Experts from academia, government and the seed and plant industries will gather Sept. 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., to discuss gene flow in agriculture, and technologies for controlling it, during a workshop coordinated by the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center.

“Given the introduction of new crops developed for biofuels, diverse traits, and production systems that aim to capture markets with high purity standards, a comprehensive understanding of gene flow biology and control is crucial,” said Allen Van Deynze, research director of the Seed Biotechnology Center.

He said the workshop will focus on current and future strategies, both transgenic and nontransgenic, to minimize gene flow and maintain seed purity in all sectors of agriculture.

The workshop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will feature speakers from the United States and Canada, including four UC Davis scientists. More information and registration are available online at: http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/. There is no fee to attend the workshop.