Abstract
The purpose of the travel was present my work at the 1th International Plant Proteomics Organization World Congress (INPPO2014) held in at University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany, from Sunday, August 31st to Thursday, September 4th, 2014. The conference was attended by approximately 200 delegates across 37 different countries. INPPO2014 was hosted by the University of Hamburg. About 25% of the participants were students. Twelve young researchers, including me, were awarded with travel grants. Grantees came from Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, and South Africa. During the conference, I orally presented my research titled ‘Quantitative Label-free Shotgun Proteomic Analysis of a Red Grapevine Variety Exposed to Hot and Cold Temperature Stresses’. My oral presentation highlighted the proteomic changes seen in a red grapevine variety called Cabernet Sauvignon exposed to two heat and two cold stresses. Oral sessions were well patronized and I received helpful feedback and comments from the delegates who attended the conference. The conference provided very useful insights into my current research. My principal supervisor, Prof. Paul Haynes is one of the founding members of the INPPO and this was an added advantage of my attendance at the conference. Attending the conference gave me an opportunity to meet and discuss my work with several researchers from all over the world who work on plant proteomics, thus exposing my research project to an international forum.
Summary
The 1th International Plant Proteomics Organization World Congress (INPPO2014) was held at University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, Hamburg, Germany from Sunday evening, August 31st to Thursday, September 4th, 2014.
It had around 200 participants spanning American, European and Asian countries some of which were Australia, United States of America, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, China, Nepal, Malaysia, South Africa and India.
The goal of the INPPO2014 conference was to bring together leading experts in plant proteomics from all over the world and provide a critical mass in proteomics technologies and applications on all aspects of plant proteomics.
The opening talk was delivered by Dr. Sabine Luthje, Chair of the Organizing Committee INPPO2014, Biocenter Klein Flottbek, Hamburg, Germany followed by Dr. Dominque Job, Senior Scientist, Bayer Crop Science, France who is also one of the founding members of INPPO.
There was a public evening lecture by Prof. Pier Giorgio Righetti (Milano, Italy) on Sunday, August 31st, 2014.
The nine topics covered in the INPPO2014 conference included: Bioinformatics and Mass spectrometry; Systems Biology; Integrative Proteomics; Quantitative Proteomics; Post-translational Modification; Subcellular Proteomics; Gel-based Proteomics; Plant Growth Development and Interaction Environment.
For each of the topics, four or five speakers presented a 20 minute presentation on their research. The talks were highly dynamic, enlightening and informative.
Each research presentation concluded with a five minute time slot for questions and open discussion.
Two poster sessions were held. The first session displayed even number posters and was held on Monday, 1st September 2014 and it ended with wine and cheese. The second session displayed odd number posters and was held on Wednesday, 3rd September 2014. In total, 61 posters were presented at the 1st INPPO World Congress 2014.
Three social events were organized; welcome reception at the zoological institute (Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg), congress dinner on Wednesday evening (September 3rd, 2014) at Das Parlament and the farewell dinner at the historical tropical glass houses located in the old botanical garden inside Planten un Blomen.
The conference also had four breakout sessions of group discussions to facilitate discussion about mass spectrometry, plant proteomics and international organization initiatives, gel based methods and INPPO perspectives for the future.