Plant Epigenetics and Epigenome Engineering (F3)
October 13-16, 2025
| Hilton Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO, United States
Doris Wagner, Xuehua Zhong, Toshiro Ito and Claudia Köhler
Scholarship Deadline: Jul. 3, 2025 | Abstract Deadline: Sep. 19, 2025 | Early Registration Deadline: Aug. 15, 2025
| 4:00–8:00 PM |
Registration |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 6:00–8:00 PM |
Welcome Mixer |
Atrium |
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 8:00–8:30 AM |
Poster Setup |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 8:15–5:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 8:30–9:30 AM |
Welcome and Keynote Address |
Salon 2 |
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* Doris Wagner, University of Pennsylvania
Session Chair |
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Xiaofeng Cao, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Epigenetics Regulation and Stress Memory |
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| 9:30–11:45 AM |
Regulation of Transposable Elements and Genome Organization |
Salon 2 |
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* Christel Carles, Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS
Session Chair |
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Eriko Sasaki, Kyushu University
Genetic Basis of Epigenetic Variation and its Consequences for Adaptation |
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R. K Slotkin, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
The Initiation of RNAi in Plants |
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Taiko To, Institute of Science Tokyo
DNA Methylation Establishment at TEs |
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Erika Ellison, University of Cambridge
Short Talk: Epigenetic Regulation of ATHILA5 Centrophilic Retrotransposition in Arabidopsis |
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| 10:00–10:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 11:45–12:45 PM |
Lunch |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 12:15–2:30 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight: Late-breaking research presentations selected from abstract submissions |
Salon 2 |
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* Claudia Köhler, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Session Chair |
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Jake Harris, University of Cambridge
CRISPR targeting of H3K4me3 Activates Gene Expression and Unlocks Centromeric Crossover Recombination in Arabidopsis |
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Christel Carles, Université Grenoble Alpes - CNRS
Studying and Engineering Chromatin Mark Switches, for Controlled Developmental Transitions |
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Leonardo Furci, OIST
Rice Epigenome Manipulation for Pathogen Resistance |
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Javier Antunez Sanchez, University of Warwick
Enabling Transgenerational Epigenetic Memory of Stress in Plants |
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Rebecca A Mosher, University of Oxford
Epigenomic Changes Following the Evolution of Selfing |
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Cristian J Peña-Ponton, Wageningen University and Research
Genome-Wide Targeting of Transposable Elements for Epigenetic Reprogramming and Gene Activation in Tomato |
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Avriti Ranjan, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology
Dissecting the Role of Heat Shock Factors (HSFs) in Determining the DNA Methylation Landscape Under High Temperature Regimes in Arabidopsis |
|
| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Gene Regulation in the Context of Chromatin |
Salon 2 |
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* Asa Ben Hur, Colorado State University
Session Chair |
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Robert Schmitz, University of Georgia
Decoding a Non-Coding Domestication QTL |
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Aman Husbands, University of Pennsylvania
Paralog-Specific Regulons from a Single Network Architecture |
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Doris Wagner, University of Pennsylvania
Epigenome Engineering |
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Lucas Jarry, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Short Talk: Plant Mobile Domain Protein-DNA Motif Modules Counteract Polycomb Silencing to Stabilize Gene Expression |
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Fernando Baile, University of Warwick
Short Talk: PRC1-mediated H2A.Zub Promotes Gene Expression by Preventing H3.1K27me1 Incorporation in Arabidopsis |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
On Own for Dinner |
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Wednesday, October 15, 2025
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 8:30–11:30 AM |
DNA Methylation and Noncoding RNAs in Epigenetics |
Salon 2 |
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* Thelma F. Madzima, Michigan State University
Session Chair |
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Steven E Jacobsen, University of California, Los Angeles
Genetic Control of Epigenetics in Arabidopsis |
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Xuehua Zhong, Washington University in St. Louis
Function and Mechanism of DNA Methylation |
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Nicolas Bouché, Université Paris-Saclay
Harnessing Epigenetic Variation to Improve Tomato |
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Nathan M Springer, Bayer Crop Sciences
Epigenetics, DNA Methylation and Germplasm Improvement in Crops |
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Anna D Dmitrieva, University of California, Berkeley
