Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (PMBB)

1. Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (PMBB) • China and the U.S. are two nations with the largest cotton production and research activities. They are among the major players of 32-country, 356-member international cotton genome initiative (ICGI). Cotton genomics has not been supported at the level of other major crops and it is not at the level of its economic importance in the world economy. International cotton genomics research collaboration is needed to expedite the development of open resources for cotton improvement. Collaboration between the US and China on this area will certainly benefit the global cotton community. • Development of open genomic resources for cotton improvement: • Russell Kohel, John Yu, David Ow, Jinfa Zhang, Hongbin Zhang, David Stelly, Jeff Chen, Jean Gould, Keerti Rathore, Wayne Smith, Peggy Thaxton, Dan Ebbole, Zhanyou Xu, John Killmer • Tianzhen Zhang, Wangzhen Guo, Xianlong Zhang, Xiaoya Chen, Yuxian Zhu, Bin Liu, Youlu Yuan, Shuxun Yu, Jun Zhu

2. Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (PMBB) Cooperation between U.S. and China Scientists on Rice Rice is a major crop worldwide and of particular interest for scientists in both China and the U.S. Rice poses numerous opportunities for collaborative research between both countries. Expertise covering a broad spectrum from practical applied research to novel gene discovery and characterization was well represented at the roundtable. • Molecular characterization of insertion events and a study of position effects. Gene annotation • Tim Hall Qifa Zhang Lijun Luo Liu Bin • Improved rice nitrogen use efficiency and grain quality through functional genomics and physiological modeling • Qifa Zhang Yubin Yang Lee Tarpley William Park • Lijun Luo Ted Wilson Shannon Pinson

3. Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (PMBB) • Rice physiological and functional genomic response to multiple global climate change factors and high temperature • Jeff Baker Lee Tarpley Xiaoya Chen Qifa Zhang • Hualing Mi Ted Wilson Lijun Luo William Park • Rice functional genes related to major pest problems • Jia-An Cheng Tim Hall Mo Way • Marvin Harris Chengcang Wu • Rice gene functional interactions (network), gene expresssion-trait association: Traits and abiotic-biotic stresses • Hongbin Zhang Bin Liu

4. Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (PMBB) • Challenges to collaborations • Formalities to any collaborative agreement inevitably include consideration of intellectual property (IP). For plant science, IP issues extend from ownership of creative thought through plant variety protection (PVP) and, recently, more stringent germplasm protection statutes, to comprehensive patents. Many members of the roundtable participated in discussion of this issue. Views ranged from dismissal of the topic as not being relevant to establishing scientific interactions, through the opinion that IP issues should be solved on a case-by-case basis, to serious concern regarding IP. Professor Borlaug commented that IP issues were even constraining germplasm exchange within countries, including China. Dr. Killmer (Monsanto) noted that patent protection stimulated development of new traits, and others noted that more patents had been filed in China during the past three years than the total of patents previously filed. If a framework for IP protection could be established for guidance, this could greatly facilitate and expedite collaborative agreements. • Visa clearance procedures must be normalized.