Prof Agepati S. Raghavendra and Mr Pulimamidi Bharath, a PhD Scholar (working with Prof G. Padmaja and Prof A S Raghavendra) of the Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad (UoH), attended the 46th New Phytologist Symposium: Stomata 2024 from 21st to 24th October 2024, Kaifeng, China.
Professor Agepati S Raghavendra was an invited speaker and gave a talk entitled “The rise in pH of guard cells: An intriguing component of stomatal closure”.
Mr. Bharath presented a poster entitled “Stomatal closure induced by abscisic acid or methylamine depends on V-ATPase mediated guard cell cytosolic pH changes followed by ROS production” under the theme “Stomatal movement – mechanisms”. Both presentations were received well and triggered an intense discussion on the importance of guard cell cytosolic pH during stomatal closure.
The New Phytologist Foundation organized the symposium with a collaborative effort from Henan University, Kaifeng, China. This symposium provided a forum for stomatal biologists to present the latest developments and to discuss and decide on a roadmap for future stomatal research, including research of a fundamental nature and research that will result in short-term societal benefits. We discussed our work with leading scientists of stomatal research and gained many insights into how our research work can be progressed in the future. The insights will undoubtedly advance our work and contribute to our field’s advancement.
The New Phytologist Foundation and an INSA Research Scientist Contingency Grant supported Prof Raghavendra. Mr Bharath received travel support from the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB)-International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme.