SEB Bulletin October 2007
14th International Congress of Photosynthesis Glasgow 22-27 July 2007
The 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis proved to be a happy and successful occasion for the 800 or so participants who congregated at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow in July. The organisation of PS07 marked the first collaborative venture between the International Society for Photosynthesis Research (ISPR) and the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) and was supported by a wide range of organisations including the BBSRC (UK). This congenial gathering of international leaders, researchers and students provided a forum for exceptional and dynamic plenary lectures as well as the large number of individual sessions spanning a comprehensive range of topics that fall under the umbrella of current photosynthesis research. The sessions were lively, interactive and energetic, addressing recent developments, changes and advances in current concepts, providing a dynamic forum for exchange of information and research from all areas. The conference had a large number of student delegates, for many of whom this was the first experience of an International forum of scientific exchange. The vibrant city of Glasgow provided an excellent backdrop for the exceptional scientific and education programme, with sessions covering topics that ranged from molecular structures and artificial photosynthesis to improving stress tolerance and applications in food and bio-energy crop production. With its perfect combination of advanced technical facilities and professional service experience across a broad spectrum of events, the SECC lived up to expectations as one of the World's finest conference venues, with a very good range of lecture halls and ample space for informal discussions, posters and stands for exhibitors. In addition to the excellent science, PS07 was an occasion for meeting old friends and making new ones. The abstracts for all the oral and poster presentations at PS07 are published in Photosynthesis Research, volume 91. The Congress Proceedings Volume received 350 submissions and there are a number of Journal Special Issues arising from the meeting including one in the Journal of Experimental Botany.
Christine Foyer
Chair, Organising committee
On behalf of the International Society of Photosynthesis Research (ISPR), I heartily thank Prof. Christine Foyer and her outstanding team of associates for organizing the14th International Congress on Photosynthesis, held on July 22-27, 2007, in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, UK. We had a successful and enjoyable time since the organizers had produced one of the best programs in the history of our congresses, with a clear vision for the future of the Society of Photosynthesis Research in our changing world. We went home not only with new ideas for solving problems in photosynthesis research that may ultimately contribute to meeting the needs of our increasing population for energy and food, but also with fond memories of new friendships made during the successful social events of the congress. I thank the Society of Experimental Biology (SEB) for conducting this Congress on behalf of the ISPR.
Left to Right: Robert Blankenship (Past President, ISPR; Chair Selection Committee for the Awards); Eva-Mari Aro (President, ISPR); Jan Anderson (The Lifetime Achievement Award); Warwick Hillier (The Robert Hill Award); Govindjee (The Communication Award); Junko Yano (The Robert Hill Award); Julian Hibberd (The Melvin Calvin Award); Ulrich Schreiber (The Innovation Award)
Eva-Mari Aro
ISPR President (outgoing)
Photosynthesis research has a long and distinguished record which is not unexpected given the importance of the subject. Photosynthesis catalyses the conversion of sunlight into chemical energy, a process which supports essentially all life on our planet and is the origin of the fossil fuel reserves. Our understanding of the various reactions of photosynthesis is now at the molecular level and can be exploited, not only for improving food production, but for investigating new ways of generating renewable energy. The threat of global climate change, due to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels, coupled with the need to sustain long term energy supplies, places photosynthesis research at the top of the agenda. The challenges are to efficiently exploit biomass and biofuel production at levels far exceeding those at present while at the same time using the 'blue print' of the photosynthetic reactions to design new generations of photovoltaic, photo-electrochemical and photochemical systems. The excitement of these challenges was evident at the 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis Research held in Glasgow this July. An opening plenary lecture by Daniel Nocera, Professor of Energy at MIT, set the scene. This was followed by a large number of contributions related directly or indirectly to the energy problem or to the consequences of not finding successful alternatives to the present, and almost uncontrollable, use of fossil fuels. During the Congress there was an open public debate on the importance of photosynthesis research in addressing the development of new technologies and the topic was also covered by radio and press. The next international congress on this subject will be held in China in 2010 and I have no doubt that by that time photosynthesis research will have contributed further knowledge for developing new and exciting technologies to exploit solar energy and in so doing, contribute to the endeavours of the developed world to reduce its carbon emissions while at the same time maintaining global stability.
James Barber, FRS
President of ISPR (from July 2007).
