Edited versions of this report have been published in::
School of Biological and biological and Molecular Sciences
Research News - Issue 19 October 2002
The Society for Experimental Biology Bulletin - January
2002
I had prepared a poster entitled Silicon amelioration and aluminium toxicity
in hydroponically grown Picea abies seedlings: Root growth and modelling
data, for the 13th Congress of the Federation of European Societies of Plant
Physiology (FESPP). The conference was based at the Creta Maris hotel in the
coastal town of Hersonissos, near Heraklion, Crete. After registration, I hung
my poster on the allocated board with in excess of 500 other posters. The first
event was an opening ceremony followed by a presentation on the flora of
ancient Greece discussing habitat types and the economic importance of plants
to Greece and the world.
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The week included a number of
oral presentations with time for discussion. There were poster sessions each
afternoon where researchers could select areas of interest and discuss work on
display. I made contact with academics from many countries including Australia,
Macedonia, Slovakia, and Switzerland, and it was fascinating to learn about
life in research beyond the UK.
I attended many interesting talks ranging in topic from microbiology to
ecology. Of particular interest was a talk on the generation of cluster roots
as an adaptation to extremely phosphate impoverished soils.
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We later discussed a number of related areas by e-mail and I was provided with
invaluable further information. While viewing the posters, I found it
particularly interesting to compare my area of interest (aluminium) with that
of cadmium where I found that there were a surprising number of similarities
between the activities of these two metals
The week was very satisfying both intellectually and socially, the climate
was glorious, and the conference centre was excellent. Now it was time for me
to spend a week's vacation on the small Greek island of Spetsis among the wild
Cyclamen and Rosemary.
I would like to thank the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) for their
generous support that has enabled me to present at the 13th FESPP conference
and to make many useful contacts with fellow academics.
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