Program, Schedule, & Abstract Book

Program and Abstract Book: Download here
Program mini-booklet: Download here  (A printed program mini-booklet will be included in your registration package). 
Sat July 6th
3:00-5:00 pm Registration – RISD Auditorium
Sunday July 7th
8:00-9:00 am Registration – RISD Auditorium Lobby
9:00-9:25 am Welcome/Opening RISD Auditorium Room 132
Session 1: Flowering and Floral Development (9:25 am – 12:00 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Anna Edlund, Bethany College
9:25-9:50 am Invited 1.1 Hong Ma, Pennsylvania State University. Identification of GRP20 as a novel floral splicing regulator and analyses of its molecular mechanisms.
9:50-10:15 am Invited 1.2 Daniel Jones, Auburn University. Head Start: capitulum development and the evolution of novel forms in the sunflower family.
10:15-10:30 am Abstract 1.1 Maria Helena Goldman, University of São Paulo. A novel RNA helicase regulates plant growth and flower development.
10:30-11:00 am Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
11:00-11:15 am Abstract 1.2 Hiroshi Takagi (postdoc), Nagoya University. FLP1 expressed in FT-producing companion cells coordinates flowering and stem growth of Arabidopsis.
11:15-11:30 am Abstract 1.3 Amber Deneve (student), University of Massachusetts Amherst. RA3 has a conserved floral organ repression role in Panicoid grass flowers.
11:30-11:45 am Abstract 1.4 Reid Selby (student), Auburn University. Novel dynamics in CLAVATA signaling underlie Asteraceae capitulum development.
11:45 am-12:00 pm Abstract 1.5 Tzahi Arazi, ARO Volcani Center. MADS gatekeepers: An ovule protein complex ensures fertilization-dependent fruit set in tomato.
Congress Lunch (12:00 – 1:30 pm) Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
Meet a mentor / First-time participant lunch (Preregistered participants, 12:00 – 1:30 pm) Moore Terrace
Session 2: Sporogenesis, Meiosis and Apomixis (1:30 – 4:30 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Joann Conner, Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics, University of Georgia
1:30-1:55 pm Invited 2.1 Raphael Mercier, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research. The regulation of the number and distribution of meiotic crossovers.
1:55-2:20 pm Invited 2.2 Imtiyaz Khanday, University of California Davis. Understanding Plant Zygote Development and its Translation into Clonal Seed Formation.
2:20-2:35 pm Abstract 2.1 Alex Cavalleri  (postdoc), University of Milan. Unveil the molecular mechanisms regulating apomixis in dandelion.
2:35-2:50 pm Abstract 2.2 Hasibe Tuncay (student), University of Hamburg. DREAMing Meiosis: Transcriptional Control of Male Meiosis by DREAM-complex in Arabidopsis thaliana.
2:50-3:05 pm Abstract 2.3 Matthew Tucker, University of Adelaide. MADS31 supports female germline development by repressing the post-fertilization program in cereal ovules.
3:05-3:35 pm Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
3:35-4:00 pm Invited 2.3 Lucia Colombo, Università degli Studi di Milano. New insights into the regulatory pathways controlling megasporogenesis.
4:00-4:15 pm Abstract 2.4 Kasidit Rattanawong (postdoc), Tokyo Metropolitan University. Autonomous development and regeneration of isolated rice egg cells in a fertilization-independent manner.
4:15-4:30 pm Abstract 2.5 CJ Rachel Wang, Academia Sinica. Super-resolution expansion microscopy (ExM) reveals meiotic recombination intermediates in maize.
4:30-4:55 pm Session 1 – Invited 1.3 Madelaine Bartlett, University of Massachusetts Amherst . Floral development sculpting floral fertility and crop yield in the grasses.
Welcome Reception  (5:00 – 7:00 pm) and Poster setup – 20 Washington Place 1st Floor Gathering Space
Monday July 8th
Session 3: Gametophyte Development and Poster Flash Talks (9:00 am – 12:00 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Anna Dobritsa, Ohio State University
9:00-9:25 am Invited 3.1 Daisuke Maruyama, Yokohama City University​. An important lover goes to DEAD-End: a cell fusion changes the destination of second sperm cell pair and avoids polyspermy.
9:25-9:50 am Invited 3.2 Brad Nelms, University of Georgia. The haploid generation comes of age: Timing and mechanisms of genome activation in angiosperm pollen.
9:50-10:05 am Abstract 3.1 Vinod Kumar (student), Institute of Experimental Botany CAS. Fundamental regulation of translation by eIF3e in the gametophyte.
10:05-10:20 am Abstract 3.2 Stefan Scholten, Georg August University of Göttingen. RNA on the move: Vesicles shuttle small RNAs in Zea mays pollen.
10:20-10:50 am Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
10:50-11:05 am Abstract 3.3 Heven Sze, University of Maryland. Is stress an integral part of pollen development and function?
11:05-11:20 am Abstract 3.4 Shohei Yamaoka, Kyoto University. BONOBO–LRL/DROP heterodimer regulates germ cell differentiation in the gametophytes of land plants.
11:20-11:35 am Abstract 3.5 Yuan Zhou (postdoc), Ohio State University. Investigating the roles of three members of the ELMOD protein family involved in formation of distinct aperture domains on the Arabidopsis pollen surface.
11:35-12:00 pm Flash Talks for Poster Sessions (early career researchers) Chair: Daphne Goring, University of Toronto