Hill award (sponsored by Springer): for studies of Mn complex of PSII.
Shared by:
Warwick Hillier Photobioenergetics Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra. Junko Yano Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.
Calvin award (Sponsored by Springer): for novel approaches to the evolution of C4 photosynthesis.
Julian Hibberd Plant Sciences Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
Lifetime achievement award
(Life membership of ISPR):
Jan Anderson, Emeritus Professor, Photobioenergetics Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra.
Communication award
(Life membership of ISPR):
Govindjee, Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry, Biophysics & Plant Biology, Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana.
Poster Prizes
Agrisera Awards:
Hideyuki Adachi et al.
(Okayama University)
PS4.40 Purification and crystalization of PSII complexes from a red alaga (Cyanadinium).
Andrea Bräutigam et al. (Universität Düsseldorf-Michigan State University)
PS10.22 Comparative proteomics of C3 and C4 mesophyll chloroplast envelopes and characterization of a novel transport protein, Mep 1.
Walz Award:
Hardy Schön et al. (Universität Münster)
PS25.95 The role of light and photosynthesis during pathogen defence in tobacco leaves.
Gatsby Awardees
Sugit Puthiyaveetil (Queen Mary College, London)
Sophie Janecek (Cambridge University)
Richard Webster (University of Esssex)
Elizabett Carmo Sivo (Rothamsted Research)
Tatas Brotosudarmo (Glasgow University)
Irene Ng (Sheffield University)
John Timney (Sheffield University)
Dan Canniffe (Sheffield University)
Poster Book Prizes
Book Prizes donated by Govindjee for best Posters were to :
1) Dimitri Shevela et al. (Max_Planck Institut at Muelheim): PS4.61 "Hydrogencarbonate binding to Photosystem II" [Donated book: "Photosystem I", edited by John Golbeck, Volume 24, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration (Series Ed, Govindjee).
2) Ben Long et al. (Australian National University): PS 9.14 "A Structural role for CcmM in beta-carboxysome shell formation" [Donated book: "Chlorophylls...", edited by B. Grimm et al., Volume 25, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration (Series Ed, Govindjee).
3) Hiroyuki Ishida et al. (Tohoku University ): PS 19.8 "Visualisation of Rubisco-containing bodies derived from chloroplasts in living cells of Arabidopsis" [Donated book: "Photoinhibition and Photoprotection, etc ", edited by Barbara Demmig-Adams et al. , Volume 21, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration (Series Ed, Govindjee)].
4) Georgia Zahariou et al. (Institute of Materials Science NCSR Athens): PS4.56 "Temperature Dependence of the intermediate states of Photosystem II" [Donated book: "Discoveries in photosynthesis ", edited by Govindjee et al., Volume 20, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration (Series Ed, Govindjee)].
Chair: Professor James Barber FRS (Imperial College London)
Co-chair: Professor Thomas Moore (University of Arizona, Tempe)
Symposium on Artifical Photosynthesis
The molecular processes of photosynthesis are being revealed in great detail and providing a blue print for developing new technologies to capture and use solar energy. This symposium focused on advances being made in mimicking the natural system with particular emphasis on the water splitting reaction of photosystem II (PSII). Much effort at present is directed at constructing multielectron charge transfer systems as a prerequisite for the production of molecular hydrogen and oxygen. In PSII, Mn ions are used to accumulate charge and presentations by Magnusson (Uppsala) and Herrero (CEA, Saclay) suggested that this tactic could be successfully used in an artificial water splitting system. Moser (Philadelphia) and Conlan (Canberra) emphasized the importance of having a protein-like environment as the scaffold for constructing the appropriate arrangement of the redox-active centres. The four presentations were followed by an enthusiastic and optimistic discussion within the spirit of “If the leaf can do it we can do it”!.
