Registration

Coffee and Networking in Exhibiton Hall

Metabolic Engineering for Synthesis of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Transgenic Plants and Algae
Johnathan Napier, Principal Investigator, Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom

Metabolic engineering of high value omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids has now been demonstrated in oilseed crops. Similar approaches have proved successful in microalgae. Further iterations are described to optimise the accumulation of non-native fatty acids in triacylglycerols.

Food Safety is a Critical Aspect of Food Security: Reducing the Acrylamide-forming Potential of Wheat, Potato and Rye
Nigel Halford, Programme Leader, Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom

The formation of acrylamide from free asparagine and sugars during the cooking and processing of cereals, potatoes and other crops is one of the most difficult problems facing the food supply chain.  This presentation will describe genetic and agronomic approaches to reducing the acrylamide-forming potential of wheat, rye and potato.

Technology Spotlight:
The Right Technology and the Right Analysis; Getting the Most from your Experiments
Nick Burgoyne, Senior Bioinformatician, Fios Genomics Ltd

Utilising the Invader chemistry platform, we demonstrate the best ways to work with high through-put, high dimension ‘omic data to ensure the findings and conclusions are statistically sound, unbiased and data driven using a systems biology and pathway approach to the analysis.

Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Applied Molecular Genetics for Improved Crop Yields
Cristobal Uauy, Senior Scientist, The John Innes Centre, United Kingdom

Our work focuses on using molecular genetic approaches to identify genes related to wheat productivity.

From RNA Signalling in Flower Induction to a Novel Gene Allele for Crop Improvement
Yiguo Hong, Professor, Hangzhou Normal University, China

In this presentation, I will talk about FT RNA trafficking in systemic florigen signalling, as well as our latest discovery of novel gene alleles for enhancing crop productivity.

Coffee and Networking in Exhibiton Hall

The Impact of Ligation Bias on Plant Small RNA Sequencing
Tamas Dalmay, Director/Professor, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom

RNA ligases used during library generation for small RNA sequencing by NGS prefer certain molecules, which can form stable secondary structures with the adapters. We have developed new adapters called high definition (HD) adapters that contain degenerated nucleotides, which reduce the ligation bias. cDNA libraries of small RNAs were generated from four plant species using either traditional or HD adapters and sequenced by NGS. The impact of the ligation bias on plant small RNA sequencing will be presented at the conference.

Mobile Silencing RNAs
Attila Molnar, Chancellor’s Fellow, University of Edinburgh , United Kingdom

RNA silencing is a gene regulatory mechanism that controls development, stress responses and molecular parasites such as viruses, transgenes and transposons. The sequence-specificity of this regulation relies on small non-coding RNA (sRNA) molecules. Spreading of RNA silencing across the plant has been recognized for nearly two decades, however, only recent publications demonstrated beyond a doubt that sRNAs act as mobile silencing signals. I will discuss the consequences of mobile sRNAs on target gene expression.

Round Table Discussions in the Exhibition Hall
For more information click here.

Coffee and Networking in Exhibiton Hall

CANCELLED due to illness - Different Approaches to Breed for Resistance to Late Blight in Potato
Richard Visser, Professor/Head, Wageningen University & Research Centre, Netherlands

Late blight is one of the most devastating diseases in potato. We have used the available genome sequences from the pathogen and the host plant to embark on different strategies to try and understand the interaction between the two and design methods for durable resistance against the pathogen. The status of the R-AVR cloning, analysis and deployment will be discussed.

Technology Spotlight:
Commercially Viable Marker Assisted Breeding Using KASP Technology
Darshna Vyas, Plant Genomics Specialist, LGC Genomics

KASP genotyping technology accelerates MAB programmes and can be applied at any point during the breeding cycle (including seed and leaf material), regardless of project size. 

Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Rowland Biffen's Legacy is Spreading, with Insights from Rust in Mustards
Eric Holub, Translational Plant Geneticist , Warwick University, United Kingdom

Biffen’s 1910 release of a yellow rust resistant wheat launched genetics as an applied discipline, for harnessing inheritance of natural variation to breed new animals and crops for human benefit.  His legacy still informs modern translational research of rust diseases, for better bread and better brassicas.

Transgenic Barley in Applied Research and Biotechnology
Goetz Hensel, Senior Scientist, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Germany

A number of developed expression systems for functional gene analysis or the production of recombinant proteins in transgenic barley will be presented and examples employing these systems will be given.

Coffee and Networking in Exhibiton Hall

The Ocean Plankton Metagenome and its Biotechnological Potential
Chris Bowler, Director of Plant Biology, ENS/Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique, France

The Tara Oceans expedition recently completed a global ocean ecosystem study to understand the global impacts of plankton on the Earth system, as well as to explore their biotechnological potential. Preliminary findings from the expedition will be presented.

Unravelling Pathogen Virulence Strategies Through the Application of Transcriptomics and Real-time Imaging
Murray Grant, Professor, University of Exeter, United Kingdom

Successful pathogens deploy a collection of “effector” molecules to attenuate plant defense surveillance systems. We study how virulent Pseudomonas syringae establishes disease in Arabidopsis thaliana following delivery of a suite of ~ 30 effector proteins into the plant cell. We use a combination of unbiased transcriptomics, reverse genetics and real time imaging combined with network inference modeling to understand pathogen virulence strategies and plant defense mechanisms. Here we discuss the contribution of jasmonates to disease progression and show that the chloroplast, the site of hormone biosynthesis, is a key target of bacterial effectors.

Close of Conference