On Oct. 22, the 2nd National Symposium on Vegetable Oil was held in lecture room 129, Building of Genetics. The seminar was hosted by Prof. Zhang Chunyu and Prof. Guo Liang, who lead an innovative research team of Rape genetic modification in the College of Plant Science and Technology. Participants of the symposium included researchers and postgraduates from Montana State University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Southwest University, Northwest A & F University and Wuhan Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Chaofu Lu from Montana State University introduced the components of fatty acids of Camelina sativa in oil crops, the genetic improvement modified by fatty acids, and the application of Camelina sativa oil in industry. Prof. Tan Xiaoli from Jiangsu University introduced the functions of oilseed rape BnLASC9 in lipid synthesis. Prof. Lv Shiyou from Wuhan Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences introduced research of CER7 in Arabidopsis thaliana wax and cutinase. Prof. Zhang Meng from Northwest A & F University reported on   Arabidopsis gene interference induced by ExFAD2 overexpression, Prof. Li Maoteng from Huazhong University of Science and Technology introduced the ways to improve the oil content of rape, and associate Prof. Li Nannan of Southwest University, focused on the transfer of Fax1-mediated fatty acids. Prof. Guo Liang made a report entitled "From the Basic Research to Oilseed Rape Genetic Improvement", in which he introduced the progress made by the research group in the past two years in three aspects: collection and innovation of oilseed rape, genome of rape lipid metabolism and rape genetic improvement.
Free exchange and active discussion were welcomed in the symposium, and all the teachers and students attended put forward questions and expressed their views actively. Prof. Guo Liang concluded that the symposium not only built a good platform for researchers in the field of plant metabolism in China but also provided a valuable learning opportunity for the postgraduates. He hopes that more researchers will participate in this field and promote the research of metabolism of vegetable oil.
After the seminar, the participants visited the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and the research facilities such as experimental fields on campus.

Translated by Kou Le.
http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2017/1024/50488.shtml