Professor James Barber FRS
Imperial College
Membrane Dynamics and Organisation
Session chair (Conrad Mullineaux) gave a brief introduction to the topic, followed by four excellent talks, each of which reflected a major development in the area since the Montreal congress of 2004. Ziv Reich (Weizmann Institute) discussed the use of cryo-electron tomography to probe the 3D architecture of green plant thylakoid membranes, with some exciting new information on changes in membrane architecture induced by light. Helmut Kirchhoff (Muenster) spoke on the use of Fluorescence Recovery after Photo-bleaching and atomic force microscopy to probe the organisation and dynamics of grana membranes, and the influence of macromolecular crowding on protein diffusion and membrane function. Shigeichi Kumazaki (Kyoto) spoke on the use of a line-scanning fluorescence spectromicroscope to probe the distribution of pigment-protein complexes at high resolution in cyanobacterial cells. Paula Braun (Muenchen) discussed a specific lipid interaction with the LH2 light-harvesting complex of purple photosynthetic bacteria. The Discussion session included two short invited contributions: Raoul Frese (Leiden) presented his dynamic simulation illustrating how self-organisation in the chromatophore membranes of purple bacteria could ensue simply from size differences among the complexes present. Gyozo Garab (Szeged) presented his results on grana structure from thin-section electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, leading to a structural model somewhat different from that of Prof Reich. A lively general discussion followed, with most debate centred on the structure and function of grana in the thylakoid membranes of higher plants.
Conrad Mullineaux
Queen Mary College, London
Water Oxidising Enzyme
Session Chairs: Bill Rutherford (Saclay) and Rick Debus (UC Riverside)
Invited discussion leader Gary Brudivg (Yale)
Sponsored by Bruker.
All four speakers in this session were young and dynamic. The same could not be said for the session chairs who, while sometimes dynamic, are no longer “les poulets de printemps” (as the French don't say). The whole session reflected a buzz of excitement in the subject: there was the feeling that things are advancing in what remains one of the greatest challenges in the field: to understand the mechanism of water oxidation. After the wonderfully lucid plenary lecture on the same subject from Rick Debus earlier, Junko Yano (UC Berkeley), Victor Batista (Yale), James Murray (IC London) and Johannes Messinger (MPI Mulheim) talked on some of the hottest areas, reporting their findings and models from a range of physico-chemical methods (X-ray absorption, molecular (QM/MM) calculations, X-ray crystallography, magnetic resonance etc). Each talk triggered debate that had to be curtailed for time reasons, while the formal discussion session ran on for nearly double its allotted time and ended only to allow the sound technicians to go for lunch. The discussions included important contributions from Felix Ho (Uppsala) adding to the picture of channels for water, protons and O2, as presented in the talks of Batista and Murray. There was of course much debate about the exact geometry of the Mn4Ca cluster with contributions from Barber (I.C. London) and Dau (T.U.Berlin), adding to (but mainly disagreeing with) the models presented in the talks. It seems that the models are still somewhat ambiguous but it is clear that they are coming together and the scope for error is diminishing. Chemical mechanism and substrate binding were also addressed by Kusunoki (Meiji U.), W. Hillier (Canberra) and Mino (Nagoya) among others and new data (re-) implicating Cl- in O2 evolution was presented by Boussac (Saclay). Many others made contributions and a fun time was had. For this most important of enzymes, plenty of fundamental aspects have yet to be understood and it seems likely that many surprises have yet to be discovered. But things are moving rapidly so stay tuned.
Bill Rutherford
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, France
Metabolite transport and intracellular interactions session
Organisers: Graham Noctor (Paris) and Andreas Weber (Köln)
A key theme of the session was that photosynthesis is a whole cell process. This was emphasized in a short introduction by Graham Noctor with particular attention paid to the importance of mitochondria in the optimization of photosynthesis. In the first talk, Per Gardeström (Umea, Sweden) summarized insights from recent work on various mitochondrial transformants and mutants, and presented data highlighting the importance of the glycine decarboxylase reaction in influencing cellular redox states. The next speaker, Friederike Hörmann (Carnegie Institute, USA), described the development of in vivo sugar sensors able to provide compartment-specific information on metabolite pools, with particular emphasis on measurement of cytosolic glucose concentrations. Agepati Raghavendra (Hyderabad, India) underlined the importance of the chloroplast-mitochondria interaction in photosynthesis. He also showed that leaf ascorbate levels can influence this interaction, and described how CO2 released in the mitochondria during photorespiration may be important in sustaining Rubisco carboxylation under some conditions. The final speaker, Cornelia Wiklund (Linköpig, Sweden), presented recent work on the characterization of thylakoid nucleotide and solute transporters, and outlined potentially important roles in stress responses. In the concluding discussion, led by Andreas Weber, a number of issues were debated, including transporter specificity and function, redox cycling between different compartments, and the need for improved spatial resolution in the analysis of metabolite contents.
