October 2013 - Seminars - maillist.psb.ugent.be

Upcoming seminars March
by Delphine Verspeel 19 Jan '15

19 Jan '15

Dear All, Enclosed you can find our upcoming seminars for March. Kind regards, Delphine ___________________________________________ Delphine Verspeel Administrative Assistant VIB, Department of Plant Systems Biology Ghent University Technologiepark 927 9052 Gent Belgium Phone: +32/9/33.13.800 Fax: +32/9/33.13.809 Http://www.psb.ugent.be despe(a)psb.vib-ugent.be

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Seminar Prof Eva Stöger on Wednesday, October 30 at 2 pm
by Delphine Verspeel 30 Oct '13

30 Oct '13

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our seminars announcements and reminders service at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars . If you do not wish to receive this information anymore, please unsubscribe from future mailings at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/options/seminars . cid:946540515@15122008-0D1CPSBcid:946540515@15122008-0D23 VIB - Department of Plant Systems Biology Technologiepark 927 B - 9052 Gent/Zwijnaarde Phone: +32 9 33 13 800 Fax: +32 9 33 13 809 Http://www.psb.vib-ugent.be

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PSB event reminder
by contact＠psb.vib-ugent.be 16 Oct '13

16 Oct '13

Calendar Name: seminars Scheduled for: Friday, October 18 2013, 14:00 - 15:30 Event text: Prof Ildoo Hwang Department of Life Sciences POSTECH Biotech Center Pohang University of Science and Technology Pohang KOREA Details: �The action of cytokinin, a phytohormone, in plant immunity� ABSTRACT Cytokinins affect plant immunity to various pathogens; however, the mechanisms coupling plant-derived cytokinins to pathogen responses have been elusive. We recently revealed that plant-derived cytokinins promote resistance of a model plant Arabidopsis to a bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Modulated cytokinin levels or signaling activity correlate with altered resistance. Cytokinin directly modulates the expression of salicylic acid (a defense-related plant hormone) or defense-related genes via cytokinin-activated transcription factors called type-B ARRs, which interact with the salicylic acid response factor TGA3 and contribute to resistance against the pathogen by potentiating salicylic acid signaling. Other than SA signaling, cytokinin affects an elicitor flagellin-induced stomata closure and FRK1 induction, implying its role for pre-invasive defense mediated via PAMP recognition. Interestingly, cytokinin also confers a priming effect, which induces a rapid and strong defense response. Taken together, our results indicate that cytokinins modulate multitude of defense signaling to augment resistance against a bacterial pathogen. I will further discuss how plant modulates a priming defense response, especially the transcriptional competence of defense-related genes.

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Seminar Prof Eva Zažímalová on Tuesday, October 22 at 11 am
by Delphine Verspeel 14 Oct '13

14 Oct '13

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our seminars announcements and reminders service at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars . If you do not wish to receive this information anymore, please unsubscribe from future mailings at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/options/seminars . cid:946540515@15122008-0D1CPSBcid:946540515@15122008-0D23 VIB - Department of Plant Systems Biology Technologiepark 927 B - 9052 Gent/Zwijnaarde Phone: +32 9 33 13 800 Fax: +32 9 33 13 809 Http://www.psb.vib-ugent.be

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Seminar Dr Bert De Rybel on Monday, October 21 at 11 am
by Delphine Verspeel 14 Oct '13

14 Oct '13

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our seminars announcements and reminders service at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars . If you do not wish to receive this information anymore, please unsubscribe from future mailings at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/options/seminars . cid:946540515@15122008-0D1CPSBcid:946540515@15122008-0D23 VIB - Department of Plant Systems Biology Technologiepark 927 B - 9052 Gent/Zwijnaarde Phone: +32 9 33 13 800 Fax: +32 9 33 13 809 Http://www.psb.vib-ugent.be

