Modelling Plant Stem Cells: Evolution, Development and Regeneration
Organisers: Monica García-Gómez, Kirsten ten Tusscher and Renske Vroomans
Date: 18 – 21 May 2025
Location: Fanhams Hall, Hertfordshire, UK
Plants exhibit an outstanding capacity for de novo organogenesis and regeneration, a feature driven by the activity of stem cells in different developmental contexts. The rapid emergence of new model species covering distant branches of the phylogenetic tree opens exciting opportunities for comparative analysis of the developmental mechanisms underlying stem cell-driven plant developmental plasticity.
The aim of this workshop is to start a conversation on the evolutionary history and diversity of the developmental mechanisms underlying plant stemness. To this end the workshop will bring together researchers working on plant stem cell biology in different species, developmental contexts, and applying experimental and/or computational modelling approaches. The retreat-like setting of this workshop will offer ample opportunities for discussion. Examples of the questions we will discuss are: How have plant developmental programs been shaped throughout evolution? What are the evolutionary and practical aspects of selecting new model systems? How can computational-experimental approaches be combined to accelerate the description of species-specific mechanisms?
We anticipate cross-system and cross-disciplinary collaborative efforts to naturally emerge in this timely and exciting workshop to uncover the evolutionary and developmental mechanisms that enabled plants to become so diverse in terms of form, niche, and lifestyle, and ultimately in their success in land colonisation.
Topics for discussion include:
- Evolution of plant development: conservation, co-option and modification of developmental mechanisms
- Generalities and specificities of stem cells across land plants
- Evolutionary and practical aspects in the selection of novel model systems
- Bridging the gap: integrating models and experiments to accelerate our understanding of plant stemness
Organisers & speakers
Monica L Garcia-Gomez Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Renske Vroomans Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, United Kingdom
Kirsten ten Tusscher Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Anthony Bishopp University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
Ikram Blilou King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
Bert De Rybel VIB/Ghent University, Belgium
Raffaelle Dello Ioio The Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Liam Dolan Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Austria
Idan Efroni Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Christophe Godin INRIA, France
Sandy Hetherington University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Henrik Jönsson Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, United Kingdom
Kaisa Kajala Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Victoria Mironova Raboud University, The Netherlands
Laura Moody University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Annis Richardson University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Michael Scanlon Cornell University, USA
Katharina Schiessl Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University, United Kingdom
Yvonne Stahl Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Viola Willemsen Cell and Developmental Biology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
Early-career researchers
We offer 10 funded places for early-career researchers (PhD, postdocs and PIs in the first three years of their first appointment) to attend our Workshops along with the 20 invited speakers. We just ask that you pay for your own travel costs. If you would like to attend please complete the online application form and include a one page CV and a letter of support from your supervisor. If your supervisor would prefer to send the letter directly to us please ask them to email it to workshops@biologists.com
All attendees are expected to actively contribute to the Workshops by asking questions at presentation sessions and taking part in discussions, as well as giving a short talk on their research.
At some Workshops, early-career researchers are given additional responsibilities to promote their involvement, such as:
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- Write a blog post for our community site: The Node
- Summarise the previous day’s themes to set the scene for the next day’s sessions
- Propose future directions and collaborations
Most of these activities would be carried out in pairs or small groups and often with the support of more senior scientists present.
Extended deadline: Friday 6 December 2024
About Fanhams Hall
The Workshop will be held at the beautiful Fanhams Hall in Hertfordshire. An exceptional combination where old tradition meets the 21st century, Fanhams Hall Hotel is a Jacobean Manor House. Set in 27 acres of stunning Grade I listed grounds it boasts many features including a Grade II listed Japanese Tea House and formal gardens.
The hotel’s Hertfordshire location is just a short distance from all the major routes into London, Stansted, M1, M25 or simply the A10 just around the corner.
Fanhams Hall
Fanhams Hall Road
Ware
Hertfordshire
SG12 7PZ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1920 460511
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