Scope
Arsenic exhibits dynamic and complex chemical speciation in plants, interacting with inter and intra cellular transport, and its speciation ultimately impacts on risks posed by crops. There have been considerable molecular and analytical breakthroughs in arsenic speciation over the last few years, with a diverse range of advanced techniques opening a new and unheralded insight to cellular speciation, such as micro-XAS and coupled HPLC-ICP-MS - ESI-MS. Recently, arsenate reductases in plants were identified and characterised, advances have been made on As-PC ABC-type vacuolar transport, methylation pathways are starting to be unravelled, and the role of aquaporins in arsenite transport identified. Ultimately, the research should be focused on combining physiology and genetics to breed plants with low arsenic in edible plant parts, with the species of arsenic present being of low toxicity. In addition, there is also considerable interest in phytoremediation aspects - such as the arsenic hyperaccumulating ferns and Arabidopsis mutations that could lead to enhanced plant uptake and tolerance. The symposium will act as a catalyst to future research by bringing together leading researchers from all aspects of arsenic-plant research to identify synergies and strategies for using and adapting plants to combat environmental issues regarding arsenic.
Abstract book
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Organising committee
Henk Schat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Andy Meharg, Aberdeen, Scotland
Steve McGrath, Rothamsted, UK
Helen Pinfield-Wells, New Phytologist, Lancaster, UK