The Death of Plant Cells: From Proteases to Field Applications

Programmed cell death is essential for multicellular life, with a central role in development and disease. In plants, programmed cell death is a major player in plant development and in crop resistance to pathogens. With a pressing need to combat disease in the field, which results in tremendous losses, and to increase yield through a better understanding of plant development, it is now essential to join efforts in order to move forward the frontiers of science in this area. 

Plant research at the molecular level is coming of age at a time of heightened need for novel second-generation crops that not only grow better in healthy conditions, but are also able to fight recalcitrant diseases, such as pathogenic bacteria and molds.

The debates jointly organized by B·Debate and Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) aims at bringing together outstanding local and international researchers working on plant programmed cell death, agricultural biotech companies, and animal programmed cell death experts. This meeting will promote discussion, coordinate efforts and establish national and transnational collaborations to boost the understanding of this key process. This knowledge will be instrumental to direct future key questions concerning plant programmed cell death and increase the visibility of this research field. Additionally, it will contribute  translating novel findings to crops, undoubtedly helping to meet the needs of the world’s growing population in a sustainable manner.