On September 29, the 8th Hubei Plant BiologyConference was held at the Academic Exchange Center of our university. Theconference was co-sponsored by the National Plant Genetics Research Center(Wuhan) and the Hubei Society of Genetics and presented by the Key Laboratoryof Protection and Utilization of Characteristic Germplasm Resources of WulingMountainous Region in Hubei Province. More than 260 experts and scholars fromWuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, WuhanBotanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences and other universities andscientific research institute attended the conference. The meeting was presidedover by Professor Tan Rui, Dean of the Chinese academy of sciences.

Vice-president Du Dongyun made an openingspeech. He introduced the development of Biology in our university and hopedthat the experts and scholars at the conference would provide more support forthe construction and development of Biology in our school. Zhang Qifa,Academician of Huazhong Agricultural University, reviewed the history of theHubei Plant Biology Conference and the International Conference on RiceFunctional Genomics, and affirmed the important role of plant science researchin Hubei in the world.

The following theme colloquium will behosted by Professor He Guangzhong of Huazhong University of Science andTechnology and Professor Wu Changyin of Huazhong Agricultural University.Professor Xiong Lizhong of Huazhong Agricultural University, Professor Li Lijiaof Wuhan University, Professor Yu Guanghui of South-Central University forNationalities, Professor Li Shaoqing of Wuhan University, Associate ProfessorZou Huazhong of Huazhong Agricultural University, Professor Xu Feng of Yangtze University,and other experts and scholars on rice drought stress research, epidemiology ofplant PCD, Metabolism studies of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, molecularmechanisms of rice plant types, subgenomic genetic variation in rapepopulations, and functional analysis of transcription factors in the ginkgoflavonoid synthesis pathway were reported successively. That afternoon's reportwill be presided over by Professor Zhang Chi of Hubei University forNationalities and Professor Li Shaoqing of Wuhan University. Professor FuChunhua from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Associate ProfessorZhang Peng of my school and Professor Dai Xigang from Jianghan Universityreports on the mechanisms of taxane synthesis mediated by the TcWRKY47transcription factor of taxol , the screening and application of endophyticbacteria in medicinal plants, the identification of the germplasm resources ofred chive, and the selection of varieties. At the meeting, the participatingexperts and scholars exchanged views and clarified their ideas and achieved theintended purpose of the seminar.

It is reported that the conference receiveda total of 113 papers in both Chinese and English, involving the research areasof plant stress, plant basic metabolism, and rice yield. The conferencepresented the latest achievements of plant biology research of Hubei universityand institute of science and research, which enhanced the exchange andcooperation between researchers, and provided strong support for the innovationand development of plant biology in Hubei province and the application of plantresearch results in agricultural production practice.