The Fifth European Nitrogen Fixation Conference is designed to enhance European collaboration in the field of Nitrogen Fixation research and to foster collaborations between European scientists and those in developing countries.
Download and display a Conference Poster in Word - Thank you
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Local Organisers: Nick Brewin, Ray Dixon
(Chair), Barry Smith, John Innes Centre;
Andy Johnston, University of East Anglia
| Introduction | Nitrogen availability in agricultural soils is frequently the limiting
factor for crop productivity. This problem will become more severe in the
21st century, as agricultural production must keep pace with
world population increases. Biological nitrogen fixation through symbiotic,
associative and free-living microbial systems already contributes a major
and sustainable input into agriculture. These systems can provide an ecologically
acceptable alternative to the increased application of nitrogen fertilisers,
both in Europe and in developing countries.
The basic research that underpins the field of biological nitrogen fixation is making major contributions to our understanding of fundamental processes in plant cell biology, plant-microbe interactions, microbiology and metallo-organic catalysis. In the long term, this research could result in new agricultural solutions to the problems of N-limitation in crop productivity. Like the four previous meetings in this biennial series, this conference will bring together scientists from all parts of Europe, including those from countries that are outside the European Union. It will also foster scientific and technological co-operation between Europe and the rest of the world, particularly with Developing Countries. The opening session is intended to raise public awareness of our research field by placing it in the context of global agriculture and environmental change. Professor Sir John Beringer, University of Bristol (Chair) Professor Jules Pretty, University of Essex
Dr. Peter Goddard, Hydro-Agri Division, Norsk Hydro, ASA, Norway
Professor Peter Gresshoff, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
The theme of agricultural development is re-visited in Session 9 (EU
collaborations with developing countries) and Session 11 (sustainable and
low input agriculture). These sessions are sponsored by the EU through
an INCO-Dev workshop.
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| Scientific Sessions |
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| Social Events |
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| Invited
Speakers and Chairs
Instructions to Speakers |
The programme schedule is very tight, so please keep to time; The audience is very multi-disciplinary, so please introduce your topic carefully. Please introduce yourself to the audio-visual staff in the lecture theatre at least 30 minutes prior to the session in which you are speaking. Your presentation can be delivered using the following visual aids:
Both PC and Mac laptops are available for PowerPoint presentations
in the John Innes Centre Lecture Theatre. The following media will be accepted:
In advance of your arrival, your PowerPoint presentation can be E-mailed as an attachment to - kingsley.avenell@bbsrc.ac.uk mailto:kingsley.avenell@bbsrc.ac.uk . Alternatively you can send it by post. If you have any queries please contact Kingsley Avenell on 44 -1603 450475, or e-mail him at the address above. When creating your PowerPoint presentation, please ensure that graphs and images are inserted using the 'Insert' command and not simply 'Cut and Pasted' or 'Dragged and Dropped'. To ensure that your presentation will run smoothly on our equipment please e-mail a draft of your presentation to kingsley.avenell@bbsrc.ac.uk <mailto:kingsley.avenell@bbsrc.ac.uk> at least 2 days prior to the conference. Please do this even if you intend to make minor changes to your presentation at a later stage. You are welcome to bring and use your own laptop but please ensure that all sleep and power saving standby modes are disabled. This is to ensure that your laptop does not power down or enter a sleep mode before you are due to speak. There are mains supplies on the lecterns and therefore you should not concern yourself with battery power saving modes of operation. Please ensure you also bring a back-up copy of you talk on CD or Zip. |
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| Posters | Poster presentations are an important part of the Conference.
Every participant is encouraged to present a poster which will be on display
throughout the meeting..
Dimensions of poster boards: height 117cm; width 87cm. (Portrait-style
only.) We cannot accommodate posters in landscape format or that
go beyond these dimensions.
A list of Titles for Posters is now available on this site. |
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| Provisional Timetable | The conference begins on Friday evening with an introductory session
aimed at a wide audience. There are three full days comprising 4 x 100
min sessions with an 80 min break for lunch and two evening poster sessions.