  • P34 Yu-Jin Kim (assistant professor), Pusan National University. OsRALF17/19 Activates ROS Signaling Through OsMTD2 to Modulate Pollen Tube Growth in Oryza sativa.
  • P38 Ludi Wang (research associate), Aberystwyth University. Self-incompatibility induces ROS production and dysfunction in mitochondria.
  • P43 Hanne Claessen (postdoctoral researcher), KU Leuven. Characterization of the genetic diversity of S-RNase alleles in Pyrus.
  • P70 Saravanakumar Somasundaram (PhD student), IPK  Gatersleben. Gametophytic degradation of CENH3: A synthetic biology approach to induce haploid plants.
  • P75 Caroline Martin (PhD student), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mapping peptide signaling in the developing seed with single-nucleus RNA-seq.
  • P76 Karina Orozco-Natividad (PhD student), Langebio-CINVESTAV. Maternal and paternal requirements for VIM genes in early Arabidopsis seed development.
  • P86 Chong Teng (assistant project scientist), University of California, Davis. Tasselyzer, a machine learning method to quantify maize anther exertion, based on PlantCV.
  • P89 Saurabh Suresh Joshi (postdoctoral researcher), University of Bremen. Science to soil: Three-parent plant breeding technology for plants of the future.

Congress Lunch (12:00 – 1:30 pm) Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)

Bayer Career Exploration Lunch (Preregistered participants,12:00 – 1:30 pm) Moore Terrace

Predominantly Undergraduate Institution Lunch (Preregistered participants,12:00 – 1:30 pm) Moore Terrace

