The Edinburgh Cell Wall Group fully participates in, and contributes to the organisation of, the annual meetings of the SCWG. The SCWG warmly invites all scientists based in Scottish labs and interested in eukaryotic cell walls (plant, algal, fungal) to attend the annual meetings (usually close to Easter). Registration and accommodation are both subsidised by the SCWG. Usually there are about 30-50 participants. Almost all participants give either a seminar or a poster. It is normal practice at these meetings for PhD students (as well as post-doctorals and senior staff) to present seminars. Each SCWG meeting benefits from the participation of an internationally recognised Guest Speaker. The Scottish Cell Wall Group was established in 1990 to continue the organisation established to run the 5th in the International series Cell Wall Meetings, which was held at Edinburgh in 1989. Past SCWG meetings, and the Guest Speakers, are listed below:
No. | Year | Location | Guest Speaker(s) | Guest Lecture Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1991 | Edinburgh | G.A. Maclachlan | Metabolism and function of xyloglucan and derivatives |
2 | 1992 | Edinburgh | H. Kauss | Biosynthesis of callose and hydroxycinnamate esters of cell wall polymers as defence reactions against pathogens |
3 | 1993 | Stirling | B. A. Stone | Covalent linkages between plant cell wall polymers: chemistry, biochemistry and roles in the function and utilisation of plant cell walls |
4 | 1994 | Glasgow | D. J. Cosgrove | Expansins: their mode of action and their role in plant cell enlargement |
5 | 1995 | Edinburgh (Royal Society of Edinburgh) | N. C. Carpita | Structural modifications of plant cell wall polysaccharides during development and a new genetic model of fibre differentiation |
M. McCann | Changes in wall architecture during plant cell growth and differentiation | |||
B. Vian | Xylan-based cell walls: importance of glucuronoxylans in ordered assembly and consolidation of the composite | |||
P. van Cutsem | Localisation and roles of pectins in plant cells | |||
6 | 1996 | Edinburgh | A. J. G. Voragen | Food plant cell walls |
7 | 1997 | Rowett | H. G. Jung | Ferulate cross-linking in grasses: chemistry, impact on degradability, and genetic manipulation |
8 | 1998 | Dundee | G. Tucker | Use of gene silencing to study cell wall hydrolases |
9 | 1999 | Glasgow | P. Schopfer | Biochemical and mechanical cell wall changes and their involvement in the control of extension growth |
10 | 2000 | Edinburgh | A. G. Darvill | Plant cell wall pectins |
11 | 2001 | Stirling | M. Gidley | Influence of polysaccharide composition on the structure and properties of cellulose-based composites |
12 | 2002 | Paisley | S. M. MacQueen-Mason | The expansins family: many genes, many roles |
13 | 2003 | Dundee | S. Turner | Secondary cell wall formation in Arabidopsis thaliana |
14 | 2004 | Glasgow | L. Schreiber | Structure and function of plant cuticles as an interface between leaf and atmosphere |
15 | 2005 | Edinburgh | M. J. Kieliszewski | Synthetic genes for the elucidation of hydrozyproline-rich glycoprotein post-transitional codes |