Download the Provisional Programme.
There are opportunities for specialist workshops before, during and after the main Conference. |
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
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Friday 6th
September |
Workshops | Workshops
Room Key Collection from UEA Accommodation Office ENFC Registration at UEA-
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Opening Session 1
6.00-8.00 pm Nitrogen in Global Agriculture
UEA Lecture Theatre No 1 BBQ Reception 8.00pm
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Saturday 7th
September |
Session 2
9.00-10.25 am Genomics, taxonomy and evolution Session 3
Posters/lunch 12.40-2.00
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Session 4
2.00-3.40 pm Molecular structure and function (Parallel NIFEED workshop) Session 5
Posters Session 1
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Dinner 8.15 pm
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Sunday 8th
September |
Session 6
8.45-10.25 am Transcriptome and proteome analysis Session 7
Posters/lunch 12.40-1.45pm |
Session 8
1.40 pm - 3.20 pm Physiological aspects of nitrogen fixation Session 9
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Civic Reception 7.15 pm
Dinner on your own |
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Monday 9th
September |
Session 10
9.00-10.40 am Cell differentiation Session 11
Posters/lunch 12.50-2.30 |
Session 12
2.30-4.10 pm Colonisation of plant host cells Session 13 4.40-5.20
Closing Ceremony 5.20 - 5.35 |
Organ Recital 7.00 pm Conference Dinner 8.30
Music by "Pendulum" |
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Tuesday 10th
September |
Depart / Workshops | Workshops |
| Register On Line | On-line registration for 5th European Nitrogen
Fixation Conference is now closed so that the Organisers can work on the
databases. Any late registrations and payment should now be arranged by
direct e-mail communication with the Conference Secretariat.
The on-line registration site now has a form that helps you with registration,
payment and submission of your abstract.
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| Registration Options | The registration fees have been set at a ‘not for profit’
basis
to cover the overall cost of the meeting. There will be no option available
for daily registration, but there will be a local delegate rate for participants
from within the Norwich Research Park. (Those wishing to attend the first
session only should request a registration form from Mrs Sally Jeffery
at the ENFC Office, John Innes Centre nitfix.registration@bbsrc.ac.uk)
Registration as a scientific participant costs £285 before 17th June and £360 after this date. Registration includes access to all sessions; the abstract book and delegate's pack; daily refreshments (morning and afternoon teas/coffee/soft drinks and cookies, cakes, lunch). The full social programme includes a barbecue on Friday evening, full evening meals on Saturday and Monday and a reception on Sunday evening, followed by lunch on your own. For those who have been unable to arrange payment in advance of the meeting, we have established the status of "Unconfirmed Registration". These participants will have full access to the daytime scientific programme on payment of £200 on arrival at Norwich on Friday 6th September. However, we have not reserved University accommodation or evening social events for participants with "Unconfirmed Registration". Accommodation is available in en suite single rooms at the University of East Anglia (UEA). The standard conference programme will involve bed and breakfast for four nights (6th – 9th Sept) at £140. Accommodation for additional nights (£35) can also be reserved via the on-line registration. If you prefer to organise your own accommodation details of local hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation are available. The registration charge for accompanying persons (£185) includes full participation at evening dinners and the social programme. It does not include lunches. There is very little double or family accommodation available at UEA. Therefore, participants with accompanying persons may prefer to opt out of UEA accommodation and arrange their own accommodation in the city of Norwich. |
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| Payment details |
In case of difficulties with registration or payment, please contact: - Mrs Sally Jeffery at the ENFC Conference address (nitfix.registration@bbsrc.ac.uk). |
| Late
Registration and
Cancellation |
There will be a late registration fee (£75) after 17th June. We will make every effort to provide a full refund in the case of unavoidable cancellations. Refunds will be at 50% after 17th June and there will be no refunds after 20th July 2002. Registrations after 20th July cannot be guaranteed, and will not be included in the Conference book. |
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| Assisted Places | We are grateful to FEMS and ISPMB for providing assisted places for
young scientists, scientists from Eastern Europe and from developing countries.
