Conference: Advancing Crop Genome Engineering through Innovative Transformation and Automation Technologies

The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB), founded in 1946 as the Tissue Culture Association, promotes the exchange of knowledge in plant and animal (including humans) in vitro biology. Its annual meetings serve as ideal platforms for presenting new research and concepts in cell biology and biotechnology. As part of the SIVB’s 2026 annual meeting, two workshops and a panel discussion on lab automation in the plant sciences will be organized to address key challenges and emerging solutions for critical bottlenecks in plant bioengineering. These activities will expand access to advanced plant transformation technologies for a diverse audience, including students, educators, and researchers from academia, government, and industry.

In conjunction with PlantGENE, an NSF-funded, Research Coordination Network (RCN ) that is a community-driven initiative dedicated to advancing plant transformation and gene editing through knowledge sharing, online resources, and facilitation of collaboration and training opportunities, the first workshop will focus on morphogenic transcription factors and Agrobacterium strain engineering, offering practical insights for enhancing plant transformation. The second workshop will explore laboratory automation, featuring current technologies and future trends to help participants conceptualize automation projects in partnership with the Viscon Group (vicongroup.eu), an EU-based technology company specializing in automation, robotics, and software solutions for agriculture and food industries. Finally, a cross-sectional panel discussion will follow, bringing together experts from plant, animal, and invertebrate sciences to share best practices in automation implementation. These sessions will be recorded and made available on-demand to ensure broad accessibility. Presentations and materials will be shared with interested groups for educational and research use, supporting curriculum development and laboratory training across diverse institutions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Award Number: 2611965
Principal Investigator: Michele Schultz
Funds Obligated: $33,150
State: MD