted the 2022 International Online Symposium on Plant Stem Cells and Regeneration from May 2 to 3. The attendees included over 300 scholars from 14 countries and regions (the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Austria, Egypt, Hong Kong and Taiwan).
Prof. Xiong Lizhong, dean of the College, expressed his warm welcome to the participants in the opening speech. He said that plant cell totipotency was listed as one of the 125 most challenging scientific questions by Science. The activity and function of plant stem cells is of great significance for asexual reproduction, a crucial technology for the development of China’s seed industry, since they determine the morphogenesis of plants and their adaptability to the environment. The development of plant regeneration technology and the application of genome editing technology will ensure the sustainable development of world agriculture by boosting the cultivation of high-yield, multi-resistance and environment-friendly future crops. Prof. Xiong hoped that this symposium would advance the intensive exchanges with universities and research institutes at home and abroad.
Academics had given their talks on “Wound-induced cellular reprogramming into stem cells in the moss Physcomitrium patens” ,“DNA damage triggers moss stem cell formation”, “Identification of novel regulators of stem-cell renewal and meristem activity in Arabidopsis root”, and “A convergent pathway regulating stem cell maintenance and root growth in Arabidopsis”, etc.
Symposium speakers & schedule
They have also shared their research on stem cell regeneration pathway and regulatory network in rice, wheat, citrus, apple and the medicinal plant ginseng. Prof. Luis Alfredo Cruz Ramirez from National Laboratory for Biodiversity Genomics, Mexico, noted that this symposium had sparkled the idea of cooperation among scientists in the post-pandemic era.
The symposium was initiated for the first time in the world by Prof. Chen Chunli from the College of Life Sciences and Technology, HZAU. During the symposium, the international organizing committee for plant stem cells was established and made it clear that the 2023 International Symposium on Plant Stem Cells and Regeneration would be held at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. The symposium aims to provide a formal platform where participants can share their research, experience and up-to-date knowledge of plant stem cells and regeneration.
Source text: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2022/0505/63215.shtml
Translated by Xu Yuanxin
Supervised by Guo Haiyan