IASPRR Board Meeting (Board members only, 12:00 – 1:30 pm) 20 Washington Place, Conference Room, 402
Session 4: Pollen-pistil Interactions and Pollen Tube Growth (1:30 – 4:30 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
1:30-1:55 pm Invited 4.1 Li-Jia Qu, Peking University. RALF/CrRLK1L-mediated signaling controls intergeneric barrier at the stigma in Arabidopsis.
1:55-2:20 pm Invited 4.2 Alice Cheung, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Pollen-pistil interaction: the long and winding road to fertilization.
2:20-2:35 pm Abstract 4.1 Sílvia Coimbra, University of Porto. AGP-Ca2+ binding is essential for pollen development and pollen tube growth.
2:35-2:50 pm Abstract 4.2 Grace Burgin (student), Harvard University. The genetic basis of a novel self-recognition system in Phlox drummondii (Polemoniaceae).
2:50-3:20 pm Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
3:20-3:45 pm Invited 4.3 Anja Geitmann, McGill University. Growing fast and forceful – how the pollen tube finds its way.
3:45-4:00 pm Abstract 4.3 Chloé Manzanares (postdoc), ETH Zürich. Gametophytic self-incompatibility in grasses: understanding a unique mechanism of pollen-pistil interaction.
4:00-4:15 pm Abstract 4.4 Stephen Bordeleau (student), University of Toronto. Investigating the LRR-Mal receptor-like kinase, RKF1, and its interactors in Arabidopsis thaliana.
4:15-4:30 pm Abstract 4.5 Hidenori Takeuchi, Nagoya University. Angiosperm-innovated receptor modules orchestrate robust and conspecific pollen tube guidance.
Poster Session – Odd numbers (4:30 pm – 6:30 pm)  20 Washington Place 1st Floor Gathering Space
Tuesday July 9th
Session 5: Gametophyte Interactions & Fertilization (9:00 am – 12:00 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Ueli Grossniklaus, University of Zurich
9:00-9:25 am Invited 5.1 Tetsuya Higashiyama, University of Tokyo. Molecular mechanisms of pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis and Torenia.
9:25-9:50 am Invited 5.2 Hongju Li, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The molecular regulation and evolution of plant fertilization.
9:50-10:05 am Abstract 5.1 Liping Liu (student), University of Regensburg. Characterization of a zinc finger protein in stress granule dynamics within Arabidopsis egg cell.
10:05-10:20 am Abstract 5.2 Naoya Sugi (postdoc), Yokohama City University. Analysis of sperm-cell-surrounding membrane breakdown upon pollen tube discharge in Arabidopsis.
10:20-10:50 am Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
10:50-11:15 am Invited 5.3 Sharon Kessler, Purdue University. Turning up the volume on intercellular communication in plant reproduction.
11:15-11:30 pm Abstract 5.3 Daniela Richaud Hiza (student), University of Queensland. Characterization of Defensin-Like peptides (DEFL) family members involved in cowpea reproduction.
11:30-11:45 pm Abstract 5.4 Sophie Tiedemann (student), University of Regensburg. Evolution and function of EGG CELL1 and related secreted small cysteine-rich proteins.
11:45 am-12:00 pm Abstract 5.5 Leonor Boavida, Purdue University. Tetraspanin-enriched Microdomains as Membrane Signaling Hubs for Fertilization Factors.
Congress Lunch (12:00 – 1:30 pm) Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lunch (Preregistered participants,12:00 – 1:30 pm) Moore Terrace
Session 6:  Post fertilization; Embryo and Endosperm Development (1:30 – 4:30 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Petr Smýkal, Palacký University Olomouc
1:30-1:55 pm Invited 6.1 Mary Gehring, Whitehead Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Genetic conflicts and endosperm biology.
1:55-2:20 pm Invited 6.2 Minako Ueda, Tohoku University. Live-cell imaging and quantitative modeling of the body axis formation during Arabidopsis embryogenesis.
2:20-2:35 pm Abstract 6.1 William Bezodis (student), John Innes Centre. Evidence for transgenerational control of seed physiology during development by ABA and nitrate.
2:35-2:50 pm Abstract 6.2 Paul Grini, University of Oslo. Spatial regulation of genomic imprinting and manipulation of Arabidopsis endosperm barriers.
2:50-3:20 pm Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
3:20-3:45 pm Invited 6.3 Sara Simonini, University of Zurich. When parents don’t agree: parental regulation of cell division during reproduction.
3:45-4:00 pm Abstract 6.3 Stewart Gillmor, CINVESTAV. Epigenetic marks correlated with differential zygotic activation of parental genomes in plant embryogenesis.
4:00-4:15 pm Abstract 6.4 Vijyesh Sharma (student), University of Kentucky. F-actin influences the turgor pressure in the coenocytic endosperm and determines the final seed size in Arabidopsis thaliana.
4:15-4:30 pm Abstract 6.5 Petra Šarhanová, Masaryk University. More sperms, less troubles: parental conflict in the endosperm of apomicts.
Poster Session – Even numbers (4:30 – 6:30 pm) 20 Washington Place 1st Floor Gathering Space
Wednesday July 10th
Session 7: Ecology and Evolution of Plant Reproduction (9:00 am – 12:00 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Huachun Larue, Bayer Crop Science
9:00-9:25 am Invited 7.1 Annette Becker, Justus-Liebig-University. On the molecular evolution of carpels – where are we now?
9:25-9:50 am Invited 7.2 Hongzhi Kong, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The making of elaborate Nigella petals.
9:50-10:05 am Abstract 7.1 Henry Arenas-Castro (postdoc), Yale University. Gametic interactions in plants: Post-pollination prezygotic reproductive barriers are ubiquitous.
10:05-10:20 am Abstract 7.2 Duarte Figueiredo, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. Evolutionary conservation of seed initiation mechanisms in the angiosperms.
10:20-10:50 am Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
10:50-11:15 am Invited 7.3 Robin Hopkins, Harvard University. Simple genetic basis of mate choice: Genetics of speciation through flower color evolution in Phlox.
11:15-11:30 am Abstract 7.3 Linhan Sun (postdoc), Pennsylvania State University. Function and evolution of S-Locus F-box protein-containing SCF complexes in S-RNase-based self‑incompatibility.
11:30-11:45 am Abstract 7.4 Jennifer Blake-Mahmud, Hope College. Sex-based physiological differences in a native sex-changing tree species.
11:45 am-12:00 pm Abstract 7.5 Daniela Barro Trastoy (postdoc), Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. Unravelling the Molecular Basis of Endosperm Evolution.
Congress Lunch (12:00 – 1:30 pm) Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
Session 8: Plant reproduction in a changing climate (1:30 – 4:30 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Chair: Danny Geelen, Ghent University
1:30-1:55 pm Invited 8.1 Gloria Muday, Wake Forest University. Flavonols improve thermotolerance in tomato pollen by maintaining ROS homeostasis.
1:55-2:20 pm Invited 8.2 Kevin Begcy, University of Florida. Developmental responses to high temperatures during maize gametogenesis.
2:20-2:35 pm Abstract 8.1 Wen Gong (postdoc), University of Regensburg. Heat stress induced reactive oxygen species in maize silks are correlated with pollen tube growth arrest and sterility.
2:35-2:50 pm Abstract 8.2 Arp Schnittger, University of Hamburg. Meiosis under heat.
2:50-3:20 pm Coffee break Market Square (Outside of the RISD Auditorium)
3:20-3:45 pm Invited 8.3 Gad Miller, Bar Ilan University. Understanding Thermotolerance and Dormancy in Pollen through Flow Cytometry-Based Analysis of ROS Metabolism.
3:45-4:00 pm Abstract 8.3 Rasha Althiab Almasaud (postdoc), Brown University. Heat stress overrides a RALF-mediated pollen germination block in tomato.
4:00-4:15 pm Abstract 8.4 Reina Komiya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Photoperiod-Dependent Regulation of Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in Rice.
4:15-4:30 pm Abstract 8.5 Steven Penfield, John Innes Centre. LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN 1 reveals transgenerational temperature signalling via maternal nitrate utilisation.
IASPRR General Assembly with Awards (4:30 – 6:00 pm) RISD Auditorium Room 132
Congress Dinner and Closing (6:30 pm –  ) Brown University, Alumnae Hall – 194 Meeting St.