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Seminar Prof Ildoo Hwang on Friday, October 18 at 2 pm
by Delphine Verspeel 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to our seminars announcements and reminders service at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/listinfo/seminars . If you do not wish to receive this information anymore, please unsubscribe from future mailings at https://maillist.psb.ugent.be/mailman/options/seminars . cid:946540515@15122008-0D1CPSBcid:946540515@15122008-0D23 VIB - Department of Plant Systems Biology Technologiepark 927 B - 9052 Gent/Zwijnaarde Phone: +32 9 33 13 800 Fax: +32 9 33 13 809 Http://www.psb.vib-ugent.be

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PSB event reminder
by contact＠psb.vib-ugent.be 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

Calendar Name: seminars Scheduled for: Monday, October 7 2013, 11:00 - 12:30 Event text: Dr Annabelle Haudry Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive Universite Lyon 1 - UMR CNRS 5558 Villeurbanne cedex FRANCE Details: �Selection on noncoding DNA in the Brassicaceae � ABSTRACT Despite the central role of noncoding DNA in gene regulation and evolution, our understanding of the genomic extent and nature of selection on plant noncoding regions remains limited. Taking advantage of newly sequenced genomes in the Brassicaceae, we combined comparative genomics and population genomics approaches to analyze patterns of molecular evolution and the strength of selection of noncoding DNA. We conducted whole genome alignments of nine Brassicaceae species, including two new genome assemblies from the DOE Joint Genome Institute (Capsella rubella and Eutrema halophila) and de novo Illumina assemblies of three additional species by the VEGI project (Aethionema arabicum, Sisymbrium irio, and Leavenworthia alabamica). Using a systematic computational approach we identified over 90,000 conserved noncoding regions (CNSs) that show a degree of conservation across species similar to average coding exons and no evidence of expression or coding potential. Gene ontology analysis revealed a significant enrichment of CNSs near transcription factors and CNSs were found to be enriched in known transcription factor binding sites. These results support the potential regulatory function of CNSs. Population genomic analyses in A. thaliana and C. grandiflora showed reduced levels of diversity and excess of rare variants for CNSs compared to neutral expectation, confirming that most CNSs evolve under purifying selection. Our analysis indicates the strength of selection acting on plant noncoding regions, highlighting the likely importance of these regions for functional variation and adaptive evolution.

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PSB event reminder
by contact＠psb.vib-ugent.be 05 Oct '13

05 Oct '13

Calendar Name: seminars Scheduled for: Monday, October 7 2013, 11:00 - 12:30 Event text: Dr Annabelle Haudry Laboratoire de Biometrie et Biologie Evolutive Universite Lyon 1 - UMR CNRS 5558 Villeurbanne cedex FRANCE Details: �Selection on noncoding DNA in the Brassicaceae � ABSTRACT Despite the central role of noncoding DNA in gene regulation and evolution, our understanding of the genomic extent and nature of selection on plant noncoding regions remains limited. Taking advantage of newly sequenced genomes in the Brassicaceae, we combined comparative genomics and population genomics approaches to analyze patterns of molecular evolution and the strength of selection of noncoding DNA. We conducted whole genome alignments of nine Brassicaceae species, including two new genome assemblies from the DOE Joint Genome Institute (Capsella rubella and Eutrema halophila) and de novo Illumina assemblies of three additional species by the VEGI project (Aethionema arabicum, Sisymbrium irio, and Leavenworthia alabamica). Using a systematic computational approach we identified over 90,000 conserved noncoding regions (CNSs) that show a degree of conservation across species similar to average coding exons and no evidence of expression or coding potential. Gene ontology analysis revealed a significant enrichment of CNSs near transcription factors and CNSs were found to be enriched in known transcription factor binding sites. These results support the potential regulatory function of CNSs. Population genomic analyses in A. thaliana and C. grandiflora showed reduced levels of diversity and excess of rare variants for CNSs compared to neutral expectation, confirming that most CNSs evolve under purifying selection. Our analysis indicates the strength of selection acting on plant noncoding regions, highlighting the likely importance of these regions for functional variation and adaptive evolution.