The deadline for these applications is now past and succesful applicants
have been informed. Similarly for the EU-sponsored NIFEED workshop
(see below).
In order to claim expenses from sponsors, it will be necessary to provide the organisers with receipts for travel and subsistence costs. |
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| Poster
Submission
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Posters will be on display throughout the meeting. The format
for poster boards is “portrait style”: height 117cm, width 87cm.
We cannot accommodate posters in landscape format or that go beyond these
dimensions. Posters will be mounted using “velcro” tape, which will
be supplied.
Closing Date for Abstract Submissions by e-mail
will be
4th August 2002.
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Venue
and Location
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The 5th European Nitrogen Fixation Conference is being held
at the John Innes Centre,
in the modern 320 seat Lecture Theatre complex,
located in the Norwich Research Park,
Norfolk, UK.
Norwich, a medieval city and regional centre of East Anglia, is situated approximately 115 miles north east of London. It has a magnificent 900 year old Cathedral and an historic Castle. The county of Norfolk has an extensive coastline (renowned for bird watching), with an array of charming seaside towns and villages. The Norfolk Broads National Park is a network of meandering inland waterways. Norfolk also has a wealth of historic houses and gardens that are open to the public.This year, Norwich is bidding to become the European Capital of Culture for 2008. The weather in Norwich in September is unpredictable. Temperatures are around 16-22C. It is likely to be warm and sunny - but you should also expect some rain. Bring an umbrella and/or a light raincoat! Accommodation for the Conference will be provided in comfortable en suite single rooms at the University of East Anglia, situated a short distance from the John Innes Centre across pleasant countryside. We expect that participants will enjoy the 10-minute walk between the University and the John Innes Centre. Anyone who might have difficulty with this walk should contact the organisers in advance. Voltage throughout the UK is 220V, 50Hz AC - so remember to pack an adaptor if you plan to use anything electrical during your visit. |
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| Travel
to Norwich
TRAVEL BY AIR
BY ROAD
BY TRAIN
FROM THE AIRPORT
BY SEA
IN NORWICH |
International travel directly to Norwich
Airport
is available via Schiphol, Amsterdam. This is often a cheaper,
quicker and more convenient alternative to flying via London’s Stansted,
Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Norwich airport is only a 20-minute taxi
ride from the University and John Innes Centre, costing approximately £10.
Maps
are available here.
London (Stansted) airport is about 90 miles (150 km) south of Norwich. Travel by train or "Jetlink" Coach services takes 3-4 hours. London's other two airports (Heathrow and Gatwick) are further away and you will have to connect via central London. There is a frequent train service direct to Norwich leaving from Liverpool Street Station in central London. Direct coach services to Norwich operate every two hours from all terminals at London Airports but can be a long and tedious journey (approximately 3.5 hours from Heathrow to Norwich). BY ROAD: If driving from the East
or South-East, use the A12/A140 route until you reach the Norwich Southern
By-pass. From London and the South, the M11/A11 route is usually
recommended. However, there are currently some major roadworks which
may cause delays. Therefore you should consider whether the A12 route
might be preferable. In either case, when you reach the Norwich Southern
By-pass, turn left (clockwise direction) until you reach the junction of
the B1108, then travel towards Norwich. Go past the turning to JIC
and
the Hospital, cross the river and then take the next right turn to the
University (Earlham Road entrance). See Map.
BY TRAIN: Trains from London to Norwich
(NOT Northwich – which is near Manchester!!!) take ca 100 minutes and leave
from London’s Liverpool Street Station. The timetables can be obtained
by visiting http://www.rail.co.uk/ukrail/planner/planner.htm (Train).