Graham Noctor (Paris)
Women in Science Dinner - Excitation and relaxation during a career in electron transfer
Researchers attending Photosynthesis 2007 joined together by the banks of the Clyde for the Women in Science Dinner which was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. It was rewarding to see both women and men from different career stages joining in enthusiastic discussions over dinner to exchange experiences of our lives in research. After the meal the guest speaker, Alison Telfer from Imperial College (London), told us how her current interests in the structure and function of PSII reaction centres developed from work she began at Kings College (London) on photosynthetic electron acceptors. Alison described herself as a perennial post-doc, explaining further that her career wasn't structured in the traditional way of thinking, but has relied on her ability to “stick at it” through a succession of short term contracts which have enabled her to carve a career as a highly respected researcher. She acknowledged that she has been fortunate because a supportive Head of Department made it possible for her to retain focus and continue working while dealing with the conflicting demands of work and family. Many of us are all too aware of the uncertainties associated with obtaining continued funding, and obviously not every Head of Department has the flexibility of funds to support staff in this way even if the will is there. Although it is difficult to work on short term funding for a prolonged period, this system did work for Alison and enabled her to develop and maintain a good publication record.
The discussions that followed clearly demonstrated that for anyone aiming for a career in science, maintaining a continuum in your work is the critical factor to being successful. This suggests that together with packages to entice qualified researchers back to work after a career break, funding agencies should seriously consider sponsoring part-time work as a component of their funding portfolio. Finally, thanks to Alison, not just for a stimulating talk but also for the enticing final images showing her achieving her ambition of performing photosynthesis research amid swaying palm trees and glistening clear blue seas, so reminding us to hold on to our goals because you never know what could be possible in the future.
Susanne von Caemmer (Australian National University), Jon Nield (Queen Mary College, London), Christine Raines (University of Essex), Jim Barber, Alison Telfer (Imperial College, London), Christine Foyer (Newcastle University), Alison Kingston-Smith (IGER, Aberystwyth)
Alison Kingston-Smith
IGER, Aberystwyth
Education Programme, 25 July 2007 Organised by Sarah Blackford, Christine Foyer and Govindjee. Chair: Don Ort
Sponsored by the Society for Experimental Biology, the American Society of Plant Biologists, Annals of Botany, New Phytologist and the Journal of Experimental Botany, the Education session ran for a lively two hours on the Wednesday morning of the Congress. With a turn out of over 150 delegates the Education session proved highly popular with some interesting questions and discussion.
Bob Blankenship (Washington University, St. Louis) was the first speaker and set the scene with his talk on the importance of considering evolution when teaching any biological subject, including photosynthesis: Here is an excerpt from the congress proceedings (Blankenship et al, 2007): “The teaching of evolution has historically been and continues to be a very emotionally charged and political topic, especially in the USA, where a third of people responding to a 2005 survey indicated that evolution is 'absolutely false' (Miller et al. 2006). Intelligent Design (ID) has been promoted as an alternative to the standard scientific explanation for the diversity of life. ID grew out of the older creationist movement that adopts a literal reading of the Bible, but has been updated to embrace some scientific findings. Creationists have made claims about aspects of the world that make them appear unscientific such as that the Earth is only a few thousand years old and that humans coexisted with dinosaurs. In contrast, ID has the patina of a scientific endeavour, accepting the age of the Earth and even that “microevolution” has taken place. However, ID proposes that certain biological structures or processes are “irreducibly complex” in that they are too complex to have evolved by the natural selection mechanism that underlies the scientific description of evolution.
Photosynthesis is an extremely complex biological process that has been studied extensively by a multitude of scientific disciplines. Its evolutionary origins and trajectory are still not well understood. Many aspects of photosynthesis that have been studied in detail show elegance and symmetry. Photosynthesis is thus a natural candidate to be included in some ID writings as an example of an irreducibly complex system on the one hand, and as part of the master plan on the other. Here we address why photosynthesis should not be considered as an irreducibly complex system or one that requires a master plan. While we certainly do not understand all the details of the extraordinary evolutionary history of the process of photosynthesis, there is nothing that suggests that it is beyond the reach of human understanding”.
Hilary Evans (Liverpool John Moores) took on subject of Bioenergetics asking the question “Have we forgotten how and why to teach it ?”.