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PSB event reminder
by contact＠psb.vib-ugent.be 03 Oct '13

03 Oct '13

Calendar Name: seminars Scheduled for: Thursday, October 3 2013, 14:00 - 15:30 Event text: Korneel Vandenbroucke Bayer CropScience Gent Belgium Details: POSTDOC INNOVATION SEMINAR �Inside Bayer CropScience: �To Propel Farming�s Future� ABSTRACT At Bayer CropScience, everything starts with local insight. We dig deep into the specific issues farmers face. What�s keeping them awake at night? Is it a new pest or government regulations? Poor soil or lack of water? The opportunities and challenges driving the global agricultural community are as fascinating as they are daunting. A rapidly growing world population increases global demand for food, fiber as well as renewable raw materials. Changes in our climate threaten harvests and impact yields. Improving our living standard worldwide comes with an ever increasing demand for high-quality, healthy and affordable food. Such challenges require sophisticated answers. Our corporate promise �Bayer: Science for a Better Life� is the foundation of what we at Bayer CropScience strive to achieve within the agricultural industry. We have extraordinary expertise, the passion and integrity of farmers, the willingness to listen closely to our customers� needs across the globe, and the vision to foresee issues and seize opportunities across the entire value chain. At Bayer CropScience, we foster an environment of collaboration across different disciplines at the intersection of chemistry and biology, as well as across cultures and markets. Every day, we bring together expertise in seeds, breeding, crop protection biologics and chemistry as well as environmental science solutions. We aim to create the products and services to solve some of the key challenges in agriculture. But even as an industry leader, we will not be able to solve agriculture�s challenges alone. Game-changing ideas need diversity in experience, expertise and perspective to evolve, mature and become reality. Part of our quest therefore is to look ahead and beyond the current solutions and existing partnerships towards even broader initiatives. Our objective is to go beyond products, technologies, and work with others to trigger great ideas. Our combined R&D organization unites three areas: Small Molecules, Biologics and Seeds � all cooperating to build a unique position in plant health research. Our seeds business unites the expertise of plant physiologists and geneticists, of molecular and cellular biologists, of bioinformaticians and breeding experts. The main purpose of Seeds Research, located at innovation centra in RTP and Ghent, is to discover new traits and bring them to proof-of-concept. Our most important crops are soybeans, wheat, cotton, oilseed rape, corn and rice. The trait focus is on herbicide tolerance, insect control, yield enhancement and drought tolerance. Furthermore, our work on non-GM Traits supports the development of crop varieties that match the requirements of the relevant markets perfectly.

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PSB event reminder
by contact＠psb.vib-ugent.be 02 Oct '13

02 Oct '13

Calendar Name: seminars Scheduled for: Wednesday, October 2 2013, 14:00 - 15:30 Event text: Prof Yves Van de Peer VIB, Dept. of Plant Systems Biology Ghent University Gent BELGIUM Details: "I, robot. Using novel bio-inspired principles to improve adaptability of evolutionary robots in dynamically changing environments" ABSTRACT One of the important challenges in the field of evolutionary robotics is the development of systems that can adapt to changing environments. However, adaptation to a changing or fluctuating environment, characteristic of a complex adaptive system (CAS), is not straightforward and usually requires a dynamic and preferentially robust solution. In this study, we explore the adaptive potential of simulated robots that contain a genomic encoding of a gene regulatory network (GRN). This hard-wired (static) genomic encoding is combined with an agent-based system, which transduces environmental cues into phenotypic behaviour. Using a simulation framework that mimics a dynamically changing environment, we demonstrate that the combination of a genomic encoding of the GRN and an agent based system has several advantages over more traditional approaches. Indeed, separating the static from the conditionally active part of the network allows changes to affect parts of the static network, generating diversity that might later prove beneficial in a different environment, while not affecting the part of the GRN that is currently active. Furthermore, beneficial network re-wiring in the static genome provides a memory imprint that allows faster re-adaptation to a situation encountered previously. Applying these evolutionary-based principles increases the potential to evolve and adapt in a non-stable environment.

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