FROM THE AIRPORT: If you are coming
in to: -
BY SEA: If arriving by ferry into Harwich, take train to Manningtree, then change there and (usually) at Ipswich before taking train to Norwich. If bringing a car on the ferry, follow directions for Ipswich and Norwich on A140; once you reach the Norwich Southern Bypass follow instructions shown above. From Norwich Rail Station, Bus Station or Airport – When you arrive at Norwich by public transport, it is probably advisable to take a taxi to the University of East Anglia (UEA). Regular buses also run from the City Centre, rail and bus stations to the University. The taxi fare from the train station, the coach station or the railway station will cost approximately £10 and take 20 - 30 minutes. On arrival at UEA, ask to be set down outside the LCR (Lower Common Room) near "The Street" in the centre of the campus. You should go first to the Accommodation and Conference Office (to obtain your room key) and then to the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (SCVA), where registration for ENFC will begin at 14.30 on Friday 6th September. Sainsbury Centre For the Visual Arts (SCVA).
If you arrive at UEA early and have some time to spare, the Sainsbury Collection
of art and sculpture is well worth a visit.
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| Opening
Ceremonies
(6th September)
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In August, each registered participant will receive an e-mail message
explaining what to do on arrival in Norwich. If you have pre-booked University
Accommodation for one or more nights prior to the meeting (i.e. between
3rd and 5th September), you can collect your room key from the University
Accommodation Office (see below) until 21.00 or at other times from the
Porters' Lodge. Those attending the NATO-Russia Workshop will be able to
pre-register for the ENFC meeting at the John Innes Centre on Wednesday
4th Sept between 11.30 and 13.00.
On Friday 6th September, when you arrive at the University of East Anglia (UEA) , you should first collect your room key from the UEA Accommodation and Conference Office. This office is situated at the centre of the campus near the Lower Common Room (LCR). You will be given a room in either Constable Terrace or Nelson Court. Having taken your luggage to your room, you should then collect your conference pack from the ENFC Registration Desk which will be open from 1430h-1900h in the Restaurant of the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (opposite Constable Terrace). The first scientific session will take place in UEA Lecture Theatre
No. 1 from 1800-2000h.
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| On Arrival in Norwich | Maps are available here. |
| Room Keys | Room keys may be collected from the University’s Conference Office,
or the Porters Lodge if arriving after 2100h. Breakfast vouchers and details
of the Sainsbury Centre Restaurant opening times will be given to you at
the Conference Office together with directions to the John Innes Centre.
Breakfasts will take place in the Sainsbury Restaurant, commencing at 0730h
on the mornings of 7th-10th Sept. On all other days, breakfasts will
be served in the "Diner".
On the day of departure, guests are expected to vacate their rooms before
10.00 am.
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| Car Parking | If you are travelling by car, please ask for a University Parking Permit
when you collect your room keys. Parking restrictions are severe at the
University. Your car may be clamped if you do not display a parking permit.
There are no parking restrictions at the John Innes Centre. |
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| General Information | All scientific sessions (except the opening session) will take place
in the main 320 seat Lecture Theatre at
the John Innes Centre (JIC). From the UEA campus take the road going
west from the Sainsbury Restaurant. The 10-minute walk will take
you across the River Yare, across the University Playing Fields, past the
Sports Pavilion. After crossing a busy road you will reach the back
gate of the John Innes Centre and signposts will guide you to the lecture
theatre.
The ENFC Conference Desk will be open at JIC during the Meeting (7th-9th September) from 08.30 -18.00. The Meeting will officially close following the Conference Banquet on Monday 9th September. Internet access will be available each day from 7.00 - 8.00 am at UEA. The Final Meeting Programme will be made available on this Web site from August 2002. . |
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| NIFEED Workshop | The EU Inco-Dev programme will support a workshop on ‘Nitrogen Fixation
in Agriculture and the Environment: complementary Research Between the
EU and Developing Countries’, acronym ‘NIFEED’. This workshop (convened
by Professor Janet Sprent) will form an integral part of the 5th ENFC.