“Bioenergetics makes the world go round! The transduction of energy by biological systems is core to the existence of the Biosphere, and therefore core to all teaching of any Bioscience. The fundamental principles of electron transfer are universal so how is it that DNA is seen as exciting but Bioenergetics is not? The challenge in teaching Bioenergetics is to contextualise the content for the student class, whether medical students, ecologists or biochemists. The popular scientific press carries many stories which can aid in understanding and maintaining interest in Bioenergetics in student groups. Medical students can be taught by first discussing mitochondrial genetic disorders or DNA replication problems in aging, for example. Articles such as one I saw in the Times called 'How surge in plankton may be the saviour of mankind' can set the scene and grab the interest of particular cohorts of students which will provide meaning and importance of the need to underpin their field of interest with a knowledge of bioenergetics”.
The session was completed by entertaining and colourful recollections from two of the conference's 'statesmen', Govindjee ( University of Illinois, Urbana) and David Walker (Sheffield University, UK):
Govindjee: We don't need to be reminded of the importance of audio-visual tools for communicating scientific principles to the students. Govindjee summarized some of the methods he has used during his 40 years of teaching B.Sc. to Ph.D. level students. He has found that students learn some of the photosynthesis concepts faster and with ease when they are encouraged to imagine themselves (a) as molecules participating in exciton transfer from antenna to reaction center molecules, and in electron/ proton transfers from water to CO2, or (b) as scientists of the past describing their own results. In his experience, the inclusion of analogies, photographs and personal aspects of the discoverers fascinates students while they absorb the scientific concepts. In addition, Govindjee showed simple and imagination-rich movie clips such as those showing, what he calls the striptease of water-oxidizing Photosystem II, exciton transfer, and rotating ATP Synthase; these, he said, imprint the dynamic nature of the processes in the minds of the students.
Among unique points, Govindjee emphasized, were (a) the process of photosynthesis on a time scale, from femtoseconds to a season (we specifically note that both photosystems I and II must begin their reactions almost simultaneously, not as electrons starting in Photosystem II and then going to Photosystem I) ; and (b) the concept of fates of excited states, as well as of downhill and uphill energy processes (see his photograph going up a ladder to throw balls of 3 different colours, representing the fates of the excited molecule as losing heat and as light (fluorescence) and its utilization to produce food. Finally, a great resource for teaching 'photosynthesis' at all levels was demonstrated from his web site http://www.life.uiuc
.edu/govindjee/photoweb : L. Orr and Govindjee (2007): Photosynthesis and the Web: 2008.
Govindjee showed us how he teaches the “Z-Scheme” in “Photosynthesis” by having students take part as specific molecules, and balloons of different colour and sizes as electrons and protons. Workshop in Finland; featuring special students: Past President of the ISPR, International Society of Photosynthesis Research, Eva-Mari Aro acted as the reaction center P680 molecule, and Itzhak Ohad, of Israel, as the primary electron acceptor Pheophytin, both of Photosystem II.
David Walker completed the session highlighting his digital book, 'A New Leaf in Time', which is about photosynthesis and how green creatures have shaped the world: “It is aimed at readers of all ages who enjoy simplicity of presentation. As such it can be regarded as an exercise in 'vulgarisation' not, it is to be hoped, in the sense of "rendering something coarse and unrefined”, but rather “the act of making something attractive to the general public”. It was inspired by the works of Jean-Henri Fabre, famous (or infamous) for his colloquial style of writing.
As Fabre said, some “have reproached me with my style, which has not the solemnity, nay, better, the dryness of the schools. They fear lest a page that is read without fatigue should not always be the expression of the truth. Were I to take their word for it, we are profound only on condition of being obscure." Fabre's books often had characters and a narrative. They were easy to understand, enjoyable to read. I have tried to emulate Fabre's approach believing that, if the language is simple and the subject engaging, there is very little in science that is too complex to be beyond comprehension if presented in this way.
Like Wikipedia, 'A New Leaf in Time' is full of hyperlinks, but it also has a narrative and characters. There is an ageing Professor, who doubles as grandfather to his nine year old grand-daughter Billie. There is her rather sharp friend Emily. Conscious of the lament of C.P Snow (i.e. the failure of the 'literate' to be familiar with the Laws of Thermodynamics) it also reaches out via the Internet to the works, for example, of such diverse authors as Kipling, Omar Khayyam, Oscar Wilde and W. S. Gilbert. Similarly, it celebrates the music, for example, of Enrico Caruso, Dusty Springfield and the Beatles. Its hyperlinks attempt to differentiate, by colour coding, between “general interest”, "serious science" and “utterly frivolous”.”
