The Biology of Plants : Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology LXXVII

Plants are integral to human wellbeing, and many species have been domesticated for over ten thousand years. Evidence of plant scientific investigation and classification can be found in ancient texts from cultures around the world (Chinese, Indian, Greco-Roman, Muslim etc.), while early modern botany can be traced to the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe. During the past several decades plant biology has been revolutionized first by molecular biology and then by the genomic era. The model organism Arabidopsis thaliana has proved an invaluable tool for investigation into fundamental processes in plant biology, many of which share commonalities with animal biology. Plant-specific processes from reproduction to immunity and second messengers have also yielded to extensive investigation. With the genomes of more than thirty plant species now available and many more planned in the near future, the impact on our understanding of plant evolution and biology continues to grow. Our increased ability to engineer plant species to a variety of ends may provide novel solutions to ensure adequate and reliable food production and renewable energy even as climate change impacts our environment. The decision to focus the 2012 Symposium on plant science reflects the enormous research progress achieved in recent years, and is intended to provide a broad synthesis of the current state of the field, setting the stage for future discoveries and application. This is the first Symposium in this historic series focused exclusively on the botanical sciences.
Plants are integral to human wellbeing, and many species have been domesticated for over ten thousand years. Evidence of plant scientific investigation and classification can be found in ancient texts from cultures around the world (Chinese, Indian, Greco-Roman, Muslim etc.), while early modern botany can be traced to the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe. During the past several decades plant biology has been revolutionized first by molecular biology and then by the genomic era. The model organism Arabidopsis thaliana has proved an invaluable tool for investigation into fundamental processes in plant biology, many of which share commonalities with animal biology. Plant-specific processes from reproduction to immunity and second messengers have also yielded to extensive investigation. With the genomes of more than thirty plant species now available and many more planned in the near future, the impact on our understanding of plant evolution and biology continues to grow. Our increased ability to engineer plant species to a variety of ends may provide novel solutions to ensure adequate and reliable food production and renewable energy even as climate change impacts our environment. The decision to focus the 2012 Symposium on plant science reflects the enormous research progress achieved in recent years, and is intended to provide a broad synthesis of the current state of the field, setting the stage for future discoveries and application. This is the first Symposium in this historic series focused exclusively on the botanical sciences.

Charlotte y Peter Fiell son dos autoridades en historia, teoría y crítica del diseño y han escrito más de sesenta libros sobre la materia, muchos de los cuales se han convertido en éxitos de ventas. También han impartido conferencias y cursos como profesores invitados, han comisariado exposiciones y asesorado a fabricantes, museos, salas de subastas y grandes coleccionistas privados de todo el mundo. Los Fiell han escrito numerosos libros para TASCHEN, entre los que se incluyen 1000 Chairs, Diseño del siglo XX, El diseño industrial de la A a la Z, Scandinavian Design y Diseño del siglo XXI.