The NIFEED Workshop will serve as a forum for new research and ideas that are of special relevance to the role of N-fixation in the developing world. The sponsored participants for NIFEED will be restricted to 40 in number, the majority of whom will be from developing countries. Presentations will be included as posters or invited talks in either session 8 or 11, depending on their content. There will also be a Nifeed discussion session in parallel with session 4. Emphasis will be placed on the legume/rhizobial symbiosis. An important feature of the “NIFEED” workshop will be the development of an Interactive Website. We envisage that it will act as a useful site for the exchange of ideas and problems among different laboratories, NGOs and other agencies, and will greatly facilitate the setting up of new collaborations and networks. In order to claim expenses from sponsors, it will be necessary to provide the organisers with receipts for travel and subsistence costs. |
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| Satellite Meetings | For the two days before and after the Conference, the meeting rooms
and facilities of the John Innes Centre and UEA are available for those
wishing to hold Satellite Meetings.
NATO-RUSSIA WORKSHOP: 4th – 6th September:
ARAL SEA - PLADADINFIS EU-INCO WORKSHOP: 5th – 6th September
RHIZOBIUM GENOME WORKSHOP: 6th September
NORWICH RESEARCH PARK COLLOQUIUM: 6th September
NIFEED EU INCO-DEV WORKSHOP: 6th – 9th September
EU ECO-SAFE WORKSHOP: 10th – 11th September
This year, the programme for the 5th ENFC has been designed to complement that of the 9th International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation in Non-legumes, being held the previous week in Leuven. Please contact Dr. Jos Vanderleyden for further details. |
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| Exhibitions | Throughout the meeting, there will be a chance to view the John Innes
Foundation Special Collection of Rare Botanical Books, by special
arrangement with the Curator. A special exhibition will focus on
the theme of nitrogen fixation. There will also be an opportunity to purchase
exclusive, reasonably priced, prints made from plates in books taken from
the collection, which include Redouté’s Lilies and Roses, and a
series of butterflies, fruits and vegetables.
Mike Ambrose will also take interested participants to view exhibits from the extensive pea germplasm collection that is held by the John Innes Centre. |
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| General Enquiries | We intend to make your visit a truly enjoyable experience!
If you have any general enquiries please do not hesitate to contact
the ENFC Conference Secretary, Mrs Sue Riches, John Innes Centre, Norwich
Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, Norfolk, UK. E-mail: norwich.nitfix@bbsrc.ac.uk.
Enquires concerning Conference Registration and the submission of Abstracts
should be addressed to Mrs Sally Jeffery. E-mail: (nitfix.registration@bbsrc.ac.uk).
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| International
Steering
Committee |
John Beringer, UK, Gyorgy Kiss, Hungary, Adam Kondorosi, France, Andrzej Legocki, Poland, Ben Lugtenberg, The Netherlands, Alfred Puhler, Germany (Chair), José Olivares, Spain, Antonio Palomares, Spain |
| International
Advisory
Board |
Ton Bisseling, The Netherlands, Jean Denarié, France,Claudine Elmerich, France, Peter Gresshoff, Australia, Hauke Hennecke, Switzerland, Maurizio Iaccarino, Italy, Carmen Lluch, Spain, Fergal O’Gara, Ireland, Yaacov Okon, Israel, Rafael Palacios, Mexico, Barry Rolfe, Australia, Tomas Ruiz-Argueso, Spain, Jens Stougaard, Denmark, Igor Tikhonovich, Russia |
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| Local Organisers | Nick Brewin, Ray Dixon (Chair), Barry Smith,
John Innes Centre;
Andy Johnston, University of East Anglia. |
| Local Organising
Committee |
Allan Downie, Bob Eady, Noel Ellis, John Gallon, Mike Merrick, Martin Parniske, Chris Pickett, Philip Poole, Janet Sprent, Roger Thorneley, Peter Young. |
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| Sponsorship | The organisers are extremely grateful to the following major sponsors:
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