'A New Leaf in Time' is available to ISPR members for free download from
http://www.dawalker.staff.shef.ac.uk/books/ANLIT1-7.pdf
Education Demonstrations
A programme of Demonstrations served to enhance the Education session with the input of our exhibitors at the congress. Steve Hunt (Qubit) demonstrated ‘Novel approaches to practical classes in photosynthesis’, whilst Lada Nedbal (Inst. Systems Biology and Ecology, Czech Republic) ran a competition for students, the winner of whom (Marja Hakala, Turku University, Finland) won one of their hand-held Fluorometric devices to teach photosynthesis. Further demonstrations were made by Ulrich Schreiber with Heinz Walz on ‘Energy conversion in PS I and PSII assessed by Imaging-PAM and Dual-PAM-100’ and Reto Strasser's (University of Geneva) ‘Experimental resolution and theoretical complexity determine the amount of information extractable from the chlorophyll fluorescence transient OJIP: A Demonstration with Instruments’ proved highly popular. Meanwhile, David Walker and Govindjee, who had already spoken in the Education session gave a further demonstration of their innovative digital resources.
LIGHT AND LIFE Glasgow 26-27 July 2007
A 2-day family event on the importance of plants and photosynthesis to life on Earth (26, 27 July 2007)
Sponsored by American Society of Plant Biologists, BP, Journal of Experimental Botany, Annals of Botany, New Phytologist and Society for Experimental Biology.
Staged in the Glasgow Science Centre adjacent to the SECC where the Photosynthesis Congress was taking place, the Light and Life event comprised two main parts: (1) The Exhibition was made up of 7 large colourful stands each staffed by creative scientists and science communicators who presented inspiring hands-on demonstrations and resources to children and their parents; and (2) The Science Show presented by Jeremy Pritchard (University of Birmingham and in-coming chair of the SEB's Education Committee). The show, which lasted 20 minutes, was staged 6 times over 2 days and, with visual effects and explosions, demonstrated the basics of photosynthesis. Funded by BBSRC, it will be made available to other interested scientists and science communicators. Steve Owens, Science Communciation Director, and his colleagues in the Glasgow Science Centre could not have been more helpful and we are indebted to their expertise, good humour and intelligent common sense which made the event so easy and enjoyable to organise.
We were pleased to be supported by the Department of Biology of the University of Glasgow whose postgraduates and postdoctorals gave some interesting demonstrations related to climate change. Also, Melih Sener (Cornell University) who used beautiful images to illustrate the complexity of a plant's photosynthetic apparatus. Chris Bulman and Marta Lopes. (Newcastle University) captured the kids imagination on the SEB stand which was filled to the brim with give-aways including T-shirts, PLANT POWER magnifiers and fridge-magnets, and Gillian Dugan, who had previously acted as our press officer at the SEB's Annual Main Meeting in Glasgow in April, used her PR powers once again by enticing 80% of the visiting public into our exhibition.
The Botanic Gardens Glasgow, in cooperation with the University's Biology Department, very kindly lent us a spectacular array of plants which we used to decorate the exhibition and show and Louise Bustard also provided a very popular stand complete with exotic bottles of herbal potions which she'd marked with poisonous skull signs thus intriguing the youngsters even more.
American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
Jane Ellis (ASPB)1 brought a whole array of interactive and educational resources for kids including giving them the chance to make a garden on a necklace. Ingeniously engineered by Paul Williams (Fast Plants, Wisconsin), it enabled them to get their hands dirty - which is what really motivates children! The ASPB's now famous bookmarks were another hit. Based on the 12 principles of Plant Biology1 they include information on plant growth, reproduction and photosynthesis. The SEB was very happy to work collaboratively with the ASPB for the first time and took the opportunity to discuss further joint ventures for the future.
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS)
Jenny Edrich, Alison Hollywood and Kath Crawford on the SAPS2 stand offered a variety of hands-on activities aimed at improving, in an enjoyable way, understanding of plants and photosynthesis for a wide range of age groups. Younger children could 'Build a Flower' and play 'Plant Dominoes'. Interactive educational activities used in secondary school education were available for older children and adults.