Short Talk: DNA Demethylation Stabilizes Epigenetic Inheritance by Preventing Spontaneous Epiallele Formation |
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Taehoon Kim, University of Florida
Short Talk: A Cis-Regulatory Element Guides Locus- and Female-Specific De Novo DNA Methylation in Rice |
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 9:50–9:55 AM |
Award Recipient Acknowledgement |
Salon 2 |
| 11:30–12:30 PM |
Poster Setup |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 11:30–3:15 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 12:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 2:00–3:00 PM |
Career Roundtable |
Salons 1 & 5 |
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Nathan M Springer, Bayer Crop Sciences
Head of Genetic and Genomic Innovation |
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Julie A Law, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Associate Professor |
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Bo Sun, Nanjing University
Professor |
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| 3:15–4:30 PM |
Panel Discussion: Epigenome Editing |
Salon 2 |
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* Xuehua Zhong, Washington University in St. Louis
Panel Moderator |
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Steven E Jacobsen, University of California, Los Angeles
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Jake Harris, University of Cambridge
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Doris Wagner, University of Pennsylvania
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Nathan M Springer, Bayer Crop Sciences
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Nicolas Bouché, Université Paris-Saclay
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Epigenetics in (de) Differentiation, Growth and Development |
Salon 2 |
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* Toshiro Ito, Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Session Chair |
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Claudia Köhler, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology
Mobile Small RNAs Regulate Endosperm Development |
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Julia I Questa, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG)
Interplay between Coding and Non-coding Regulation during Early Stages of Plant Development |
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Julie A Law, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Unexpected Roles for Transcription Factors in Controlling DNA Methylation in Plant Reproductive Tissues |
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Mingli Xu, University of South Carolina
Short Talk: Epigenetic Regulation of Vegetative Phase Change by the Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylation Complex |
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Randy D Allen, Oklahoma State University
Short Talk: TRA1, a Component of the SWR1 Chromatin Remodeling Complex, is Required for AGL15 Transcriptional Silencing during the Seed-to-Seedling Transition |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
Salons 1 & 5 |
Thursday, October 16, 2025
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 8:30–11:15 AM |
Histone Variants, Occupancy, and Modifications |
Salon 2 |
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* Jianjun Jiang, Henan University
Session Chair |
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Hua Jiang, University of Potsdam
Remote Presentation: Chromatin Regulation by H3K9 Demethylases in Tapetum-mediated Pollen Development |
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Yannick Jacob, Yale University
Histone Variants in DNA Replication and Repair |
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Binglian Zheng, Fudan University
Lariat RNA Turnover in Plants |
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Bo Sun, Nanjing University
Short Talk: Peptide Signaling Reprograms Chromatin to Integrate Meristem Homeostasis with Floral Differentiation |
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Kehui Zhu, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology
Short Talk: Dynamic Control of H2A.Zub and H3K27me3 by Ambient Temperature During Cell Fate Determination in Arabidopsis |
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Keqiang Wu, National Taiwan University
Short Talk: Regulation of WRKY63 Function and Activity through Acetylation |
|
| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 11:15–4:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
|
| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Preconvention Foyer |
| 5:00–6:30 PM |
Epigenetic Regulation of Environment/Stress Response and Memory |
Salon 2 |
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* Garry Sunter, Northern Illinois University
Session Chair |
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Xiangsong Chen, Wuhan University
Short Talk: Remote Presentation: A Non-canonical RNA Polymerase Ⅱ Kinase Interacts with Bromodomain-containing Proteins to Maintain Gene Expression upon Heat Stress in Arabidopsis |
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Toshiro Ito, Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Chemical Manipulation of Epigenome Towards Flowering Control |
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Jurriaan Ton, University of Sheffield
From Recall to Reset: The Role of DNA (de)methylation in Plant Immune Memory |
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David M. Bisaro, Ohio State University
Short Talk: Repressive Host Transcription Factors Recruit PRC2 and an Activating Viral Transcription Factor to Geminivirus Chromatin |
|
| 6:30–6:45 PM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (All Organizers) |
Salon 2 |
| 6:45–7:45 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Salons 1 & 5 |
| 7:45–9:00 PM |
Cash Bar |
Salons 1 & 5 |