Visitors to the stand were not only entranced by the beauty of the single-celled algae when viewed through microscopes but they were also amazed to learn that these tiny organisms carry out about 50% of photosynthesis. By simply switching a light source on and off, visitors could observe changes in the rate of bubble production by the aquatic plant, Cabomba, and were prompted to think about the products of photosynthesis and the function of light in the process. They were also encouraged to use the technique of Thin Layer Chromatography to separate and observe the range of photosynthetic pigments in leaves - some even proudly took their mini-chromatograms home! A final activity involved the immobilisation of algae in jelly beads so that factors that affect photosynthesis can be easily studied - this activity being greatly enjoyed by participants of all ages. Everyone had fun trying out the immobilisation technique and they were fascinated to see how the beads can be formed. Even the very youngest could work out from the results that plants need light to 'keep them happy'!
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh3 used a simple tree identification key in the form of a floor game to get across the idea of how keys work and to enable people to discover for themselves five common Scottish trees. Drawings were available along with additional information about the trees. People quickly got the hang of using the key and it seemed to be popular with children from pre-schoolers to teenagers. A set of posters about plants were also for sale.
Sponsored by American Society of Plant Biologists, BP, Journal of Experimental Botany, Annals of Botany, New Phytologist and Society for Experimental Biology.
Staged in the Glasgow Science Centre adjacent to the SECC where the Photosynthesis Congress was taking place, the Light and Life event comprised two main parts: (1) The Exhibition was made up of 7 large colourful stands each staffed by creative scientists and science communicators who presented inspiring hands-on demonstrations and resources to children and their parents; and (2) The Science Show presented by Jeremy Pritchard (University of Birmingham and in-coming chair of the SEB's Education Committee). The show, which lasted 20 minutes, was staged 6 times over 2 days and, with visual effects and explosions, demonstrated the basics of photosynthesis. Funded by BBSRC, it will be made available to other interested scientists and science communicators. Steve Owens, Science Communciation Director, and his colleagues in the Glasgow Science Centre could not have been more helpful and we are indebted to their expertise, good humour and intelligent common sense which made the event so easy and enjoyable to organise.
We were pleased to be supported by the Department of Biology of the University of Glasgow whose postgraduates and postdoctorals gave some interesting demonstrations related to climate change. Also, Melih Sener (Cornell University) who used beautiful images to illustrate the complexity of a plant's photosynthetic apparatus. Chris Bulman and Marta Lopes. (Newcastle University) captured the kids imagination on the SEB stand which was filled to the brim with give-aways including T-shirts, PLANT POWER magnifiers and fridge-magnets, and Gillian Dugan, who had previously acted as our press officer at the SEB's Annual Main Meeting in Glasgow in April, used her PR powers once again by enticing 80% of the visiting public into our exhibition.
The Botanic Gardens Glasgow, in cooperation with the University's Biology Department, very kindly lent us a spectacular array of plants which we used to decorate the exhibition and show and Louise Bustard also provided a very popular stand complete with exotic bottles of herbal potions which she'd marked with poisonous skull signs thus intriguing the youngsters even more.
American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
Jane Ellis (ASPB)1 brought a whole array of interactive and educational resources for kids including giving them the chance to make a garden on a necklace. Ingeniously engineered by Paul Williams (Fast Plants, Wisconsin), it enabled them to get their hands dirty - which is what really motivates children! The ASPB's now famous bookmarks were another hit. Based on the 12 principles of Plant Biology1 they include information on plant growth, reproduction and photosynthesis. The SEB was very happy to work collaboratively with the ASPB for the first time and took the opportunity to discuss further joint ventures for the future.
Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS)
Jenny Edrich, Alison Hollywood and Kath Crawford on the SAPS2 stand offered a variety of hands-on activities aimed at improving, in an enjoyable way, understanding of plants and photosynthesis for a wide range of age groups. Younger children could 'Build a Flower' and play 'Plant Dominoes'. Interactive educational activities used in secondary school education were available for older children and adults.
Visitors to the stand were not only entranced by the beauty of the single-celled algae when viewed through microscopes but they were also amazed to learn that these tiny organisms carry out about 50% of photosynthesis. By simply switching a light source on and off, visitors could observe changes in the rate of bubble production by the aquatic plant, Cabomba, and were prompted to think about the products of photosynthesis and the function of light in the process. They were also encouraged to use the technique of Thin Layer Chromatography to separate and observe the range of photosynthetic pigments in leaves - some even proudly took their mini-chromatograms home! A final activity involved the immobilisation of algae in jelly beads so that factors that affect photosynthesis can be easily studied - this activity being greatly enjoyed by participants of all ages. Everyone had fun trying out the immobilisation technique and they were fascinated to see how the beads can be formed. Even the very youngest could work out from the results that plants need light to 'keep them happy'!
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh3 used a simple tree identification key in the form of a floor game to get across the idea of how keys work and to enable people to discover for themselves five common Scottish trees. Drawings were available along with additional information about the trees. People quickly got the hang of using the key and it seemed to be popular with children from pre-schoolers to teenagers. A set of posters about plants were also for sale.
Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI)
The Education Officer and Scientists (Sharon Neilson, Kath Wright and Alison Roberts) from SCRI4 produced an exhibit entitled “Lunch from Light” which explored how food is made in plants from sunlight. The exhibit focussed on two types of plastids, showing how photosynthesis first produces sugars in chloroplasts, and that the sugars can be subsequently converted to, and stored as, starch in amyloplasts. In addition to a large, colourful poster display, visitors had the opportunity to view Flash animations of the two processes and to see both chloroplasts (in Elodea leaves) and amyloplasts (stained in potato tuber sections) down microscopes.
Hands-on parts of the exhibit included iodine-staining of starch granules in slices of potato tubers and showing children a potato plant in a glass pot to demonstrate tuberising stolons in the soil. SCRI were also showcasing their interactive educational CD entitled “The Living Field”. This resource has been sent to all Scottish Primary and Secondary schools and is available to download free of charge for educational or home use. Visit www.scri.ac.uk/education to discover more about what we do and follow the links to download “The Living Field”.
Children seemed to thoroughly enjoy working their way through some of the Living Field activities and were fascinated to watch potato slices turn blue-black when stained with iodine. It was interesting to note the amazement shown by some of the audience when they saw that potatoes grow underground! Both adults and children alike seemed thrilled to be able to view things down the microscopes while parents could gain a deeper insight into the science by reading the posters and other literature provided.
Conclusion
The SEB would like to thank all those who contributed to and sponsored the Light and Life event. It was the first time the SEB had organised a public outreach exhibition and those who were involved in the organisation, hosting and presentation helped towards making it the great success it was. We are hoping, in collaboration with some of the exhibitors and the event's sponsors, to use the event as a catalyst to realise a plant science practical resource centre for teaching purposes at school and undergraduate level. This would form part of a larger initiative being considered by other organisations such as societies of the Biosciences Federation. We also have an agreement for access to appropriate resources developed by the EU Framework 6-funded 'Volvox' project (www.eurovolvox.org/), which co-ordinates an internet-linked network to enhance bioscience education in European schools.
Sarah Blackford
SEB Education & Public Affairs
1. http://www.aspb.org/education/foundation/principles.cfm
2. http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/
3. http://www.rbge.org.uk/rbge/web/edu/index.jsp
4. http://www.scri.ac.uk/knowledge/learning/schools
Louise Bustard (Glasgow Botanic Garden); Melih Sener (Cornell University); Gillian Dugan (SEB Science Communication officer); Sharon Neilson (SCRI); Dominic Delaney (Edvotech; SEB); Jane Ellis (Presbyterian College; ASPB Education Committee); Jeremy Pritchard (University of Birmingham; SEB); Sarah Blackford (SEB Education & Public Affairs officer); Alison Roberts, Kath Wright (SCRI), Max Coleman (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh).
Making Light of Energy - Public discussion meeting, 24 July 2007
Organised and sponsored by BBSRC, a panel of experts chaired by broadcaster Quentin Cooper (centre) discussed how understanding photosynthesis can help us to exploit the sun's power. From left, Christine Raines talked about the science behind biofuels and, together with Paul Mitchell, discussed how properly managed biofuels need not compromise food production. James Barber brought to light the potential of harnessing the sun's energy by artificially recreating photosynthesis. Social scientist, Steve Yearley, grounded the discussion by asking the audience to think about the implications and risks of the research.
